Breast Explant Surgery
Offering Breast Explant Surgery to Houston, TX
One of the most popular new plastic surgery procedures in the Houston area is breast explant surgery. Generally speaking, breast explant surgery is a procedure in which a breast implant is removed, making this procedure’s appeal specific to those who have undergone a breast augmentation of some kind.
Breast explant surgery is capable of removing saline or silicone implants. The end results are breasts that appear to be a more natural size. Former breast augmentation patients elect to undergo this procedure for a wide variety of reasons, from a faulty implant to a change in outlook.
Dr. Polsen, who performs breast explant procedures in the Houston area (including Clear Lake, TX), has a significant amount of expertise in this particular procedure. If you want to know more about whether you a breast explant procedure can help you reach your goals and make you more comfortable in your own body, contact our offices to schedule a consultation with Dr. Polsen.
You can call (281) 538-6600 to speak directly with our offices.
Who is a Good Candidate for Breast Explant?
Breast explant procedures are relatively popular at this point in time, so there’s some question about who may or may not be a good candidate. In general, candidates for breast explant surgery will wish to remove their breast implants and return to their previous breast size (with some variation in the final size).
Good candidates for breast explant surgery will:
- Currently have either a saline or silicone breast implant
- Not have undergone a fat graft breast augmentation
- Want to achieve a smaller overall breast size
- Have realistic expectations about what breast explant surgery can accomplish
- Be healthy enough for surgery
- Refrain from smoking tobacco products near the time of your procedure and recovery
If you think you’re a good candidate for a breast explant procedure in the Houston area, contact our offices in Clear Lake to schedule a consultation with Dr. Polsen.
What Happens During a Breast Explant Procedure?
Breast explant surgery is designed to remove implants from the breast in the safest and most efficient ways possible. In most cases, the surgery is relatively straightforward and performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia.
The incision types for breast explant procedure are, in most cases, precisely the same as those for breast augmentation with an implant. Dr. Polsen will usually try to use the same incision site and type as was used for your original breast enhancement procedure, although this isn’t always possible.
The most common incision type for a breast explant procedure is called inframammary. Essentially, the incision is made along the bottom fold of the breast–making it simultaneously easily hidden and easily accessed. Once the incision is made, the breast implant will be removed. In some cases, if the patient expresses a desire to eliminate old scar tissue, that might be removed as well.
The incision is then closed and the patient begins the recovery process.
Why is Breast Explant Popular?
It’s worth pointing out that breast explant is not the same thing, necessarily, as a breast implant revision procedure. During a breast implant revision, one implant is removed and another is put in its place (sometimes larger, sometimes smaller, sometimes of a different material or type). A breast explant procedure is designed only to remove an implant.
This procedure is popular for two basic reasons. Either patients want to shed their old implants for aesthetic purposes or because the implants are presenting challenges to comfort or health.
Health and Comfort
In some cases, patients want implants removed because they were improperly inserted in the first place. Dr. Polsen has significant experience working with patients who have previously worked with other surgeons. In other cases, it’s the implant that is somehow defective or reached the end of its shelf life, warranting removal. Many patients simply elect to return to their original breast size at this point.
Aesthetic Purposes
The other major reason that patients tend to be interested in breast explant surgery is because their aesthetic tastes have changed. They no longer feel that larger breasts represent them as an individual, and they wish to transition back down to a smaller breast size. While this choice is always an individual one, it is often tied into larger social influences regarding breast size. Simply put, a patient who feels their breast size no longer reflects who they are as an individual might consider a breast explant procedure for aesthetic purposes.
Personal Reasons
Ultimately, many patients may have very personal reasons for undergoing a breast explant procedure. And those personal reasons may be quite varied. To a large degree, there’s no wrong answer to the motivational question, although factors such as overall health will often need to be taken into consideration. If you’ve been thinking about undergoing a breast implant revision or breast explant procedure, contact Dr. Polsen today to discuss all of your options and the best way to achieve your desired transformation.
What’s the Difference Between Breast Explant and Breast Implant Revision?
One common questions that patients have regarding breast explant procedures is regarding the differences between an explant and an implant removal procedure. There are, in fact, some similarities between the two procedures. Simply put, however, the difference between an explant procedure and an implant revision can be summed up like this: An explant procedure removes the breast implant, while a revision procedure can replace an implant.
