Breast Implant Removal

Breast implant removal has become increasingly popular in recent years.  Millions of women had implants placed in their youth and later discovered changes in their bodies and breasts over time. Weight loss or pregnancy and breast feeding may lead to drooping (or ptosis).  Weight gain may result in breasts that are too big, often accompanied by drooping over time.  This often leads to women requesting implant removal.

Before and After Photos

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Elegant Precision™ Breast Implants Removal

Patients from Dallas, Fort Worth, North Texas and beyond seek Dr. Steven J White MD with USA Plastic Surgery Dallas for his expertise in removal of breast implants. Dr. White’s 30+ years of experience removing breast implants allowed him to perfect his Elegant Precision™ Breast Implants Removal technique to optimize removal of both saline or silicone gel breast implants (explantation) and capsules (capsulectomy).

Indications for Implant Removal

Removal of breast implants, or explantation, has become increasingly popular in recent years for both saline and silicone breast implants.  Millions of women had breast implants placed in their youth and later discovered changes in their bodies and breasts over time. Weight loss or pregnancy and breast feeding may lead to sagging or drooping (ptosis).  Weight gain may result in breasts that are too big, also frequently associated with drooping breasts.  This may lead to women requesting removal of their breast implants. 

Women who desire breast implants removal are often older, often 40-60+ years old, and no longer want large breasts.  Sometimes patients may opt for explantation (breast implants removal) due to uncommon but possible breast implant related issues such as implant deflation or rupture, contracture (firm scar around implant), asymmetry, or concern for breast implant ‘illness.’

Breast implant illness is a poorly understood and controversial condition in which some women believe their various symptoms may be due to their breast implants and often report feeling better after breast implants removal. 

Surgery to Remove Breast Implants – Explantation

Regardless of the reason for explantation, treatment is the same:  removal of breast implants and surgical treatment of the capsules. Surgery for breast implants removal reveals either intact breast implants or deflated saline or ruptured silicone gel implants.  Removing ruptured silicone gel breast implants is both tedious and time consuming since all silicone gel implant material should be removed.  Fortunately, this is very uncommon with the latest generation of cohesive silicone gel breast implants.  Hence, ruptured silicone gel breast implants are more likely seen with the older breast implants placed decades ago.

Surgery to Remove Capsules – En bloc Capsulectomy

Capsulectomy, or removal of the scar around the implant, is more challenging.  When ‘en bloc’ capsulectomy (or total capsulectomy) is performed, the goal is to remove the entire breast implant capsule if possible.  However, if the capsule is tightly adherent to the underlying rib cage, then great care must be taken to remove as much as possible without injuring, or puncturing the lungs (pneumothorax), which is a very rare but possible risk.   Any residual capsule may be cauterized (rather than excised) to lessen the risk of injury to the lungs or chest wall.  Capsulectomy is technically difficult and should be done thoroughly when indicated with precision surgery.

Before and After Pictures – Capsulectomy

Implant Removal +/- Capsulectomy

Selected cases without contracture or concern for breast implant illness, may potentially be treated by removing breast implants and cauterizing the capsules without removal.  This may allow surgery without drains, potentially expediting recovery after explantation, or breast implant removal.

Recovery after Removal of Implants

Following Dr. White’s Elegant Precision™ Breast Implants Removal, most patients are pleasantly surprised to have little or no bruising.  It is typically not painful but instead bothersome due to the need to remain in a compression vest to maximize skin shrinkage and minimize breast drooping.  Drains, if used, are typically removed in less than a week.

USA Plastic Surgery – Dallas – Fort Worth, Texas – Steven J White MD Elegant Precision™ Breast Implants Removal – Before/After Photos – 
6 Days after implants removed with NO BRUISING!

Breast Lift (Mastopexy) after Implants Removal

Breast implants removal without replacement of the breast implants or removal of the excess skin typically results in a ‘deflated’ (droopy) breast appearance due to relative skin excess after implant removal.  Ideally, a breast lift (mastopexy) is done months later, once additional blood supply returns to the breasts and nipple tissues.

Obviously, surgical treatment in the operating room is critically important after explantation.  Unfortunately, some surgeons fail to recognize the importance of comprehensive post-op care for these implant removal patients.  It is imperative to carefully manage the healing process with adequate compression and support as healing progresses and the breast skin slowly shrinks after breast implants removal.  As the swelling goes down and the skin shrinks over time, patients progress to tighter compression vests to maximize skin shrinkage.  Most patients are surprised by how much the tissues eventually shrink and some patients are so pleased with the results that they don’t feel a need for a breast lift.

Before and After Pictures – Breast Lift after Implants Removed

Patient 1

Patient 2

USA Plastic Surgery – Dallas – Fort Worth, Texas – Steven J White MD
Elegant Precision™ Breast Implants Removal then Breast Lift
– Before/After Photos –

Candidates for Implant Removal

The best candidates for removal of breast implants are healthy women who no longer want breast implants.  Both changes in weight and pregnancy often result in changes in a woman’s breasts which may lead to their desire for either removal or replacement of their implants.  Breast implant deflation, rupture, or contracture may lead to a desire for breast implant removal.

Some women want to remove their implants and others prefer to exchange them with breast implant revision.  To better understand which option is best, patients are advised to call our office at (214) 833-6751 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Steven J White MD at USA Plastic Surgery, Dallas, Texas TX.