Have you noticed that one of your breast implants has ruptured? Breasts implants may rupture and leak as a result of factors like trauma or the natural implant aging process. Regardless of whether you have saline or silicone breast implants, a ruptured implant needs to be addressed. This can be achieved with the help of breast explantation.

Breast Explantation

Breast explantation is the process of removing a breast implant from the breast. It also involves removal of the capsule, the scar-tissue shell that naturally forms around the implant. This process, known as en bloc removal, is quite complex and should only be performed by an experienced surgeon like Dr. Rai.

Who Is Right for This Procedure?

If you are experiencing any of the following issues, you may be ideal for breast explantation:

• Capsular contracture (a thickening of the scar tissue in the capsule that leads to breast issues)
• Pain
• Swelling
• Breast-size changes
• Breast-shape changes

With silicone breast implants, there is often no sign that a rupture has occurred. This is because the leakage rate of the gel is slower, since it is a thicker medium than the saline in saline implants. Imaging tests can reveal ruptures in these implants.

If you simply no longer wish to have breast implants, you are also a good candidate for this operation.

The Procedure: What to Expect

The explantation procedure typically requires around two and a half hours to complete. At the start of the procedure, general anesthesia will be administered in order to make sure the patient will be comfortable and free of any pain.

An incision will then be carefully made beneath the breast crease. The implant and scar-tissue capsule will be separated from the muscle tissues and the ribs, and then the implant and capsule will be removed. Silicone gel will be cleaned from the region, and any necessary muscle repairs will be completed.

To compete the procedure, the incision will be closed with the help of dissolvable sutures. Because they are dissolvable, the patient will not need to have them taken out during the healing process.

Temporary drains may also be placed in the breasts. These plastic tubes remove excess fluids in order to avoid post-surgical complications.

After the Procedure

Once the explantation procedure is complete, patients recover in the facility for around 45 to 60 minutes. After this, because this is an outpatient procedure, they are able to return home to heal.

During the healing process, patients may need to stay home from work for a time. It will be necessary to avoid lifting anything heavier than 10 lbs. Bruising and swelling will be present in the breasts for a time, as will some discomfort. Painkillers will be prescribed to help with this.

Patients will also need to come in for follow-up appointments. Drains will be removed at this time, and the incisions will be examined to ensure that healing is going properly.

Scheduling Your Consultation

To begin the explantation process, you will need to contact our office and set up a consultation. Dr. Rai, a skilled surgeon with years of breast-procedure experience, will be available to discuss the process in further detail.