Breast Implant Removal
Serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale & Aventura
Remove, Replace, & Correct
Plastic Surgery
Breast implant removal is a surgical procedure used to remove, replace, or correct aesthetic problems associated with a primary breast augmentation.
What Is Breast Implant Removal?
Breast implant removal, also called explant surgery, removes saline or silicone breast implants. The surgical plan may include implant removal alone, removal of some or all of the surrounding scar-tissue capsule, replacement with new implants, or reshaping the breast with a lift. Each option serves a different need.
The appropriate plan depends on why you want the implants removed, the condition and position of the implants, imaging findings, the capsule, your natural breast tissue, skin elasticity, and the shape you want afterward. Dr. White evaluates each of these factors before recommending the extent of surgery. Some patients are comfortable with the breast’s natural shape after removal; others benefit from a breast lift or a staged procedure.
Why you may choose to have your implants removed
aesthetic goals
You have unique aesthetic goals that may have changed over time. Some of the reasons you may choose to have your implants removed or replaced include:
- You no longer enjoy larger breasts and want smaller implants, or to return to your natural breast size
- Your breast implant has developed rippling
- The location of the implants is unsatisfactory (a condition called breast implant malposition)
- You have symptoms of capsular contracture, in which excess scar tissue has developed around the implants, causing them to become misshapen, hard, or painful
- You have BIA-ALCL, (a rare form of curable lymphoma associated with certain textured breast implants) and need to have the implants removed for medical reasons
- You have developed necrosis of the tissues surrounding the implant
- A saline implant has ruptured and deflated
- A silicone implant has ruptured
What Does En Bloc Capsulectomy Mean?
A capsule is the layer of scar tissue the body normally forms around a breast implant. If capsule removal is appropriate, the operation may be described as a partial capsulectomy, total capsulectomy, or total intact capsulectomy, depending on how much tissue is removed and whether it comes out as one piece.
En bloc capsulectomy has a narrower medical meaning: removal of the implant and capsule with a margin of uninvolved tissue. The Breast Surgery Collaborative Community states that this approach is indicated for suspected or established breast implant-associated cancer after appropriate medical workup. It is not the routine technique for every explant.
Dr. White will discuss whether capsule removal is advisable based on findings such as capsular contracture, rupture, calcification, abnormal fluid or masses, and how closely the capsule adheres to the chest wall. Removing adherent capsule tissue can add surgical risk, so the safest approach is individualized rather than chosen by name alone.
Breast Implant Illness and Explant Surgery
Breast implant illness, or BII, is a term patients and clinicians use for systemic symptoms reported after breast augmentation or reconstruction. Symptoms such as fatigue, joint or muscle pain, difficulty concentrating, rashes, and hair changes can have many possible causes, and there is currently no test that proves an implant is responsible.
Some patients report improvement after implant removal, while others have persistent symptoms. Explant surgery therefore cannot promise to diagnose or cure BII. A thoughtful evaluation may include your primary care physician or another appropriate specialist to consider other causes, along with a consultation with Dr. White about your implants, capsule, imaging, and surgical options. ARC’s breast implant illness page explains this topic in greater detail.
What are the benefits of breast implant removal?
Breast Implant Removal by Dr. White
For women who suffer from trouble with their implants or no longer want augmented breasts, Miami breast implant removal patients can achieve the following:
- Restore your natural breast size
- Resolve infection
- Resolve capsular contracture
- Correct aesthetic problems
- Resolve seromas (fluid collection beneath the skin)
- Change the size of your implants
- Resolve a medical problem associated with implants
- Replace older implants
- Replace ruptured implants
Types of breast implant removal
restore your breast
Breast implant removal may involve simply replacing existing implants, or a combination of procedures. Some of the common combinations include:
- Breast implant removal + replacement: Implant manufacturers recommend replacing your implants every ten to fifteen years, so many women choose to replace implants at least once or twice in their lives. Undergoing a Miami breast implant removal is also the perfect opportunity to alter the size, shape, or projection of the implants if your aesthetic goals have changed.
- Breast implant removal + breast lift: Removing an implant, especially for women in their later years, may require removing excess skin. Combining implant removal with a breast lift will restore the breast mound by removing excess skin and reshaping the breast tissue.
- Breast implant removal + capsulectomy: For women who have developed capsular contracture, the surrounding scar tissue may be removed.
Why should I choose Dr. Jeremy White?
genuinely talented breast surgeon
Dr. Jeremy White is a board-certified plastic surgeon with a reputation for excellence in breast augmentation and breast reduction. He is widely considered to be among the finest breast surgeons in the region and is often called upon to perform breast revision surgery. If you wish to change your breast size, replace older implants, or remove them and return to a natural size, you will be in the hands of a genuinely talented breast surgeon.
What should I expect after a breast explant?
Postoperative care
The time needed to recover from breast implant removal varies, based on the procedure performed. You will need several days to rest and can expect some bruising or swelling in the early stages of recovery. The incisions are placed in the same locations as your original surgery, unless you have a breast lift, which may involve additional incisions. After Breast Implant Removal Miami patients will need to avoid lifting, stretching, or putting any stress on their incisions for about three to four weeks, and should plan for one week off work or other activities.
