Removing 30 Year Old Implants

Question

5 ft 4 inches, 145 lbs 64 years old and the implants are starting to bother me, they have gotten smaller and very hard. Need to Have Silicone Implants Removed. They Are 30 Years Old is This a Problem?

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Removal of breast implants, intact or ruptured, may have positive implications if patients are symptomatic. A constellation of symptoms associated with breast implant illness, and autoimmune disease are considered when treating patients who have breast implants and are concerned about foreign body reaction. In our office, we begin this journey with a consideration of symptoms and exclusion of obvious autoimmune problems. In many of our patients, en bloc removal of breast implants with capsulectomy is important and beneficial. Further clinical evidence about breast implant illness is evolving and will continue to guide treatment. I would suggest removal if there is a possibility of foreign body reaction.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

Good day! Generally after explantation, the shape and size of the breast will be unpredictable. The breast will be smaller and possibly sag more. The results varies between patients depending on their age, duration and size of the implant, or previous state of their breasts like existing anatomy, deformity, previous surgeries, underlying personal and family medical conditions, nicotine use, and other factors. Do not hesitate to contact your surgeon about this and discuss realistic goals and expectations. Best of luck! #RealSelf100

Jeffrey E. Schreiber, MD, FACS · Answer

If they are hard and bothering you, removing them may be a good idea.  In fact, insurance may cover the removal of the implants and hard tissue.

Jason Hess, MD · Answer

The age of the implants may add complexity to the surgery, but it still can be done. Implants of this age may have a capsule (if they feel firm, they do) and may or may not have ruptured. Older implants have silicone of a low viscosity. This means that the silicone tends to migrate if it leaves the implants. These are factors that can be discerned by a preoperative exam and possible imaging. MRI is the gold standard for determining implant integrity. This is the best test to evaluate for rupture. A good beginning step is to see a board certified plastic surgeon with a good reputation. Your implants may not be ruptured and you may have no capsule. In this case, the surgery would be simplified. Hope this helps!

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

If your implants are feeling "hard" you may have developed capsular contracture.  In this case it is best to have the implants and the surrounding capsules removed.  Visit with a board certified plastic surgeon to learn more about the procedure.  I've included a video that I hope you find helpful.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question.

	Obviously, specific advice is not possible without the benefit of pictures or direct examination.

	Generally speaking what breasts 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.
	Consulting with a well experienced board-certified plastic surgeon in person will be helpful.

	I hope this helps.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Without an exam, it is hard for me to comment. But in general, implant exchange varies depending upon the nature of the capsule and the likelihood of capsular ocntracture along with the quality of the overlying tissue.

Brian Howard, MD (retired) · Answer

Thanks for the question. There is no contra-indication to having them removed. The implants are highly likely to have ruptured being this old, and it will take some extra time to remove the residual material along with the surrounding scar tissue during your surgery, but this is a commonly performed surgery. Best wishes!

Christine Sullivan, MD (retired) · Answer

A consultation and examination would be necessary in order to assist you. I would suggest that you contact a reputable, board certified plastic surgeon in your geographical location. An experienced surgeon will be able to give you treatment options.

Jon Sattler, MD (retired) · Answer

Dear suzie in wyoming,

	My calculaton puts your implant in the 1980 class. These implants were very thin shelled and had very liquid silicone in them. Most of them have formed scar around the implant called capsule contracture. This is what is giving you the feeling of firmness of your implants. Taking them out will relieve the discomfort you have. Having removed  a lot of these I can say that , although the operation is a bit messy, it does provide a good result to remove them. Most patients elect to replace them with a modern implant which is made of stronger  stuff and the contents are much more cohesive. They give a pleasent esthetic  result.  I hope this info has been helpful for you. Jon Sattler, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Glendora, Ca.

Removing 30 Year Old Implants

Answers (10)

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