When it comes to techniques, both procedures are remarkably similar. An, when viewed through a certain lens, it makes sense to think of breast explant surgery as a kind of subset of breast implant revision surgery.
- During breast implant revision surgery, the breast implants are removed; patients can elect to replace those implants with a different size, shape, or material. For example, some patients may elect to remove saline implants in favor of silicone implants. Or a patient may elect to change the size of the implants (this sometimes happens during the later life-cycle of the procedure, when patients decide larger implants no longer accurately reflect their character).
- During a breast explant procedure, the implant is simply removed. The breasts are returned to their original size. This is, of course, an option for patients who are undergoing an implant revision procedure; in some ways, it’s just that a “breast explant” tends to be much more clear about what the desired final results are.
In most cases, the patient will make the final determination as to whether an explant procedure or an implant revision procedure will go forward. It depends on the individual patient, the condition of the implants, and the patient’s desired final results. To discuss your implant revision or explant procedure, contact the offices of Dr. Polsen, near Houston, TX, to schedule a confidential consultation.
Is Breast Augmentation Still Popular?
Most patients who are interested in a breast explant procedure have already undergone a breast augmentation. There are, however, some patients who might be looking into breast explant procedures because they are interested in breast augmentation and they want to know their long term options.
It’s worth pointing out that breast augmentation is still an incredibly popular and successful procedure (indeed, it was the single most popular plastic surgery procedure in the United States in 2018). Breast explant surgery does nothing to undercut the benefits, short term and long term, for breast augmentation patients.
Instead, breast explant surgery simply gives breast augmentation patients another long term option for the best possible results. In most cases, the patient will be in complete control of when the breast explant surgery happens (excluding health concerns or scheduling matters). As such, breast explant surgery gives those breast augmentation patients an option for a procedure down the road that will return their breasts to their original size.
What Types of Implants Does Breast Explant Surgery Work For?
Breast explant surgery can be performed in any case when artificial breast implants have been inserted. This is true for both saline and silicone implants, as well as all variations thereof. For example, breast explant surgery can be performed in cases when “gummy bear” implants have been used.
However, patients who have undergone a “fat graft breast augmentation” will not be able to currently undergo a breast explant procedure. Fat graft breast augmentation procedure are relatively new, and they require specialized techniques in order to reverse (likely something such as a liposuction procedure). If you have questions about what types of implants can be safely removed, schedule a consultation with Dr. Charles Polsen. During your consultation you’ll be able to get the individualized answers you need to proceed.
Recovery and Results
It’s generally advised that patients who undergo a breast explant procedure plan to take at least 1-2 days off of work. The bulk of your recovery will take anywhere from two to four weeks, although everyone heals at a different rate. Dr. Polsen will provide all of his patients with individualized recovery instructions, so as to protect your results and maximize your comfort throughout the process. The vast majority of patients can return to most normal activities within the span of a month or so.
Results from breast explant surgery are especially important to emphasize. Many patients are worried about a significant amount of excess skin after the procedure, but that doesn’t happen for most people. The majority of patients will see their breast size rebound to roughly what it was before the procedure.
Some patients may experience somewhere around a 10% increase in weight or volume of the breasts, due to the development of skin when the implant was in place. But the vast majority of patients will not have to worry about a “deflated” look once the procedure is complete. Instead, the breasts will look very similar to their original appearance.
Every Breast Explant Patient is Unique
Because every patient is unique, it’s important to discuss your desired results with Dr. Polsen in order to determine the best course of action. Patients who have developed a significant amount of excess skin, for example, may also wish to consider a breast lift of breast reduction in addition to a breast explant procedure.
To find out if a breast explant procedure is the right way to accomplish your transformation, contact South Shore Plastic Surgery to schedule an appointment. During your consultation with Dr. Polsen, you’ll be able to ask questions and get clarification on a personal, individualized level. Contact us today to get started!
Why Should You Choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon?
Dr. Polsen is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, which means that he has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The ABPS is an organization intended to promote safe and ethical practices in plastic surgery, and has introduced a rigorous and voluntary certification program to ensure surgeons are practicing at the pinnacle of their abilities.
Choosing a board certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Polsen, means that you can be assured that your surgeon has a significant amount of experience and expertise. Board certification is not an easy status to achieve because it requires surgeons to show–both over time and in a testing environment–the highest levels of education, training, and experience.
Dr. Polsen was certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 2002. To find out more about Dr. Polsen and about board certification, contact our Houston offices to schedule a confidential consultation.