Breast Implant Removal Recovery
Early recovery after breast implant removal commonly includes breast soreness, swelling, bruising, and a feeling of tightness around the incisions. You will need a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you during the initial postoperative period. Dr. White may recommend a surgical bra and will provide instructions for incision care, medications, sleeping position, walking, and any drains used.
Many patients plan about a week away from desk-based work, but recovery is longer when capsulectomy, a breast lift, or another procedure is performed at the same time. Avoid lifting, stretching, upper-body exertion, and activities that pull on the incisions until you are cleared. Exercise and heavier activity return gradually over the following weeks according to your healing and follow-up examinations.
Contact the practice promptly if you develop symptoms outside the expected course, such as worsening pain, one-sided swelling, spreading redness, fever, shortness of breath, or another sudden change. Your own postoperative instructions should always take precedence over a general timeline.
What Results Can I Expect After Breast Implant Removal?
Immediately after explant surgery, the breasts often look flatter, softer, or more deflated than expected. Swelling and temporary tissue distortion can make the early shape a poor preview of the final result. Over the following weeks and months, the tissues settle, and the skin may contract to some degree.
The eventual breast shape depends on your natural tissue volume, implant size and placement, how long the implants were present, skin elasticity, pregnancy or weight changes, and whether the capsule affected the breast. Existing ptosis, or sagging, may become more visible once implant volume is gone. A breast lift can remove excess skin and reposition the breast when indicated, but it is not automatically necessary for every patient.
Explant results are long-lasting in the sense that the removed implants are gone, although the breasts continue to change with aging, gravity, pregnancy, and weight fluctuations. Dr. White can explain the likely trade-offs between removal alone, removal with a lift, and staged reshaping after examining your tissues.
What are the risks of breast implant removal?
double board-certified plastic surgeon
The risks of breast implant removal can include loss of breast sensation, which in most cases returns with time, excess scarring, numbness, reactions to anesthesia and other surgical risks. Ensure you are under the care of a board-certified Miami plastic surgeon. Dr. Jeremy White is a double board-certified plastic surgeon and the recipient of numerous “Top Doctor” awards.
Will insurance cover my breast removal surgery?
health insurance questions
Breast implant removal is often an elective cosmetic procedure not covered by health insurance, except in cases in which the procedure is needed for medical reasons. At ARC Plastic Surgery in Miami, we will evaluate your condition and can help you with health insurance questions and financing options.
Breast Implant Removal FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
After breast implant removal, the breasts return to a size closer to your natural tissue, which may look smaller and less full than before your original augmentation. How the breasts settle depends on how much natural tissue you have, how long the implants were in place, and your skin elasticity. Some patients are happy with the result on its own, while others choose to combine explant surgery with a breast lift to restore shape and position.
Some degree of laxity is common after breast implant removal, particularly for patients who had larger implants or had them in place for many years. The skin has been stretched, and it does not always contract fully on its own. A lift performed at the same time as the explant can address this in a single recovery. Dr. White will assess your skin quality and tissue volume to give you a realistic picture of what to expect.
Coverage depends on the reason for the surgery and your individual policy. Removal for documented medical reasons — such as implant rupture, capsular contracture, or reconstruction-related complications — is more likely to be considered than removal for cosmetic or personal preference. Our team can help you understand what documentation your insurer may require, though coverage decisions rest with your carrier.
Not every patient needs a full capsulectomy. The scar tissue capsule that forms around an implant is a normal response, and in many cases it thins and resolves on its own after the implant is removed. Capsule removal is more often indicated when there is capsular contracture, implant rupture, calcification, or when a patient is pursuing explant for symptoms associated with breast implant illness. Dr. White will discuss which approach is appropriate for your situation.
Most patients find recovery from breast implant removal noticeably more comfortable than their original augmentation, since the tissue is not being stretched to accommodate an implant. Discomfort is typically manageable with prescribed medication for the first few days, with soreness easing over the following one to two weeks. Recovery is longer if a capsulectomy or lift is performed at the same time.
No. En bloc capsulectomy is a cancer operation used when breast implant-associated cancer is suspected or established after appropriate workup. Other patients may need implant removal alone or a partial, total, or total intact capsulectomy. The safest option depends on the implant, capsule, imaging, symptoms, and operative risk.
There is no guaranteed response. Some patients report that systemic symptoms improve after their implants are removed, while others do not. Because the same symptoms can have many causes, medical evaluation and a clear discussion of what explant surgery can and cannot accomplish are important before making a decision.
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Your new life starts here
If you’re considering plastic surgery in Miami, Aventura or Fort Lauderdale, choosing the right plastic surgeon could not be more important. Dr. Jeremy White is the recipient of many honors and awards, including the 2021 Doctor’s Choice Award Miami, the 2016 RealSelf Top 500, and the prestigious Castle Connolly Top Doctors Award Winner since 2017. We invite you to have a consultation about the procedure you need. Schedule your consultation today.
