Breast Implant Removal Only

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Some patients choose to remove implants and capsules without simultaneously undergoing a mastopexy. Three variables determine the resulting cosmetic outcome. First, how good is the breast skin quality? Will there be enough skin contraction to significantly remove the loose excess skin resulting from the implant removal? This is similar to how a women’s stomach skin might tighten after a pregnancy. Second, how big were the implants and how long were they in place? Larger implants that were in place for a long time will obviously stretch and damage the skin more with less likelihood of skin shrinkage. Third, how much natural breast tissue is present? More breast tissue results in better cosmetic outcome with less possibility of collapsed, sunken and folded breast skin. Ultimately the decision to add the simultaneous mastopexy is up to each individual patient.

20’s patient with 4 years old saline 325cc implants, placed submuscularly

She had malpositioned implants which mostly stretched the upper breast/chest skin. As a result, the actual breast skin/tissues didn’t stretch much. This combined with tight skin resulted in a good cosmetic outcome.

Early 30’s patient with 10 years old saline 450 cc implants placed submuscularly

Good skin quality combined with adequate natural breast tissue volume resulted in a good cosmetic outcome.

30’s patient with 8 years
old silicone 225 cc implants placed submuscularly.

Good skin quality and small implants resulted in a good cosmetic outcome.

30’s patient with 12 years old silicone 280 cc implants placed submuscularly

The combination of small implants and adequate natural breast tissue volume resulted in a good outcome.

Late 50’s patient with 27 years old ruptured Allergan textured 500 cc silicone implants placed submusculary

She already had significant and asymmetric ptosis. But she also had adequate breast tissue volume which resulted in a reasonable cosmetic outcome.

40’s patient with 7 years old silicone 550 cc implants placed submuscularly

Typically patients with large breast implants and minimal breast tissue have poor cosmetic outcome after the removal surgery. In retrospect, this patient had very good skin type, capable of excellent skin contraction which resulted in a very good cosmetic outcome.

Late 30’s patient with 13 years old saline 275 cc implants placed submuscularly

This case demonstrates sunken previous infra-areolar scar areas typically seen in patients with little natural breast tissue and who previously underwent infra-areolar approach.

Late 50’s patient who previously underwent 3 breast implant surgeries over 33 years due to recurrent capsular contractures.

Each previous surgery was done through the same infra-areolar scar and probably had breast tissues removed along with capsulectomies. The combination of little breast tissue, thin skin and multiple previous surgeries which probably removed breast tissues under the areola resulted in a very poor cosmetic outcome. She has subsequently undergone mastopexy with fat grafting with improved cosmetic result.

50’s patient with 11 years old silicone 225 cc implants used to reconstruct skin-sparing mastectomy defects

Post-mastectomy reconstruction patients represent the toughest cosmetic cases after implant removal surgery due to missing breast tissues. There is only skin remaining along with stretched and paper-thin muscle. The best possible outcome, unfortunately, is the mastectomy-defect appearance shown here.

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Breast Implant Removal Only