Will my boobs will look the same as before if implants are removed? (photo)

Hello and thank you for your question and sharing your photo. Generally speaking, after removal of breast implants, breasts will look smaller and deflated. Patients with good skin elasticity have a better chance for skin contraction and breasts returning back to what they looked like prior to their augmentation. Implant size and the amount of time since implant placement are other key factors that determine how your breasts will look like after implant removal. There is a good chance your breasts will look like what they did after removal. It's always best to communicate your concerns with your plastic surgeon and have them take care of the issue.
Best wishes and good luck,

Pejman Aflaki, M.D.

Johns Hopkins-trained double board-certified plastic surgeon

The smaller the implant and the less the amount of time it has been since placement, the greater the chance the breasts will return to their preoperative state. It is very difficult to predict breast size following explant b/c breast implants and weight fluctuations over time tend to thin tissues, cause a decrease in size, and create more droop.  
It is not unreasonable to remove the implants and then observe a waiting period of six months before the determination for breast lift is made. This will give your breasts time to bounce back and your PS time to determine what type of lift, if any, is needed. 

Sorry to hear about your disappointment.  It is somewhat difficult to see what is exactly going on or what went wrong, but you can certainly remove your implants at this point.  It does not appear that you would benefit from a lift as your photos of your breast before surgery looked good.  A good amount of the skin should retract but you will miss the upper pole fullness that the implants have provided.  What I commonly do with the explant surgery is to fat graft the breast at the time of the removal to help aid in the fullness in that region.I would recommend you see a board certified plastic surgeon that has experience in explant surgery and fat grafting.Hope that helps.

Many women who undergo explant alone are dissatisfied because of the hanging skin, empty appearance and require a lift.  The technique I recommend is explantation and lift using The Bellesoma Method.  The implants are removed, your breast tissue is reshaped creating upper pole fullness, elevated higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage.  Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained, if not injured during your previous surgery.  At the same time or later, fat transfers can be performed if additional volume is desired.Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Thank you for sharing your excellent question and I am sorry that your results have not been what you anticipated.  There does appear to be some imbalance between your natural breast tissue and the implants.  Whether this is tissue sagging or implant malposition it would need to be confirmed during an in-person examination.  That said your breast skin looks to be of good quality so removal of the implants should approximate your original appearance.  Most likely you will have a little excess skin and not the same degree of tightness as before but the overall look should be improved. 

Dear marypierr,
There is no exact way to predict the size and shape of your breasts after implants removal. There is a chance that your breast will be the same as before the surgery. However, they can also be saggy. You always have an option to remove implants, wait to see the final shape and then decide whether to do some more procedures to improve them. If you are considering a surgery, I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

It is difficult to make 100% accurate predictions following explant. There are a number of factors to consider including age (the breast changes over time irregardless of augmentation), weight change, skin stretch and residual elasticity.
Following removal, one can expect:
-Loss of volume- Not an exact correlation between pre- and post augmentation due to the changes over time. You may be bigger or smaller than you remember.
-Ptosis/sagging-Ptosis develops over time and may be worsened by the presence of an implant. If a patient has pre-explant sagging, removal is likely to worsen this to a certain extent. If there is no ptosis, it does not necessarily mean there will be no ptosis after removal.
-Skin laxity/stretch- There is inherent skin elasticity which will allow for some measure of snap back. However, the greater the volume differential pre- and post- the more likely there will be excess skin.
In my experience, it is usually a safe assumption that there will be some changes post removal which oftentimes may necessitate further operative intervention (i.e. lift), however this is often a function of size and length of time post op. Small implants which have only been in place for a short period will lead to an improved response/recoil post removal. Whereas larger implants which have been in for several years will often necessitate a lift.
With regards to your specific question, it is difficult to make an accurate prediction. Moderate sized implants which have only been in for 1 year are favorable qualities. That being said, I would prepare for the potential need for a lift. This can be performed in a staged fashion.
As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).
Donovan Rosas MD
Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons
RealSelf Verified Member
RealSelf Top 100
RealSelf Hall of Fame

Hello,Thank you for your pictures and the question. No, you should have some sagging and you may need a breast lift, as your skin and tissue have been stretched due to the implant and removing them will cause them to relax causing sagging. 
Best Regards, 
DR CEM PAYASLI 

Every patient is different, so there is no way to say for certain what your breasts may look like after breast implant removal. However, it’s important to remember that some degree of breast sagging may occur due to the implants stretching out the breast skin. This is especially common for women who have larger implants inserted. In these cases, breast lift surgery can help reduce this stretched breast skin.

Based on your photos, the time you've had your implants and their size, I would say you would look very similar to your pre-op photos. It may take a few weeks for the skin to shrink up a bit and the breast to "fluff" out.