The decision to have implants removed is extremely personal and requires both physical and emotional preparation to achieve optimal outcomes.  Having implants removed will undoubtedly change the look and feel of the breasts shape which can be disconcerting, especially for women who have long enjoyed the results from their breast augmentation surgery. Fortunately, there are options available for women who no longer want implants but still want to maintain beautiful feminine breasts. The purpose of this blog is to help you understand your options and what to expect from surgery so that you can confidently move forward with your decision to have your breast implants removed by a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Fat transfer to the breasts, or fat grafting, can replace some of the breast volume lost during implant removal. This procedure uses a patient’s own fat to add volume, shape, and contour to the breasts, without the need for saline or silicone breast implants. When performed in conjunction with implant removal surgery, fat grafting can be an ideal solution to enhance volume and curves with natural tissue.

Why Do Women Choose to Remove Their Breast Implants?

When you first got breast implants, you likely thought you’d want them for a lifetime, but perhaps things have changed. Most of the time, our breast augmentation patients are delighted by their results for many years before they ever consider making a change. If you’ve enjoyed your implants, but find they are no longer enhancing your life or aren’t complementing your current body aesthetics, you may be contemplating your options for having them removed. 

Our patients choose breast implant removal for many reasons including:

• Lifestyle Changes- You’ve loved your implants for years but find they no longer align with your lifestyle.
• Breast Implant Complications- Some women choose to remove their breast implants after complications like capsular contracture. 
• The Desire for a More Natural Look- Techniques that are used today in breast augmentation produce a natural-looking outcome. If you had your implants placed a while ago, your surgeon may have used older techniques that might have left you with a less subtle look. Also, implant technology itself has improved, providing a more natural look. 

If you’re considering removing your implants, we’d love to talk through your options with you. We can help you mitigate shape changes and volume loss after breast implant removal. Or, if you want updated implants, we can walk you through the breast implant revision or implant exchange process.

What Size Breasts Can I Achieve with Fat Transfer?

Using breast implants, you can achieve a wide range of outcomes from restoring subtle volume to the upper pole of the breasts following pregnancy and breast feeding to a more dramatic increase in cup size and projection and everything in between. For patients looking to improve the appearance of their breasts without implants, a fat transfer can add small to moderate amounts of volume to the breasts. Often, women find this modest volume achieves their ideal, natural look. 

The size and shape you can achieve using fat instead of breast implants is in large part dependent upon anatomy. Women with naturally abundant breast tissue can typically achieve a larger breast size using this procedure. The amount of extra fat you have available will also impact the final size of your new breasts. Very thin women generally have less fat available for fat transfer. 

Fat transfer breast augmentation is occasionally completed in stages, especially when patients desire a significant size increase. We may need to perform multiple fat transfers, spaced a few months apart. For some women, other surgeries, like a breast lift, may be needed to ensure a good aesthetic result. 

During your consultation, we will collaborate with you to develop a precise surgical plan that will help you to meet your aesthetic goals.

What Maintenance Is Needed After Fat Transfer?

One reason that women love fat transfer to the breasts is that they don’t have to worry about “maintenance.” Once you’ve recovered from surgery and the cells re-establish in their new location, no additional care or maintenance is needed, and your fat transfer will last a lifetime. Unlike breast implants that may require removal or replacement, fat transfer offers long-lasting results without the need for additional surgery.

Unlike augmentation with the use of an implants, fat grafting to the breasts can be permanent and does not necessitate future surgical intervention.  However; since the size of your fat cells can fluctuate with weight changes, we recommend that you maintain a stable weight.

Thinking about implant removal with fat graftings? Call our office at 805-682-1731 to ask your questions or schedule a consultation and learn more about your options.