15 yr old Allergan biocell textured implants - is it safe to leave them in or would an en bloc total capsulectomy be bettter?

Question

I want to know is en bloc total capsuleotomy and lift the best way forward ? Leaving them in would it be safe? I've a waterfall effect were the tissue is sliding of implants . Fibrous lump on right breast not painful . I've chronic nerve pain a yr after getting them in that has migrated around my body over the yrs currently in my pelvic area .

Yasemin Aydinli, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing this &mdash; your situation deserves a careful answer. Allergan Biocell textured implants were recalled because of their association with BIA-ALCL (a treatable lymphoma of the capsule), so even without symptoms many surgeons now recommend removal of this specific type rather than indefinite monitoring. Your additional findings &mdash; a "waterfall"/sliding tissue appearance, a fibrous lump on the right breast, and 15 years in place &mdash; further support moving forward with removal and a lift rather than leaving them untouched.
Regarding technique: a true en bloc resection (removing implant and capsule together as one unit) is ideal when there is any concern for ALCL, but it is not always technically possible, especially with thin capsules or implants placed under the muscle. A total capsulectomy (removing all of the capsule, even if not in a single piece) is the realistic and oncologically appropriate goal in most cases. Before surgery, your surgeon may recommend an ultrasound and, if any fluid or a distinct mass is found, fine-needle aspiration with CD30 testing to rule out ALCL &mdash; the fibrous lump you describe should specifically be evaluated. A simultaneous mastopexy (lift) can address the tissue sliding off the implants.
Your chronic, migrating nerve pain is important and should be assessed alongside this, ideally with your physician, because it may or may not be implant-related and deserves its own work-up. I'd recommend an in-person consultation with imaging so we can examine the lump, plan a proper total capsulectomy, and discuss whether you want no replacement, a lift alone, or a fat-transfer option. Please don't simply "leave them and hope" &mdash; this implant type warrants a clear plan.

15 yr old Allergan biocell textured implants - is it safe to leave them in or would an en bloc total capsulectomy be bettter?

Answers (1)

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