Breast Implant Removal
Breast implants aren’t designed to last a lifetime. Typically, they will need replaced or removed after a period of time, usually between 10 and 15 years after the initial breast augmentation surgery.
- Finance options
- free consultation
- Hand selected regulated facilities
- GMC Registered Surgeons
- Comprehensive Aftercare
Breast
Implant Removal
- Finance options
- Hand selected regulated facilities
- GMC Registered Surgeons
- Comprehensive Aftercare
- Free Consultation
Surgery at a Glance
- Surgery Time: 1 - 3 hours
- Hospital Stay: day case
- Light Activities: 2 weeks
- Fully Recovery: 4 - 6 Weeks
Breast Surgery at a Glance
Surgery Time
1 - 3 hours
Hospital Stay:
1 Night
Light Activities:
2 weeks
Fully Recovered:
4 - 6 weeks
Breast Implant Removal in Detail
Having your implants removed or replaced can improve the shape of your breasts and help you feel more comfortable. Or if you are swapping your implants for a different size, you might find that having larger or smaller breasts helps you feel more confident.
You might be having your breast implants removed for medical or cosmetic reasons. Having your implants removed can bring a number of benefits:
- Providing relief from complications such as capsular contraction (scar tissue hardening around the implants)
- Can alleviate back and neck pain if your implants are too large
- Can help you feel happier with how your breasts look
- Can help mammogram results appear clearer
- Can reduce the risk of implant rupture
Just as with all surgical procedures, breast implant removal surgery carries risks and possible side effects as well as benefits. They can include:
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Scarring
- Asymmetry
- Build-up of fluid
- Loose skin
- Changes in nipple sensation
Breast implant removal surgery is carried out under general anaesthetic, and so you’ll be asleep for the duration of the procedure.
Your surgeon will then make incisions around your areola (the darker area around your nipples) or under the fold of your breasts to remove the implants and scar tissue. The incisions will then be closed with stitches, and dressings will be placed on your breasts.
Breast implants usually need removed or replaced at between 10 – 15 years following the original operation. If yours are coming to the end of their lifespan, then this procedure will be required.
Breast implant removal could also provide relief if your implants are causing you discomfort or pain because of their size, or if you have experienced capsular contracture which has caused a hardening of the scar tissue around your implant. If your implants have moved and are creating an uneven appearance or a gap between your breasts, you may wish to have them removed.
If your lifestyle has changed, meaning that you no longer wish to have breast implants, this procedure could be right for you.
Following your breast implant removal, you’ll need to take around 2 weeks off work, depending on how physical your job is. Your breasts will be swollen and bruised, but this will fade as your recover.
You should avoid any heavy lifting or exercise for at least 4 weeks, and you should wear your compression bra for as long as your surgeon advises. This will help your breasts to heal and improve their post-op shape, too.
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Breast Implant Removal FAQ's
Following your breast implant removal surgery, we’re still here to help. You’ll be given detailed information about your aftercare, including what to do and what to expect. You’ll also have a post-op check with us so that we can be sure everything’s progressing as it should. And you’ll have a helpline number that you can use to contact us, if you need to.
It’s important that you arrange in advance for a friend or family member to collect you and drive you home after your breast implant removal procedure, as you won’t be able to drive yourself. As you’ll be tired and sore immediately after treatment, you should also make sure that someone is able to spend the first 24 hours with you on your return home, as you’ll require support with everyday tasks as your recovery begins.
At your consultation, your surgeon will be able to give you guidance as to how long this is likely to take. However, generally you can expect to start to see your results at between 4- 6 weeks, and things will continue to improve as the healing process progresses. By around 12 weeks, you should be fully healed.
If you opt to remove your implants and not replace them, your skin will retract to a certain extent, depending on how much it stretched in order to accommodate the implants. However, following this procedure you may feel that your breasts look deflated or ‘empty,’ particularly during the healing process.
How large your implants were will also have affected how much your skin was stretched and this could mean that it won’t be able to return to its pre-surgery appearance. In this case, a breast uplift can help to remove excess skin and give a more natural, pert appearance.
At your consultation, your surgeon will let you know the results you can potentially expect after surgery and discuss your options in detail.