Breast Implant Removal & Replacement

Your consultation is designed to be perfect opportunity to ask all the pressing questions that you have to your consultant, ahead of making a decision on surgery. It is vital that you are fully informed before making your final decision, and the consultation is therefore a key part of the education and decision making process.

Some good examples of questions to ask, include:

• Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
• Do you think my goals are realistic given my existing anatomy?
• Will I require a single surgery or multiple surgeries?
• Can I see some before & after pictures of implant replacement procedures you have done previously?
• How long will my recovery take?
• Is it true that Cadogan offers 24/7 on call nursing service?
• What can I expect in terms of bruising, swelling and scarring?
• What are my options if I am unhappy with my results?

Certain lifestyle factors can increase the risk of complications during and after your surgery. These include smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight and taking drugs (for medical or recreational use.)

The most common impact of smoking before your surgery is that it increases your chances of developing an infection and inhibits your body's natural healing processes. We insist that all patients stop smoking and using nicotine products at least six weeks before surgery. Reducing alcohol intake is also strongly advised.

Your doctor will discuss your current BMI and drug use at your consultation and advise you further on this.

A breast implant introduces foreign material to the human body, which our body recognises and organically forms a fibrous tissue capsule around. This occurs with every breast implant surgery and is completely normal and expected.

The capsule formation process will be slightly different from person to person, however. In those who form more scar tissue (who 'scar easily'), the breasts develop an excessively hard or high volume of tissue around the breast, which may form with the muscular tissue and cause it to contract.

This is called capsular contracture, and can cause problems with the appearance of the breast implant, deforming the size, shape and proportions of the breast. The contractions themselves can also be uncomfortable for the individual. Breast implant replacement can remove the capsule (a capsulectomy) and a new implant inserted, which encourages a new, healthy capsule to be formed and the aesthetic appearance restored.

PIP implants were silicone breast implants that contained a silicone gel that was not approved for use in surgery and had potential health risks. They were also found to be up to six times as likely to rupture as high quality, approved implants.
PIP implants were largely used by cosmetic surgery providers who were looking ot reduce their costs due to the fact that they were the cheapest on the market. Around 50,000 women in the UK received these implants.

Even though no link was ever discovered to link PIP implants to serious health concerns, understandably, many patients who had received the PIP implants in their surgeries wanted them to be removed or replaced.

During the height of the crisis, Cadogan Clinic was at the forefront of assisting patients in replacing their breast implants. As we never used PIP products and enjoy a reputation as one of the leading specialist plastic and cosmetic clinics in the country we continue to see PIP patients today.

Signs of a ruptured implant include:

• swelling or a lump around the breast
• a change in the shape of the breast
• redness, pain or a burning sensation
• If you have any of these symptoms of a ruptured implant you should seek immediate medical advice. Typically you will require a scan to confirm you have ruptured implants.

Ruptured implants need to be removed or replaced as soon as they have been diagnosed.

Breast Implant Replacement surgery is relatively straightforward surgery.

Most implants can be removed quite easily, even under local anaesthesia. Polyurethane covered implants (Polytech) can be more difficult to extract, if one wants to remove all the foam covering.

Surgery time is commonly no more than an hour or two.

Breast Implant Removal and Lift is a common combination, particularly in older patients, where there may be some excess skin or tissue caused by the effects of ageing or by stretching during pregnancy or weight gain. 

A Breast Implant Removal and Lift combination ensures this loose skin is pre-emptively tightened around the new breast mould or even excised completely. This procedure can also ensure an optimal breast and nipple position is delivered, and that the breasts feel firmer following surgery. 

Breast implants do not have an expiration date so you may not need to replace them at any stage following surgery.

Breast implant replacement surgery, or a change of implants, is typically only necessary when the breast implants no longer looks or feels good.

Sometimes a change of implants is necessary after childbirth, or due to the natural effects of ageing or following weight loss. In each instance, saggy breasts or asymmetric breasts can easily be corrected by a change of implants.

Breast Implant Removal differs from Breast Implant Replacement in so far as the implant is removed and not replaced during such surgery.

