Can you effectively aesthetically remove old implants and perform a breast reduction?

Removing old implants at the time of a breast reduction is a common practice. If you feel like your breasts are now too large, as long as you have an adequate amount of breast tissue remaining, your implant can be safely removed. Whether or not you also require breast tissue removal or just a reshaping of your breast and nipple depends on the amount of breast tissue you have as well as your size goals. For patients who are happy with their natural breast tissue volume, I perform an “auto-augmentation”, conserving all of the natural breast tissue, while reshaping the breast and raising the nipples. I also highly suggest using an absorbable mesh, that creates an “internal support bra” and absorbs after about 18 months, leaving a collagen support behind and maintains the results over time. I always include liposuction to the lateral breasts and armpit areas in addition to a breast reduction to maximize the contour of the torso.

As far as fat reduction of your arms, liposuction may be an option, but candidacy is best determined by an examination since you don’t want to reduce the fat in the area but leave behind loose skin which can be just as unsightly. Liposuction is done through tiny openings at your elbow, but if you require an arm lift "brachioplasty" to remove skin and fat, this is done through an incision on the underside of your upper arm.

I highly encourage you to seek out a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in surgery of the breast and body to hear your concerns and come up with a plan to reach our goals. Best of luck!

Yes, implants can be removed and the breasts can be reduced in one procedure in many women. sometimes, the reduction needs to be done separately to ensure good blood circulation to the nipples. We can use a small incision near the elbow to remove excess fat with liposuction and do skin tightening with Renuvion, Bodytite or ThermiTite through the same incision. Go visit with a plastic surgeon to discuss your concerns and options.

Yes, during surgery old implants can be removed and a lift performed. If desired, additional breast tissue can also be removed to further downsize the breasts. To address excess fat on the arms you may be a candidate for liposuction which involves small incisions. Depending on the skin laxity you may be a better candidate for a brachioplasty to shape the arms. See a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.