Breast implant removal can be a difficult journey. It’s important to find a surgeon who is understanding and will address your questions in an informative way.
Some medical reasons for breast implant removal include:
A ruptured implant or capsular contracture (hardening of scar tissue around an implant) can cause pain and distortion. Surgery to repair or replace the capsule involves internal suturing techniques, capsulorrhaphy or capsulotomy, and sometimes a biological mesh sling.
Qualifications
The breast implant removal process can be a complicated one, so it’s important to make sure you’re choosing the right surgeon. Your surgeon should be a board-certified plastic surgeon who has extensive experience with the procedure. They should also be able to answer any questions you might have about the surgery and recovery process.
There are many reasons to remove your implants, including health complications, a desire to change the size of your breasts, or simply wanting to get rid of them altogether. A qualified plastic surgeon will be able to help you determine whether the procedure is the best option for your goals and lifestyle.
The surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia, making it safe and comfortable for you. After the procedure, your surgeon will close the incisions and will wrap your chest with bandages or dressings to reduce swelling. Sometimes, they may place drains to help reduce any fluid buildup in the chest cavity.
Your surgeon may send the capsule, any additional fluid or tissue that they remove, and swabs from your chest cavity to a lab for testing. This is done to ensure that you don’t have an undiagnosed infection or cancer.
In addition to removing the implants, your surgeon will also eliminate any scar tissue that has formed around them. This is known as a full implant removal or an en bloc capsulectomy.
Experience
During breast implant removal surgery, surgeons often have to surgically reposition and repair the chest muscle, especially if the implants were inserted under it. Surgeons will typically send the capsule, any additional tissue or fluid they remove, and chest cavity swabs for testing for cancer and other abnormalities, such as fungus, bacteria, and inflammation. They may also test for CD30, which is found in higher-than-normal amounts on lymphoma cells and is particularly prevalent in BIA-ALCL.
Plastic surgery is a highly personalized experience, and it’s important to find a surgeon who takes the time to understand your goals, concerns, and expectations. An experienced surgeon will be able to provide you with comprehensive preoperative and postoperative care that addresses your specific needs and goals.
Women choose to have breast implant removal for a wide variety of reasons, including changes in personal preferences or medical concerns such as rupture and scarring.
Reputation
When you get any kind of surgery, whether elective or not, it can be anxiety-inducing. Most medical professionals know this and strive to make their patients feel as comfortable as possible. When it comes to breast implant removal, your plastic surgeon should be transparent and honest with you about what the procedure entails and the recovery period. They should also discuss the potential risks and outcomes of the procedure to help you make an educated decision about your medical needs.
You can learn a lot about your prospective plastic surgeon’s reputation by looking at online reviews. However, it’s important to note that the way some review sites operate can lead to biases in the results you see. For example, many review sites are operated by businesses that charge doctors a monthly fee to boost their content, and some of these review companies have been featured in the 2019 documentary Billion Dollar Bully.
A quality plastic surgeon like A/Prof Dean White will work hard to cultivate a positive online reputation, and they’ll have strategies in place to ensure that their clients’ experiences are honest and unbiased. If a doctor has low ratings, it may be because they had a patient experience that was particularly negative or they experienced a complication during the procedure. This does not mean the surgeon isn’t a good fit for you, and it’s important to remember that no one is perfect.
Personality
Personality is a person’s collection of behavioral, cognitive and emotional patterns that influence their interactions with other people. This is why it is important to find a plastic surgeon who is compatible with your aesthetic goals and lifestyle during the breast implant removal process.
During your one-on-one consultation, ask to see the doctor’s portfolio and previous patients. This will help you gauge the doctor’s level of skill and ability to achieve your desired results. You should also inquire about whether the doctor has any certifications or specialties related to body augmentation, shaping and contouring procedures.
Some women decide to undergo implant removal because their aesthetic preferences change over time, causing them to feel dissatisfied with the size and shape of their breasts. Others experience issues such as a rupture or capsular contracture, a painful condition in which scar tissue hardens around the implant.
The surgeon will make small incisions to remove the implants from the breast pocket, if necessary. He may also perform a breast lift to address loose skin that can result from having implants removed. This procedure will tighten the chest, leaving a natural, youthful appearance. The surgeon will add liposuction if needed to further enhance the shape of the new bust. This treatment will leave you feeling confident and empowered as you move forward with your life.