While an overwhelming majority of women are very happy with their breast implants, there are a few that don’t like them long after the healing process is complete and the implants have “settled in” to their final position. The implants may look good but the patient, for whatever reason, is not happy with the shape, position or how they make them feel.
All understandable emotions. Women should not feel like there is nothing to do – they don’t have to live unhappy. There are several options related to their main concern. If they do not like the position of their implants – too low, too high, too far out into the armpit – they can have the implants repositioned into a new pocket (ask your doctor about the neosubpectoral pocket!) during a revision breast surgery.
But if they just don’t like the way they feel and want them out – the patient must consider something very important. Once the implants are removed, the skin of the breast isn’t the same as before surgery. The skin has been stretched to some extent and if the implants are removed without correcting this, the patient will be even more unhappy with droopy breasts that are more unattractive than before surgery. Not everyone will have droopy breasts after implant removal. Patient who had small implants placed to begin with, may be fine. Their skin, not having been stretched by smaller implants, may recoil and rebound to their previous shape.
But for patients that have had larger implants placed, the best way to correct droopy breasts after implant removal is with a breast lift. This can require additional scars such as around the areola, a vertical scar from the areola to the fold under the breast or even the anchor incision if the breasts are extremely droopy after the implants are removed.
I can not emphasize enough, patients that want their implants out but don’t want a lift afterwards because of concerns about additional scars will be very unhappy with the sag of their breasts. I have one patient that was told of these risks after implant removal and still insisted, after informed consent, to not have her implants replaced and refused a lift as well. She is very unhappy and while I have reiterated to her that a lift could help this, she does not want the additional scars. In this particular situation, there are no other options available.
So please, consider your options BEFORE surgery so that you are not distraught AFTER surgery.
