How to Know if You’re a Good Candidate for Breast Implant Removal

If you are considering breast implant removal, it is common to have two primary concerns: whether there is an underlying problem with the implants, and what postoperative breast shape and appearance may be after surgery.

Some patients pursue breast implant removal due to a defined clinical concern, such as capsular contracture or suspected implant rupture. Others choose elective removal due to heaviness, aesthetic preferences, or lifestyle changes.

Dr. Lisa Cassileth helps translate your symptoms and long-term goals into a clear explant plan, outlining candidacy, technique options, recovery expectations, and the key factors that influence breast implant removal costs before you decide.

Key Takeaways

• Breast implant removal can align comfort, health concerns, appearance goals, and lifestyle needs.
• Ideal candidates may present with discomfort, progressive firmness, changes in breast contour, implant malposition, or changing personal preferences.
• Technique varies: implant-only removal, partial or total capsulectomy, or rarely en bloc removal.
• Recovery depends on capsule work plus any lift or fat grafting.
• Breast implant removal cost varies widely; published averages reflect surgeon fees, not total fees.

What Is Breast Implant Removal?

Breast implant removal, also called explant surgery, removes a saline or silicone implant, often using the same incision area as your original surgery.

It can be done alone or paired with a lift or fat grafting for a smoother shape afterward.

As reported by peer-reviewed research, your body forms a thin fibrous capsule around every implant as part of a normal foreign-body response. Over time, that capsule can tighten or thicken, and a major review reports an overall capsular contracture incidence of around 10.6%.

Because the implant pocket and surrounding tissues have been remodeled, explant surgery is not a simple reversal of augmentation.

Surgical planning accounts for skin stretch, tissue vascularity, scar burden, and the expected re-draping and settling of the breast envelope over the ensuing months.

Common Techniques Used in Breast Implant Removal

A key point: en bloc is not a default. It is typically reserved for suspected or confirmed BIA-ALCL or other capsular cancer. In most cases, excessive dissection can increase risk, so surgeons tailor capsule treatment to the findings.

Common Reasons Women Choose Implant Removal

Most women choose breast implant removal for practical reasons, personal reasons, and often both.

Some patients want relief from changes over time. Others want to feel lighter and more natural, especially after hearing about breast implant illness concerns.

Common motivations include:

• Capsular contracture: a tightening capsule that can make the breast feel firm, look distorted, or become painful. The FDA notes local complications like this occur in at least 1% of breast implant patients at any time.
• Rupture concerns: suspected rupture, new shape changes, or reassurance imaging that suggests implant integrity issues.
• Position changes: malposition, asymmetry, rippling, or edge visibility that affects how clothing fits.
• Comfort goals: less heaviness during workouts, easier sleep positions, and fewer bra challenges.
• Lifestyle preference: a more natural look, or reducing the likelihood of future implant-related maintenance surgeries.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Breast Implant Removal?

An ideal candidate for breast implant removal has a clear indication and is in good health to support safe healing. Your surgeon will review your medical history, current medications, and nicotine use, since circulation plays a direct role in wound healing and recovery.

Your reason for explantation matters because it sets the surgical plan and the postoperative aesthetic goals.

If you want additional contour after removal, your consultation may also include adjunct options such as mastopexy (breast lift) and or autologous fat grafting. You may be ready to discuss breast implant removal if you notice:

• Tightness, firmness, or hardening.
• Ongoing pain or daily discomfort.
• Distortion, asymmetry, rippling, or edge visibility.
• Implant position changes.
• Swelling, fluid, or a new lump.
• Rupture concerns, including silent rupture.
• A preference shift that no longer fits your goals.

For silicone implants, many surgeons reference imaging checks around 5 to 6 years, then every 2 to 3 years.

When Partial or Total Capsulectomy May Be Considered

Capsule removal is not performed automatically during implant removal. In appropriate cases, leaving the capsule in place limits dissection and may reduce the risk of bleeding and other local complications.

Capsulectomy is typically discussed when the capsule is driving the clinical problem.

Examples include painful capsular contracture, suspected rupture with silicone outside the implant shell, a capsule that appears thickened or abnormal on exam or imaging, or situations involving textured implants and long-term monitoring.

Because capsulectomy can be a bigger operation, surgeons weigh the benefits against the added risk. Peer-reviewed data report an overall capsulectomy complication rate of around 3.0%, so the decision should align with your findings and goals.

Choosing Your Explant Surgeon

Breast implant removal requires precision, and the surgeon you choose matters. A strong explant plan accounts for capsule decisions, pocket management, incision strategy, and how your tissue will settle over the next several months.

Dr. Lisa Cassileth is known for complex breast surgery and a conservative, cosmetic-minded approach that protects blood supply and prioritizes a natural contour.

She also sets expectations clearly by weaving education into the process, including key questions and practical BII Q&A that frame capsule options, staging, and shape-preserving choices like lift or fat grafting.

Options After Implant Removal: What Comes Next?

After breast implant removal, results depend on your natural tissue, implant size and placement, and skin elasticity. Even so, patients can still plan with a thoughtful surgical approach and clear expectations.

Breast Lift

A lift reshapes your tissue and removes excess skin so the breast sits higher and the nipple looks more centered. It can be a strong match if you like your natural volume but want firmer contour after explant surgery.

Fat Grafting

Fat grafting can add subtle volume and soften transitions after breast implant removal, often discussed as breast fat transfer. It cannot recreate a large implant volume, and not all transferred fat survives, so expectations matter.

