It’s no surprise that as we move through life, our preferences and options change. There’s also circumstances out of our control that may force our hands. If you’re thinking about breasts implant removal surgery—whether your personal preferences have changed or you’re experiencing symptoms that may demand their removal—it’s normal to feel apprehensive about what your body might look like. Before we discuss options, let’s first discuss the basics of  breast implant removal. Also known as explant surgery, the removal of breast implants is a surgical procedure that removes (or explants) the implants from the breast pocket. It’s done for a number of reasons, from breast implant illness to end of their natural lifespan (it’s recommended that you replace your breast implants every 10 years to avoid any complications) to capsular contracture or rupture and even simple just change in your preferences.

 What do breasts look like after implants are removed?

Another reason to always choose an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon for the removal of your breast implants is to ensure you love your new results. You may need a breast lift along with your breast implant removal to maintain a perky, youthful shape and position to the breasts. Another option to consider is a fat transfer breast augmentation: a two-fold process that takes excess, unwanted fat from one part of the body through liposuction and injects it into the breast to achieve an enhanced size and shape.

If you’re concerned about scaring, rest assured that Dr. Barrett has developed detailed scar management protocols and closure techniques to reduce visible scarring for his patients. Following the removal of your explant surgical stitches, you’ll likely be instructed to tape your incisions for a period of time. Upon completion, it’s recommended that you begin using scar gel. Skinuva® is surgical scar healing cream that’s backed by science and uses highly selective growth factors which are shown to be twice as effective as silicone cream.

What to expect during your breast implant removal recovery

You can expect a similar recovery with your breast implant removal surgery as you did with your breast augmentation surgery: three days of solid downtime and relative downtime for at least two weeks. You’ll likely experience soreness, swelling, bruising and sensitivity for a few weeks, but it should subside enough within the first few days to allow you to return to most of your activities without significant discomfort. Most patients can return to light activities within one week and more strenuous exercise after about six weeks. You may also notice you don’t feel mentally like yourself after your explant surgery—don’t worry, it’s completely normal to feel some anxiety and even depression the first week or two following your surgery.

To ensure you have the best possible outcome, Dr. Barrett has curated a breast augmentation recovery kit to set his breast augmentation and breast implant removal patients up for surgical success with the least amount of down time and discomfort possible.

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