Removal of breast implants with/without replacement of breast implants
There are multiple reasons why patients may seek removal of breast implants.
The Procedure
There are multiple reasons why patients may seek removal of breast implants.
These may be related to complications of the surgery or of the implant, such as rupture and leak.
It is possible for the original implant to be removed. This may require a partial or complete removal of the capsule around the implant.
In some situations the pocket may need to be adjusted and a new pocket formed.
The options of replacing the original or a new implant, and not replacing the implant are available.
Some patients may require a breast lift in addition to removal and/or replacement of breast implants.
There was a dramatic increase in the number of ruptures associated with the PIP implants from France. Please note Dr Belt never used any of these implants but has removed many ruptured implants, including PIP, which were placed by other surgeons.
Depending on the precise indication for the surgery, this procedure may attract rebates through Medicare and/or your private health fund.
A drain is usually placed post-operatively in most cases to reduce the risk of collections forming around the implant. This procedure is technically more difficult than the primary breast augmentation and has a higher risk of collections forming around the implant.
Some reasons for explantation are implant rotation, rupture, malposition or capsule formation.
The best investigation to see if an implant has ruptured is an MRI scan performed with a dedicated breast coil.
Ultrasound scans are useful but do have a false positive rate. This means that an ultrasound scan may indicate that there is a rupture where a rupture may not exist.
It is generally considered that implants are not lifelong devices and Dr Belt recommends that all of his patients have at least an ultrasound scan at 10 years after surgery to check the integrity of the implants.
Patients having any breast surgery should also undergo routine breast screening. Mammograms can still be performed in a patient who has implants (Eklund views).
Please contact Dr. Belt’s staff on 07 3852 6800 if you wish to discuss your specific case. Dr Belt’s staff can arrange for an ultrasound scan and / or MRI prior to your consultation if required.
Complications and Risks
All Procedures have potential complications and risks. These can be divided into general complications and those specific to each procedure. The latter are listed in the FAQs below.
General complications include:
- Wound complications - bleeding, bruising, collections under the skin of blood (haematoma), pus (abscess), serous fluid (seroma), infection, wound breakdown, suture extrusion, sensory loss;
- Aesthetic complications - poor scars, stretched scars, raised scars (keloid or hypertrophic), contour irregularities, need for revisional procedure;
- Anaesthetic complications
