There are situations in which women may feel that they have arrived at a point in their life where they no longer want to have their breast implants. But for many of these women, they dread the idea of going back to surgery, with the operating room costs, not to mention the time it takes to recover from the effects of general anesthesia and the added expense for that as well. But there are conditions in which breast implants may be removed in the office under just local anesthesia!
Dr. Corey has been very successful in removing implants in an office setting with the patients experiencing almost no pain, and feeling good enough to walk out the door afterwards. There are some conditions that apply and it is not for everyone.
First of all, Dr. Corey insists that they be saline implants. These do not require a big incision and in most cases are deflated during the procedure to aid in a comfortable removal. Silicone implants can be a bit more stubborn to remove and there is always the chance that an undetected rupture could be found and this requires a bit more effort and treatment at the time of surgery to make sure that no silicone filler from the implant is left behind.
Second of all, the thinner the patient’s breast tissue is and the closer the implant is to the surface, the easier it is for office removal. Should there be too much native breast tissue overlaying the implant, it may be difficult to comfortably get to the capsule that holds the implant inside. The ideal patient has a thin covering of tissue at the bottom of her breast, which can be thoroughly anesthetized, and the implant can be easily felt and removed. A few sutures are placed and with a bandage and a snug wrap, she is on her way!