After Breast Implant Removal the skin and tissue will retract to how they were before your initial breast implant surgery, meaning that in all likelihood no additional procedure will be required to restore your previous look.

In some instances, however, natural fat transfer breast augmentation alternatives might be necessary to counteract any appearance of breast deflation or emptiness.

Breast implant removal surgery is not usually required following breast implant surgery, and is only necessary in the rare instances where there is a complication following surgery. This could be capsular contracture or a ruptured breast implant.

We would typically ask you to get a scan to confirm what has happened, before coming in for a breast implant removal consultation with your surgeon.

Breast implants do not have an expiration date. It is not the case that implants should be replaced every 10 years. Breast implants only need to be replaced if they break or rupture. If implants are looking good and feeling good there is no reason to change them.

Breast Implants only need to be replaced in the very rare case whereby they break or rupture. When a saline breast implant ruptures, it can result in a dramatic change in the appearance of the breast, which will effectively deflate, changing its size and shape. In the rare event of a silicone implant rupture, any leaks tend to stay inside the implant, so a silicone breast implant rupture is not always obvious. However a leaking silicone implant may cause pain, tenderness, numbness, swelling, burning or changes in sensation. 

Implants can also be replaced for personal reasons, including wanting to change the shape or size of the implants, breasts change due to weight loss or gain, age or having children.

If you think you require breast implant removal then we recommend you get in touch with your surgeon to discuss this immediately.

Implants that require removal or replacing must be removed addressed swiftly, particularly in the case of ruptured implants or capsular contracture.

All of our breast surgeons perform breast implant removal surgery at the Cadogan Clinic. Breast implant removal is straightforward surgery and takes no longer than one hour to complete. If you have any concerns and would like your breast implants checked for potential ruptures, please get in touch with our surgeons who can arrange an ultrasound or MRI scan for you.

The Cadogan Clinic has become a well-known provider of implant replacement services as our reputation as a trusted cosmetics provider was enhanced following the PIP scandal that implicated so many of our competitors.

As one of the few Clinics in the country not to use PIP products and insist on higher quality products, we were at the forefront of the replacement drive. It remains one of our most commonly performed surgical procedures at the Clinic to this day.

When breast implants are removed and not replaced, the skin and tissue should retract to how they were before your initial breast implant surgery, meaning that in all likelihood no additional procedure will be required to restore your previous look. However sometimes breasts can appear saggy, droopy or misshapen after breast implant removal. If this is the case, then you may want to consider a breast lift (mastopexy), which can be performed at the same time as implant removal.

Yes, you can have breast implants removed and replaced at the same time. However if you have an infection your surgeon will ask you to wait for this to clear up before putting in any new implants. This may take in the region of three months.

If you are suffering pain associated with capsular contracture, removing implants can provide almost instant pain relief. If large or over-sized implants are causing you neck or back pain, then removing these will help to alleviate this pain. If you are experiencing any symptoms of a silicone implant leak, removal will help to resolve this.

There are two types of implants, silicone and saline. Saline implants are silicone shells filled with sterile salt water (saline). Silicone implants are silicone shells filled with a plastic gel (silicone).

Silicone implants are the most popular as they look and feel more natural and are less likely to wrinkle, ripple or rupture.

Yes, implants can be removed and not replaced. A person may decide to have their implants removed and not replaced due to natural body changes or personal preference. Occasionally implants may be removed for health reasons, such as capsular contracture.

Yes it is possible to replace just one breast implant, for example in the case of implant rupture. Great care will be taken when inserting the new implant that symmetry is maintained with the other breast.

Breast implant replacement surgery takes one to two hours from start to finish. The total time depends on a number of factors, including the type of implant used and whether one or both implants are being replaced. The procedure is carried out under a general anaesthetic.

The appearance of the breasts after breast implant removal varies among patients and depends on factors such as the size of the original implants, breast tissue condition and whether other combination procedures are performed.  

Since there is a risk of loss of volume and sagging breast skin you may look flat chested after breast implant removal surgery. There are several surgical options such as Implant Replacement, Fat Transfer to Breast and Breast Lift that can be discussed with your surgeon to counteract this effect.