St Marks Hospitals

Breast Implant Removal Surgery And Scar Removal Surgeries

Breast Implant Surgery and related surgeries including breast implant replacement surgery, breast reduction surgery, breast implant scar removal surgery and other breast surgeries require serious consideration. Including a careful and researched choice of breast surgery doctor is a list of personal and finncial questions each potential patient must evaluate before proceeding with breast surgeries.

• Am I a Candidate For Breast Surgery?
• Benefits of Breast Implant Surgery
• Cost of Breast Implant Surgery
• FAQs about Breast Implant Surgery
• Financing for Breast Implant Surgery
• How to Choose a Breast Implant Surgeon
• Post Surgery: Complications of Breast Implant Surgery
• Post Surgery: Recovery from Breast Implant Surgery
• Post Surgery: Results of Breast Implant Surgery
• Breast Implant Removal Surgery
• Breast Implant Replacement Surgery

Saline and silicone breast implant removal surgery is an option for women who are not satisfied with the results of their breast augmentation, or when complications with breast implants arise. B reast implant removal surgery may become necessary if the original breast implant placement was performed incorrectly. Breast implants may become displaced or contracted because of improper placement or due to pressure from scar tissue. Breast implant removal may also be necessary if the implants rupture or deflate as a result of injury or a defect in the implant itself. Additionally, breast implants may need to be removed if infection occurs.

What to Expect During Breast Implant Removal Surgery
Before breast implant removal surgery, the surgeon will determine the cause of your breast augmentation complications and advise you on a course of action. If you choose to have your silicone or saline implants replaced with a more suitable type of breast implant, the replacement will be done during the breast implant removal surgery. If you choose not to have your implants replaced, your surgeon will advise you about options like breast lift surgery, which can be performed at the time of your breast implant removal surgery.

General anesthesia or intravenous sedation is used during breast implant removal surgery. To access the implant, the surgeon will make an incision in one of several areas: around the areola, just below the armpit, under the fold of the breast, or, in rare cases, through the navel. Many times the incisions for breast implant removal are the same as the ones used during the original breast augmentation surgery. In addition to the breast implant, scar tissue will often be extracted during breast implant removal.

Saline Breast Implant Removal
Prior to saline breast implant removal surgery, the surgeon should thoroughly examine the implants and the surrounding tissue for rupture, leakage, swelling, and infection. If the patient is choosing to undergo breast implant replacement surgery (secondary breast augmentation), the type of replacement implant will be chosen before the surgery and placed immediately after the original implant is removed. If the patient chooses not to replace the implant, she may consider breast lift surgery performed at the time of the removal surgery in order to enhance the shape of the breast.

During saline breast implant removal, the surgeon may deflate the implant before removing it. This will allow for easier removal. Once the implant has been removed, the surgeon may remove scar tissue from the previous breast augmentation surgery. Placement of new implants or breast lift surgery will be performed as soon as the original implant is removed. The surgery itself should take 30 to 45 minutes, and the patient will remain in the hospital for a few hours after the surgery for observation.

Silicone Breast Implant Removal
During silicone breast implant removal surgery, because a ruptured silicone implant may have gone undetected, the surgeon will manually inspect the implant for any signs of distress or rupture prior to its removal. This allows the surgeon to minimize any risks associated with the breast implant removal procedure. Removal of the implant may be more complicated then the original placement, particularly if the outer shell is textured or foam covered. Sometimes, surrounding tissue and muscle may have to be removed along with the implant.

The length of the removal procedure depends on whether there are any other procedures being performed at the same time. Breast implant replacement, breast lift, or scar revision may be performed at the time of the removal. Generally, silicone breast implant removal surgery should take less than an hour and the patient will remain for observation for a few hours after the surgery. Patients undergoing breast implant removal or revision surgery should be able to return to work within a week.

Each woman has a private sense of how she wishes to look and whether she wants to achieve this by having surgery. Breast implant surgery may be of psychological benefit when it cosmetically improves appearance, corrects a loss in breast size after pregnancy or nursing, or rebuilds a breast shape after surgery for cancer.

Breast contour is one of the defining features of a woman’s body. Breast size is not important to every woman, but some individuals feel that small breasts not only limit their fashion choices, but can cause dissatisfaction with body image. Women who choose breast implants to enlarge their breasts do so to improve their self image. Some feel dissatisfied because their breasts never developed to a size that meets their expectations. Others want to bring balance to a breast that is somewhat smaller than the other. Often, women want the procedure to restore their natural breast volume, which may have decreased as a result of pregnancy, weight loss or aging.

Breast augmentation enlarges a woman’s breasts through the surgical placement of breast implants. In general, it is a cosmetic procedure strictly performed to fulfill a woman’s personal desire for fuller breasts or to restore breast volume lost after weight reduction or pregnancy. Implants may also be used, however, for reconstructive purposes to restore a breast that is lost due to mastectomy, injury or for other reasons. In any case, breast implants allow women the choice of a fuller, natural appearing breast and a more balanced figure.

Women with breast cancer say that breast reconstruction with implants after mastectomy has helped their recovery by restoring a more natural appearance and a sense of wholeness. Whether it is performed immediately following mastectomy or at a later time, breast reconstruction can dramatically improve a woman’s appearance, self-confidence and overall quality of life.

The decision to have implants is a very personal one, each woman must decide for herself if the benefits of implants will achieve her goals and that the risks and potential complications are acceptable.

In 2000, the Institute of Medicine published its finding on the safety of silicone gel breast implants. This highly regarded scientific panel concluded that silicone gel implants do not increase the risk of autoimmune diseases such as lupus or cancer, as has been suggested in legal claims filed against silicone implant manufacturers. Instead, the Institute found that localized problems that may occur in the area of the breast implant were the primary concern. Every surgical procedure has potential complications, such as infection, bleeding and scarring. Additionally, there are some potential complications that are specific to breast implants. It is important for women considering breast implant surgery to understand these potential problems and put them in perspective before making the decision to have surgery using silicone gel implants. This document is designed to provide information about the risks and benefits of surgery using silicone gel implants. Financial considerations of correcting problems that may occur and insurance issues are presented as well. Finally, for those women who decide that silicone implants are right for them, information about selecting a specific size or type of implant is provided.