Photo Credit: Courtesy of Artem Bruk/ShutterstockFor many years, breast augmentation patients often sought results with a “bigger is better” mentality. Large implants were used to provide a result that drastically increased the size of their breasts. More recently, the “bigger is better” phenomenon has been replaced with an interest in a more “natural or subtle” appearance when it comes to plastic surgery outcomes. Even celebrities, such as the Kardashians, have espoused this new idea, with many of them having slimmed down significantly using a variety of methods. As a result, patients who previously had large implants placed now want to downsize their implants or remove them altogether to achieve a natural-looking aesthetic. More and more patients have come to my practice seeking to have these surgeries and in this article, we will describe the details.

What are some common reasons individuals provide for wanting to remove or downsize their implants?

There are various reasons why individuals may choose to remove or replace their breast implants. Some may no longer desire the augmented appearance or feel discomfort associated with the implants. Others may want to replace their implants with smaller or larger implants or improve the position of the implant along their breast. Additionally, others may experience complications, such as capsular contracture or implant rupture, and need to replace their implants.

Are there specific age groups or demographics that seem to be more interested in this trend?

Many of the women presenting to change/remove implants are women in their 40s and 50s. These are typically women who had undergone breast augmentation in their 20s and 30s and wanted a larger look at that time. Now that they have matured and many have had children, they want a more natural and rejuvenated appearance.

 

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What procedures do you combine with breast implant removal?

Following breast augmentation and aging, the breast skin has stretched and the breast itself will have drooped or developed ptosis. As a result, when removing the breast implant, we combine it with other procedures to give the optimal result. These include the following:

• Breast Implant Removal & Breast Lift: This combination ensures that the breast is rejuvenated, sitting higher, and has a round, lifted, younger, and more attractive appearance.
• Breast Implant Replacement with a different size implant & Breast Lift: Not all patients look to have their implants removed, but rather want to increase or decrease their size. That being said, when the implant size is changed, we make adjustments to the skin and breast tissue to ensure symmetry and proper positioning of the breast.
• Breast Implant Removal & Breast Lift & Breast Fat Grafting: The implant is removed and the breast is lifted to give that young appearance. To increase upper pole fullness without an implant, we can use your natural fat to increase size and symmetry to give the ideal result!
• Breast Implant Replacement with Internal Bra: Some patients may not be happy with the position of their implants – the implant may have shifted too low along the chest or moved too far laterally. Using an internal bra, we can adjust the position of the implant to place it in the ideal position to give the best appearance.

What is the average recovery time for removing or downsizing implants?

Following surgery, recovery time is the same for all breast procedures. Patients are up and walking the same day, and typically return back to work in one to two days. You have to wear a supportive bra for 6 weeks to help guide the healing of the breast. Additionally, no heavy lifting or exercise for 6 weeks following surgery.

Aesthetic breast surgery is complex and requires extensive experience to give the best results that meet your goals and needs. At our office we have extensive experience in these procedures and can help you reach your goals. If you have any questions, you can visit our website, www.drlalezar.com, to learn more!