According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), approximately 45,000 women underwent a breast explant surgery in 2017. But what are the different reasons for women to want their implants removed?

Breast implants don’t have an expiration date. The useful lifespan of implants in the body is approximately 10 to 20 years. Even without experiencing any issues, it is still important to have your old implants removed or replaced after 10 years. This is to avoid possible complications.

The concept of beauty changes for some women as they age. Patients might feel that their old implants are no longer suitable for their body. Breasts that have been enlarged using implants are also prone to natural aging. Thus, there is the possibility that the implants that were placed years ago may no longer be suitable for the patient now.

In some cases, the old implants in the body start to cause pain and discomfort in the patient’s chest. So, having them removed will resolve the problem.

The most common reason for having a breast explant surgery is due to medical conditions, such as capsular contracture, after having a breast augmentation procedure. In this condition, the inner capsule hardens after the implant has been placed in the body. Not only does this cause a great amount of pain and discomfort, but often due to changes in complexion, leads to developing an undesired breast shape.

When a rupture happens in a saline implant, the adverse effects are almost immediately visible. However, this is not the case in silicone implants. In any case, it is essential that the implant be removed immediately once it has become ruptured, in order to prevent the silicone from spreading to other parts of the patient’s body. With modern breast implants that feature a silicone body made of cohesive gel, the silicone within doesn’t leak. But even in this case, the damaged implants must still be removed.

Patients who do not have sufficient breast tissue, or have lost a significant amount of weight might notice wrinkles on their skin, or uneven implants.

Some women may experience negative reactions to silicone after receiving their breast implants. These reactions may include having symptoms such as general fatigue, hair loss, and joint pain. This condition is more common in women who have previously had a breast implant surgery, or have a family history of autoimmune disorders.

The occurrence of this medical complication is extremely rare when compared to the millions of breast implant surgeries that have been carried out. Patients who experience this rare cancer can be certain that it is possible to completely treat the condition by having their implants and the surrounding scar removed.

Based on the position of the breast implants, they can make performing mammography inconvenient and hard. The material used in the implants, such as silicone or saline solution, might also affect your mammography results. Removing the implants leads to achieving clear mammography results, which is vital if your family has a history of developing breast cancer.

• Accumulation of calcium
• Infection or bleeding
• Necrosis (dead tissue) around the breast implant
• Asymmetry in the breasts
• Implant displacement

In Breast Explant Surgery first step is the evaluation stage. You can discuss your options with a cosmetic surgeon. He/She will evaluate factors such as your lifestyle & the expected results, and then recommend the appropriate method. If a rupture is suspected, the physician must check to what extent the implant fluid has spread within the breast tissue.

If the evaluation results indicate that undergoing a breast explant is the correct approach, the time of the surgery will be scheduled.

Before being hospitalized, doctors will advise you to quit drinking alcohol & smoking, stop taking certain medications, and follow a healthy diet.

• Breast implant removal is usually carried out in an authorized hospital or outpatient surgery center, and is performed under general or local anesthesia with sedation.
• The surgery usually takes between 1 and 2 hours.
• Depending on your recovery, you may be allowed to go home on the day of your surgery.
• If there is scarring from your breast augmentation, the same incisions will be used for surgery in order to minimize further scarring.
• Removing breast implants takes a little longer than implanting them.
• In the end, sutures, skin adhesives, tapes, or clamps will be used to close the skin incisions.

As you recover, the results of the breast explant can be observed soon after surgery, and they will be very long-lasting.

Women who are concerned about side effects or complications will be relieved. Replacement or removal of implants for aesthetic reasons leads to better self-understanding and brings about a deeper familiarity with your body. If there are medical reasons, this surgery will relieve the pain and discomfort.