Because of reasons related to either health or aesthetics, some women choose to have their breast implants removed. No matter what your reasons may be, Dr. Craft has the ability to carry out breast explant surgery in Phoenix safely and skillfully.
What is breast implant removal?
A breast implant removal (explant) procedure removes, re-positions, or replaces a woman’s implants. This often happens when the implants are over ten years old, or when a woman is experiencing dissatisfaction with how her implants look or feel. Breast implant removal can also be done for health reasons.
Most common reasons for breast implant removal
- Calcium buildup
- Patient never got used to the implants
- Patient feels that their implants are the wrong shape or size
- Implant has become folded, wrinkled, or deflated
- Implant is leaking or ruptured
- Implants have migrated due to weight loss, weight gain, or pregnancy
- The development of dead tissues around the breast implant
- Capsular contracture
- Infection and/or bleeding
- Complications from previous surgery
- Patient no longer likes the way the implants look and/or feel
- Hardening of the breast tissue
Surgical details for breast implant removal
Breast implant removal surgery is performed with the patient under general anesthesia, and takes between one to three hours. During your consultation with Dr. Craft, he will discuss where the incisions will be made, as well as a step-by-step of everything that will happen during the operation.
Dr. Craft will carefully make an incision along the lower (inframammary) fold of your breast, or an incision around or below the areola. He will perform either a breast implant removal alone; a breast implant removal with a breast lift, or a deflation procedure.
With a breast implant removal, the incisions are made in the same location as the initial breast surgery. Dr. Craft may also remove the capsule (layer of scar tissue that forms around the implant) during this procedure. This can be done as an “en bloc" removal, where the implant and the capsule are removed together without cutting into the capsule and removing them separately.
If Dr. Craft is also performing a breast lift with the breast explant in Phoenix, he will gently remove excess breast skin and tighten the breast tissue. This is typical for women whose breast skin has been stretched.
Deflation is a technique used with saline implants, and is non-surgical (although some saline implant patients do require a breast lift or breast implant replacement surgery after deflation). This procedure is performed under local anesthesia.
Recovery
After a breast implant removal, most women are able to return to work in five days. You will need to avoid lifting anything heavy or high-intensity exercise for six weeks after the procedure.
Women who have implants removed because of capsular contracture will experience more discomfort and a long recovery period. Those who have a breast lift along with the implant removal may have a tight, heavy feeling in their breasts during recovery.
Why choose CraftMD?
If you’re looking for an experienced and skilled surgeon in Arizona to perform your Phoenix breast explant, Dr. Randall O. Craft is who you’re looking for. Dr. Craft is a double board-certified, Harvard-trained surgeon who provides patient-centric, compassionate care with a heavy emphasis on safety. He combines his distinctive training with a sense of artistry that achieves amazing results for his patients. To schedule a consultation, please call CraftMD or contact us online.
