What is En Bloc Breast Implant Removal?
Women sometimes choose to have their breast implants removed in a procedure called an explant. Some women make this decision for health reasons while others decide to do it for aesthetic purposes. Regardless of your reason for making this change, it is important to choose the right technique for your procedure.
Enbloc capsulectomy is a popular type of breast implant removal. The phrase “en bloc” translates to “as a whole.” You may wonder: What does this refer to? Well, when you get breast implants, your body will naturally form scar tissue around them. When you get an en bloc capsulectomy, the entire capsule of the scar tissue and the implants is removed, rather than just the implants themselves. This involves a larger incision and a careful separation of the capsule from the surrounding tissue.
Why is En Bloc Breast Implant Removal Done?
Generally, en bloc capsulectomy is selected over complete capsulectomy for special reasons. For example, it might be because the patient has Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and another technique would put them at risk
It may also be that the patient’s implant has ruptured, making it necessary for the capsule to be removed as a whole and in one piece.
Breast explants in general are done for a variety of reasons, too. Some people decide after a while that they would prefer a more natural look. Others suffer from issues like breast implant illness (BII) and hope that removing their implants will reduce symptoms like depression, sore muscles, headaches, and rashes.
What are the Pros and Cons of En Bloc Breast Implant Removal?
- Pros of En Bloc Breast Implant Removal
There are lots of benefits to breast implant removal in general as well as en bloc breast implant removal in particular.
Enbloc breast implant removal is very thorough because it removes the scar tissue in addition to the implants themselves. This means that this technique may be more successful in providing relief from breast implant illness symptoms.
It also can prevent unwanted substances from leaking into the rest of the body, whether that’s cancerous cells from BIA-ALCL or silicone gel from a ruptured implant.
- Cons of En Bloc Breast Implant Removal
Unfortunately, there are also some cons of en bloc breast implant removal.
Because the capsule is removed in one piece, it requires a larger incision than many other techniques. For this reason, it also leaves behind a more significant scar.
En Bloc breast implant removal can also be riskier and less practical than other methods, especially when the layer of scar tissue around the implants is particularly thin.
How Dr. Craft Can Help
If you are considering breast implant removal surgery, your natural next step is to schedule a consultation with an experienced plastic surgeon. Dr. Craft is a double board-certified Arizona plastic surgeon serving patients locally and from around the U.S.
Dr. Craft is not only Harvard University-trained, but also double board-certified, making him one of the top plastic surgery professionals in the area. He has eight years of surgical practice and ten years of surgical training. Dr. Craft understands that every patient has unique needs, and he is ready to take on the challenge of looking after your health and comfort as well as your aesthetic needs and preferences.
He also understands all the factors that go into choosing the right surgical technique for your breast implant removal and can help you decide if an en bloc capsulectomy is the proper path forward for you. If you’re ready to get started or if you just want to gather more information, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Craft and his team today.