Before and after bilateral explantation in a 49-year-old woman with contracted saline breast implants from a past augmentation-mastopexy. Her right breast implant had partially deflated several months ago, and her left implant felt hard and painful. After careful consideration of her options, she decided to have both implants removed.
Explantation is usually performed in the office under local anesthesia. Complete removal of the internal scar tissue capsule around the implant is not usually required, unless there has been chronic infection – in which case leaving the capsule in place may cause deformity.
Breast implant removal took less than an hour, with the patient awake, with a full stomach and an oral anti-anxiety medication. We also offer our patients inhaled laughing gas as well, which causes natural endorphin release and creates a sense of euphoria which wears off one minute after the gas is no longer inhaled.
Follow up photos are shown 6 weeks after surgery. The breast tends to bounce back quite quickly after breast implants are removed, and final results are evident within two months in most cases.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