No Additional Procedure

Some patients stop at breast implant removal. If comfort and simplicity are your main goals, accepting natural shape can be a confident choice.

Combining Procedures During Explant

Combining a lift or fat grafting with breast implant removal can streamline your recovery, since you heal through one surgical window instead of two.

At the same time, it adds planning variables.

Your surgeon has to protect blood flow to the nipple, manage the implant pocket, and account for skin that may be thin or stretched. If significant capsule work is needed, staging may be safer, since swelling and tissue stress can affect lift precision and fat survival.

Recovery After Breast Implant Removal

Factors That Affect Recovery Length

Recovery speed varies, since the procedure can range from simple implant removal to more involved capsule work and reshaping. Your tissues also need time to calm down and redrape, which can shift the timeline.

• Implant placement: Under-the-muscle cases can feel tighter early on.
• Capsule work: partial or total capsulectomy can increase swelling and tenderness.
• Added reshaping: a lift or fat grafting adds healing steps and scar care.
• Skin quality: Thinner, stretched skin may take longer to settle.
• Health habits: avoiding nicotine and maintaining a steady diet can support circulation.

Emotionally, adjusting to a new silhouette can take a few months, even when you feel confident in your choice.

Breast Implant Removal Cost: What Affects It?

Breast implant removal cost varies because your quote blends the surgeon’s fee with anesthesia, operating facility charges, and the time needed for your specific case. Location, scar tissue, and the plan for capsule management can shift pricing, so averages rarely match real invoices.

Costs often rise when the case includes:

• Partial or total capsulectomy, especially in the presence of dense scarring.
• Rupture evaluation or difficult pocket anatomy.
• A breast lift to restore position.
• Fat grafting for subtle volume.

A consultation is the only way to get a precise total.

How Dr. Cassileth’s Team Helps You Understand Costs

A strong consultation should leave you clear, not guessing.

Dr. Cassileth’s team walks you through the surgical plan first, then connects it to a transparent fee breakdown, so you understand what drives the total and why.

After your evaluation, you receive a full quote, a clear explanation of what is included, and guidance on timing if staging makes sense. You can also review available financing options if you prefer monthly planning.

Before and After: What Results to Expect

Online photos can make breast implant removal look like one predictable story, but real outcomes vary. Your result depends on how your tissue has adapted and on how your skin redrapes as swelling resolves.

Key factors include:

• Implant size and placement.
• How long were they in place?
• Skin stretch and elasticity.
• Capsule thickness and pocket changes.

Some patients love the first-stage result. Others choose a lift or fat grafting later, after tissues settle, so refinement feels safer and more precise. You can see examples in our implant removal gallery.

Long-Term Benefits of Going Implant-Free

Patients often appreciate the long-term simplicity of going implant-free.

It can reduce future device-related decisions and the chance of additional implant surgery as priorities change. FDA notes that several local implant complications occur in at least 1% of patients at any time, which is why some women prefer life without implants.

Why Women Choose Dr. Cassileth for Breast Implant Removal in Beverly Hills

Patients choose Dr. Lisa Cassileth for breast implant removal in Beverly Hills because explant surgery is rarely “simple.” Scar tissue, capsule decisions, and pocket changes can affect how the breast settles, so experience with complex breast cases matters.

Her surgical background includes extensive work in advanced breast procedures, which helps her plan explant surgery with both safety and aesthetics in mind. She explains the rationale behind capsule management, staging, and shape options like lift or fat grafting, so your plan fits your anatomy rather than a generic formula.

Is Breast Implant Removal the Right Next Step for You?

Breast implant removal can be a thoughtful choice when implants no longer match your comfort, health priorities, or personal style.

Still, the right plan is personal, so it has to fit your anatomy and your goals.

A consultation can clarify what matters most. It reviews implant position, capsule management, and shape options that may help, like a lift or fat grafting. Dr. Lisa Cassileth and her team keep the process calm and personalized, helping you understand each crucial step.

Schedule a consultation to review your anatomy, your priorities, and the best path forward.

FAQs

How can I tell it’s time to discuss explant surgery?

If you notice new firmness, discomfort, shape distortion, or implant movement, it is worth discussing breast implant removal. Your surgeon reviews your implant history, exam findings, and imaging when needed, then matches a plan to your goals.

Will my breasts look flat or deflated afterward?

It’s normal to see some looseness or less fullness up top, particularly if your implants were large or you’ve had them for a long time. Your skin quality and natural breast tissue make a big difference. A lift can bring the breast back into a higher position, and after you’ve healed, fat grafting can gently soften the look and add a bit of volume.

What does recovery usually feel like?

Early days usually involve soreness, swelling, and tightness, followed by steady improvement over the weeks. Many return to desk work in about a week. Recovery can take longer if breast implant removal is combined with a lift or capsule work.

Can insurance help cover explant surgery?

Insurance often excludes elective surgery. Coverage is more likely when there is documented rupture or significant capsular contracture, and when preauthorization is required. Ask what paperwork is needed and what fees are out-of-pocket. That clarity helps you plan for breast implant removal cost with fewer surprises.

What factors change the price the most?

Pricing depends on surgical complexity and what is included in the quote. Capsule removal, rupture management, a lift, or fat grafting can increase operating time and facility fees. A consultation provides the most accurate estimate of the cost of breast implant removal.