As the saying goes, “Bigger is not always better”. Women who wish to have their implants removed, do so for various reasons. Oftentimes, women have been able to enjoy the benefits of implants for many years and decide to have them removed as they age and no longer wish to have them lifted. Other times, women have implants that they never adjust to and are unsatisfied with the appearance of their breasts or want to have them removed due to health concerns. Whatever the case may be, many patients are anxious about what their breasts will look like after a breast explant procedure.
Because significant tissue and implant material are removed from the breast at the time of the procedure, breasts will naturally look very different afterward. The lack of volume will cause a deflated look in the breast. The extent of the aesthetic appearance after the implant removal surgery will depend on the volume of implants being removed. Women with larger implants will see more dramatic effects than those with smaller implants. Also, the amount of natural breast tissue in the breast can drastically alter the appearance after removal. Someone who was originally an A cup will look much different than someone who was a C cup prior to implants.
What Happens During An Implant Removal Surgery?
During an Explant procedure, incisions are made beneath the breast that will allow your surgeon to remove the implant. If only the implant is being removed, this incision can be relatively small and might even be the same size or smaller than the original incision for placement. However, if you are also electing to have a capsulectomy (total or partial), or removal of the scar tissue layer around the implant that is formed by the body in response to the implant, that surgical procedure is more complicated. Due to the complexity of the capsulectomy, the incisions to perform it are usually larger in size than the original incision for implant placement. In addition, if the implant was placed underneath the muscle, some additional reconstructive surgery might need to be done to re-establish the natural anatomical position of the muscle and release scar adhesions from the muscle to the breast tissue. After that, a highly skilled and experienced plastic surgeon will shape the tissues on the inside of the breast, constructing the most natural shape possible.
Do I Need A Breast Lift As Well?
Many patients often wonder whether or not they will require a breast lift (mastopexy) after the removal of the implants. The answer is dependent on each unique patient situation (size of implant/breast), as well as goals and expectations. A young patient with a small implant and good skin quality might not benefit from a lift, whereas an older patient with a larger implant and more stretching of the skin over time might benefit more from a lift. Some patients choose to have the lift at the same time as the explant, while others choose to see how the skin heals after the lift and then may choose to do the breast lift at a later time if they are unhappy with the outcome. Most average women with implants are usually smaller in breast size when they get implants (A/B cup) and end up with a much larger cup size (C/D or larger) after implants. The most common implant sizes range from around 325-400 cc, which usually accounts for about 2 cup sizes in volume. Because of this, many women will benefit from the addition of a breast lift at the time of the explant. You can imagine taking someone with a C/D cup breast and immediately removing two cup sizes worth of volume while leaving the same amount of skin might not produce the most aesthetic results.
How Can I Achieve The Best Results From My Implant Removal Surgery?
Allowing yourself six weeks away from strenuous activity and heavy lifting will ensure that you heal correctly. Usually, most patients return to cardio exercise within 2 weeks. Pain medication is typically used for the first few days after the procedure. Additionally, the use of compression with an Ace bandage or compressive bra on the chest will help in avoiding any fluid accumulation in the breasts. You may also require drains placed into the surgical site to evacuate accumulated fluid and those usually remain in place for 1-2 weeks after surgery.
A careful consultation with your board-certified plastic surgeon will help you determine the best course of action for your desired appearance. Whether or not to have a breast lift and how to time that procedure can be an important discussion. In addition, some women want to replace the volume lost from the implant with other, more natural options. Sometimes this can be a rearrangement of other tissue within the area to create volume and shape (a procedure called auto-augmentation). Another option is to have autologous fat grafting to the breast to replace the lost implant volume with fat removed from another part of the body and re-injected into the breast. Timing of these procedures can be very important and can have a drastic effect on the ultimate outcome.
Breast Implant Removal Surgery in Tampa, Florida
When the decision to have breast implant removal surgery is made, you will want to be sure to select a plastic surgeon that is highly skilled and experienced as well as board-certified. Dr. Buchanan is rated one of the top board-certified plastic surgeons in Tampa, with years of education and experience as well as an expert in breast implant removal procedures. For more information on breast implant removal or to schedule your complimentary consultation, call VIVIFY plastic surgery in Tampa today. 1(833) 284-8439.
