What can I expect after capsulectomy (look, recovery)? (photos)

If you simply undergo explant and capsulectomy, your breast will appear empty and your skin envelope will be hanging.  Many women who undergo explant alone are dissatisfied with the result and require a lift.  The technique I recommend is explantation 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 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.  Implants can be removed with or without capsulectomy.  Usually the surgeon decides at surgery whether the capsule needs to be removed based upon physical findings.   Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Yes, you can return to work within the time frame that you have allowed yourself.    I recommend an in-office examination as well as a detailed discussion with a surgeon who you are comfortable with.   Finally, make sure your surgeon is a Double-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).Best,Dr. DesaiBeverly Hills Institute for Aesthetic Plastic SurgeryHarvard Educated, Beverly Hills & Miami Beach TrainedDouble Board-Certified, Double Fellowship-Trained Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Hello,With regards to the appearance of your breasts after explantation, one can be certain they won't look like they did before surgery. Breast implants tend to cause breast tissue thinning and skin expansion. Explantation does not usually cause as much discomfort as the initial surgery, but drains and wraps may make the recovery period longer. Your reasons for explant aren't clear, but if you are worried about your health, your fears are unfounded. Best of luck!

Dear jeur1,it is hard to tell for sure without an examination, but you should be able to return to work within your planned time frame. 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

do not require capsulectomy unless you're having issues with it or you choose to have it removed.  Simple removal can be done in the office under local for less than $750 in my practice as I am a believer that patients should not be held hostage when they want their implants out and after having paid us well to put them in.  You will NOT need a lift from your photos so disregard those statements and if there is any uncertainty, let yourself heal before considering any other procedures.  Recovery is very easy from this procedure when simply explanting with patients returning almost immediately to their lifestyle and pain almost non-existent.

People generally have mild discomfort after a capsulectomy and implant removal surgery. The breast skin will retract over the course of month and your breast should regain a normal shape since it looks like you have quality skin and the implants aren't too large. Although since you are naturally small breasted there may be some minor indentions that you could have corrected with fat grafting. Fat grafting is only an option for people who have another area on their body where extra fat can be harvested. If you are very thin and don't have fat to harvest and graft you will have to live with these possible minor/major indentions. You can see examples of what implant removal looks like our website. 

Thank you for the question.  
 
Generally speaking, what your breasts will look like after explantation depends on several factors such as: the quality of skin elasticity (the better the elasticity the better the skin will bounce back), the size of the implants used (the larger the implant the more trouble you may have with redundant skin), and the amount of breast tissue present at this time (which may have changed since the time of your breast augmentation).
Life experience since your breast augmentation procedure, such as pregnancy or weight gain weight loss, will potentially influence the factors discussed above. If you take these factors into consideration and apply them to your specific circumstances you may get a good idea of what to expect after the implants are removed.
The good news:  breast implant removal surgery is a very well-tolerated procedure with minimal discomfort,  compared to first-time breast augmentation surgery. Patience is definitely indicated after removal of breast implants; it will take many months/year for the skin to “bounce back” and for you to see the final appearance of the breasts.
 
I hope this helps. Best wishes.

It's really not possible to look into the future and give you exact answers. Your skin looks youthful and the implants are relatively small. When they are first removed, the appearance can be quite disturbing, but over the following 6 weeks significant improvement will happen. I doubt you will need a lift. Most patients find the recovery far easier than the augmentation procedure. Hard to say when you can return to work as we don't know what you do. These questions can be answered more precisely by the doctor doing the surgery so best to contact him.

Since you have only had implants for 3 years, your breast should look pretty much like they did prior to surgery.  Wearing a tight compression bra will help expedite healing.