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Removal of Breast Implants

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When a patient experiences significant complications after breast augmentation, immediate removal of the implants is often recommended. Because no implant lasts forever, removal will be necessary at some point in the patient’s life. Removal of the implants can be recommended or necessary a few months to several years after the original breast augmentation surgery.

In some cases, the patient will wish to have her implants replaced after removal of the original implants. Others will just have the implants removed. The FDA cautions that breast augmentation may cause many undesirable and irreversible changes to the breasts. Removal of the implants can leave a patient’s breasts dimpled, puckered, wrinkled, or otherwise noticeably altered physically. When implant removal is required, the patient will have to go through the time, trauma, and additional expense of removal surgery.

Removal Rates

In May 2000, studies were published indicating that, for saline implants, the removal rate after three years was anywhere between eight and twenty-seven percent. After five years, the removal rates were between twelve and thirty percent. In a retrospective silicone implant study, researchers found that one-third of all patients required removal surgery or re-operation.

Reasons For Removal

There are several reasons that breast implant removal would be desirable or necessary.

Aesthetic Dissatisfaction

unsatisfactory size or shape of the breasts

Local Complications

  • breast pain
  • implant calcification
  • capsular contracture
  • chest wall deformity
  • extrusion
  • granuloma
  • hematoma
  • seroma
  • infection or inflammation
  • tissue death
  • implant palpability or visibility

 




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