Is it safe to have saline implants drained before explant?

Question

I have read about many women having their implants drained prior to explant. Is this safe? Are there risks? What are the benefits?

Bhupesh Vasisht, MD · Answer

This is a procedure that never made sense to me. I do not recommend this at all. If you have saline implants and want the implants removed, then just have the implants removed and the saline can be drained at that time to make the implant removal easier.  This procedure I often will do under straight local anesthesia.  IMO to leave an empty shell of a saline implant after the saline has been percutaneously drained is asking for trouble and the main trouble I would be concerned about is infection.  Hope this helps. Dr Vasisht

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Yes it is fine to have saline implants deflated.  This can be performed in the surgeon's office.  The saline is sterile and poses no risk to you.  Your body will absorb it.  You can then allow your body begin to heal including skin retraction.  The implant shells can be removed at a later date.

Bradley A. Hubbard, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question! It is very easy and safe to drain saline implants in the office. The only risk would be introducing infection into the implant space if the needle or skin were not sterile. There are many benefits: 1. Often woman don't know what size implant they have, or they are unsure how much they want to increase/decrease implant size after surgery. Once the implants have been drained it is very easy to figure out what size implant we want to put back in. 2. When women want to decrease the size of their implants, draining them before surgery helps to discover how the skin will respond after the implant size reduction (e.g. will a lift be necessary)3. After the implant is drained the capsule will decrease size (contract) over time. This is very useful when downsizing implants, because less suturing will be needed to decrease the capsule size. Hope that helps!

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Yes, in office breast implant deflation is safe and can be a good tool for certain patients.  Risks are minimal.   I hope this, and the attached link, helps. Best wishes.

Ashley Gordon, MD, FACS · Answer

Not only is it safe, I would highly recommend
deflating them in the office prior to surgery. Doing so a few weeks before surgery
allows the surgeon and patient to decide which procedure would give optimal
results. In-office deflation allows
the skin time to retract which gives the patient a more realistic idea of what
the breasts will look like without implants (if you are planning on
explantation only). At that time, it may be decided that you need a lift, or
that you do want to have the implants replaced after all. If you do want to replace the implants, it is beneficial in planning what implant volume/profile
will be needed. The risks are minimal and the only real downside to this is that you will have deflated
breasts for a few weeks, but this can be camouflaged in clothing.

Is it safe to have saline implants drained before explant?

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Answer: Safe to have saline implants drained before explant?

Answer: Safe to have saline implants drained before explant?

Answer: Is it safe to deflate saline implants before explantation?

Answer: Is it safe to deflate saline implants before explantation?

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Is it safe to have saline implants drained before explant?

Answers (9)

Answer: Safe to have saline implants drained before explant?

Answer: Safe to have saline implants drained before explant?

Answer: Is it safe to deflate saline implants before explantation?

Answer: Is it safe to deflate saline implants before explantation?

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Breast Implant Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.