Last year, nearly 24,000 women—most between the ages of 30 and 54—decided to remove their breast implants. In San Diego, as in the rest of the US, tastes and lifestyles are changing. Women are fitter than ever, and large breast implants can interfere with some types of exercise or may begin to look unproportional after weight loss.
Each woman chooses to undergo explant surgery for her own unique reasons. Whether you are inspired by celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Sharon Osbourne (both who have been open about their implant removal) or are among the small number of patients who experience breast implant complications—Dr. Sayed can help.
Read on to learn more about the top 5 reasons women are choosing to change their breast contour. If you have any further questions, please give us a call at 1-858-247-2933 today.
1. “My Implants No Longer Fit My Lifestyle”
Many of our patients who choose to remove their breast implants do so to better fit their lifestyles. Over the years, your body, routine, and activities change.
At the gym or on the track, large implants can cause discomfort during cardiovascular workouts or upper body toning. Often, women who have had their implants for several years may be due for a replacement surgery anyway and choose to remove them.
In some cases, older women feel their implants have “done their job” and no longer wish to have them as they enter a different phase of life. Whatever the case may be, we are here to help you feel at home and in love with your body.
2. Ease Neck and Back Pain
Large fake breasts may also cause shoulder, neck, and back troubles (just as in women with naturally large breasts who can face persistent pain). The larger your implants, the more your center of gravity is affected. In some cases, this can lead to an undue force exerted on your spine. After menopause, these symptoms can become even more pronounced as your weight fluctuates due to hormonal changes.
3. Avoid Future Corrections, Deflation or Rupture
Implants are not designed to last a lifetime. The longer you have them, the likelihood of needing additional surgeries to replace or remove implants increases. Some San Diego women choose to remove their implants rather than take on additional surgeries (and their associated costs and recovery times) down the line.
A small number of patients (10 to 20 percent) may experience rupture or deflation and choose to remove their implants. Though rare, another concern some women face is capsular contracture.
Though industry changes and modern techniques have considerably lowered the risk, some patients will still develop this condition, even as long as several years after the surgery. Capsular contracture is characterized by stiffening of scar tissue, which can lead to pain or in extreme cases, hard, misshapen breasts.
Implant removal is a solution to any of these complications and a guaranteed means of avoiding them in the future.
4. Ensure Mammogram Accuracy
Some patients choose explant surgery due to the small but very real chance of implants complicating the accuracy of future mammograms. Especially for women with implants placed on top of the chest muscle, technicians can face slightly more difficulty in ensuring a simple mammography process. Some patients may need additional films.
For some of our patients, this slight chance of experiencing mammogram complications is a health risk they don’t want to take. This can be especially true for patients with a family history of breast cancer.
5. “It’s Time to Do Something For Me”
Finally, women may just decide they want a change of breast shape or size. Over time, as our bodies change, so do our opinions and preferences. Patients may want to “do something for themselves,” and may feel encouraged by the wave of body positivity we’ve seen as a country over the last few years. Some say returning to their natural breast size increases their confidence and comfort in their skin.
Schedule a Consultation
What’s most important is to do what makes you content and comfortable. If you think implant removal may be right for you or want to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sayed, please call our San Diego, CA, office at 1-858-247-2933, or contact us here.
