If you are considering breast implant removal, then it is important to consider what your breasts might look like afterwards and understand what other procedures may be needed to enhance and reshape the breasts to help them look as natural as possible.
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Some patients with breast implants appear to develop a sensitivity to silicone. Typical symptoms include fatigue, fibromyalgia, ME, skin conditions, hair loss, arthritic complaints and auto-immune conditions. Although there is still no scientific evidence that the implants are responsible for these symptoms, many patients find that their health improves dramatically after removing their implants.
Patients suffering from breast implant illness often request implant removal with en-bloc capsulectomy. This involves removing the implant fully contained within the implant scar capsule. This avoids spilling any silicone if the implant is ruptured but also ensures removal of all tissue in contact with the silicone implant. We routinely take photographs to show that this has been carried out and then the capsule is sent for histology to exclude any abnormal pathology including BIA-ALCL.
For many years I have been constantly striving to develop the perfect technique for breast uplift surgery. The challenge is to create a perky looking breast which holds its shape over time. By removing some of the breast tissue from below the nipple were the breast becomes droopy and repositioning it up behind the nipple and towards the cleavage it is possible to reshape the breast and redistribute the breast volume to produce more projection, give a fuller cleavage and prevent recurrent drooping of the lower pole. This technique is especially useful after explant surgery and has led me to develop the Post Explant Reshaping Technique or PERT-lift.
Using the latest techniques in fat grafting and lipomodeling it is now possible to augment breast volume by harvesting fat from other parts of your body, purifying and then transferring it into the breast. After explant surgery this is a very natural way of adding volume. It can be done at the same time as explant surgery but is more effective if it is done 3 – 6 months later as a separate operation. It is usually possible to add one cup size with each lipomodeling procedure.
32yr old had BA 13 yrs ago with subpectoral 425cc textured implants. Postop image at 6 weeks.
49yr old had BA 13 yrs ago with subglandular 290cc textured implants. Postop image at 6 weeks.
39yr old had BA 5 yrs ago with subglandular 245cc textured implants. Postop image at 3 months.
30yr old had BA 13 yrs ago with subglandular 420cc textured implants. Postop image at 6 months.
38yr old had BA 14 yrs ago with subglandular 300cc textured implants. Postop image at 2 months.
39yr old had BA 7 yrs ago with subglandular 365cc textured implants. Postop image at 4 months.
44yr old had BA 4 yrs ago with subglandular 285cc textured implants. Postop image at 8 months.
37yr old had BA 13 yrs ago with subpectoral smooth saline implants. Postop image at 1 month.
36yr old had BA 4 yrs ago with subpectoral 325cc textured implants. Postop image at 6 weeks.
40yr old had BA 2 yrs ago with 300cc subpectoral implants. After explant and PERT-lift she had 2 episodes of lipofilling. Final image at 1 yr post explant.
43yr old had BA 8yrs ago with 325cc subpectoral implants. Following explant and PERT-lift final image at 8 months.
33yr old had augment/mastopexy 15yrs ago with 160cc implants. Explant, capsulectomy and PERT-lift , post-op image at 6 weeks.
59yr old had BA 32yrs ago with 200cc smooth subpectoral implants. Explant, capsulectomy and PERT-lift, post-op result at 2 months.
45yr old, augment/mastopexy 16yrs ago with 175cc implants. Explant, capsulectomy and reduction. Post-op image at 3 months.
47yr old had BA 12yrs earlier with 320cc and 290cc implants. Explant, capsulectomy and PERT-lift. Post-op image at 9 months.
38yr old had augment/mastopexy with 360cc subpectoral implants. After explant, capsulectomy and PERT-lift, postop image at 3 months.
50yr old had BA 13 yrs earlier with 275cc textured implants. She had an explant with a total capsulectomy and a PERT-lift. Post-explant image at 6 months.
36yr old had BA 15yrs ago with 210cc subpectoral implants. After explant, capsulectomy and PERT-lift, second image is at 2 months.
42yr old had BA 8yrs earlier with 255cc subpectoral implants. Second image at 7 months post explant, capsulectomy and PERT-lift.
35 yr old had BA 17 yrs earlier with 300cc round textured implants. She had an explant with en-bloc capsulectomy, together with a mastopexy.
69yr old had BA 12 yrs earlier with 305cc implants. After explant, capsulectomy and mastopexy second image is at 4 months.
| Length of surgery | 2-3 hours |
| Anaesthesia | General anaesthetic |
| Overnight or day case | Overnight and always performed in a hospital operating theatre |
| Frequent Complications | Bruising, swelling, change in nipple sensation, temporary numbness |
| Infrequent Complications | Infection, delayed wound healing, bleeding(haematoma), nipple necrosis, asymmetry, poor scarring. |
| Recovery | 5-10 days before socialising with friends and family
7-10 days off work 1st dressing at 1 week driving 2 weeks return to the gym 6 weeks travel abroad 3-4 weeks |
| Follow-up | 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months |
