How Are Saline Breast Implants Deflated?

Question

You mentioned that you could have the Saline breast implants deflated in situ and then determine how to proceed--removal alone or removal with breast lift. When this is done, is the saline released into the body or is a tube inserted to let the saline flow out of the body?

John LoMonaco, MD, FACS · Answer

The skin can be numbed and a nnedle and syringe is used to remove the fluid.  In very thin individuals, the remaining implant may cause some minor shape irregularity but usually this is not a problem.
My experience is that the breast looks a little more saggy right after this procedure than it will after the actual implant removal.  Your skin will contract to some degree over a few days, which may make a lift unnecessary.

Sam Speron, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi,
Thank you for your question.
The implant can be deflated in office using a needle and syringe under local anesthesia. You breasts will likely contract in the next few days so yes, sometimes a lift is required.
Best regards,
Dr. Speron

David Shafer, MD, FACS · Answer

Sometimes before implant exchange, the saline implants are deflated a week or so before surgery. This is usually done if you are downsizing your implants because it allows for some time for your skin to contract to a smaller size prior to putting in the smaller implants. The deflation is performed in the office using a needle and a syringe to pull out the saline. I hope this is helpful. Good luck with your surgery.

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

It is a very simple painless procedure done in the office.  The lateral area of your breast is injected with a numbing solution and after a minute a syringe with a needle is inserted and the saline is aspirated from the implant.
This gives you and the surgeon a good way of assessing how much breast tissue you have and what things would look like once the implant is removed.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

All it takes to deflate an implant is a needle stick which is not unlike drawing your blood. The saline can aspirated (sucked out) or it can leak into the body where it will be rapidly absorbed.

John P. Di Saia, MD · Answer

Hello,
If the implant is to be used again (which BTW can void the implant's warranty), then a filler tube and syringe can be used to inflate and deflate the implant. If it is to be removed, the implant can simply be popped and the saline sucked out using a suction tube. I usually try to use a tube to make it cleaner. Older implants can make this more difficult.
The answer is it depends.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Deflating a saline implant is fairly straightforward. This can be done easily in a treatment room under local anesthesia. Although I do not usually do this, it can help with preoperative assessment of asymmetry.

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD · Answer

You can have a small surgical procedure to deflate the implants via the tubing or simply puncture the implant with a needle and have the saline slowly leak out and slowly resorbed over time.

John E. Gross, MD (retired) · Answer

If it is desired to deflate saline implants as a guide to pre-operative planning, it is straightforward to do.
The skin can be numbed with local and a needle and syringe are used to remove the saline.  It is not necessary to remove every last bit of saline. Whatever doesn't come out initially will leak out and be absorbed over time.

How Are Saline Breast Implants Deflated?

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