Home | Procedures | Breast | Breast Implant Removal
On This Page
- What is Explant Surgery?
- Reasons Patients Choose Breast Implant Removal
- Your Breast Implant Removal Options
- Am I a Good Candidate?
- What to Expect During Your Consultation
- The Explant Procedure
- Recovery After Breast Implant Removal
- Why Choose Dr. Rivela for Explant Surgery?
- Schedule Your Breast Implant Removal Consultation in The Woodlands
- Frequently Asked Questions
Breast implants are not designed to last a lifetime, and the goals you had at 25 may not be the goals you have at 45. Whether you are dealing with a complication, you no longer want the size or feel of your implants, or you simply want to return to a more natural look, breast implant removal can help you feel comfortable in your body again.
At Rivela Plastic Surgery in The Woodlands, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Lucian Rivela performs explant surgery with the same attention to detail he brings to every breast procedure. His focus is on removing your implants safely while preserving the best possible shape, symmetry, and skin quality.
What is Explant Surgery?
Explant surgery is the surgical removal of breast implants. Depending on your anatomy and your reasons for removing them, Dr. Rivela may also remove some or all of the scar tissue capsule that naturally forms around each implant.
Every explant is planned individually. Some patients want their implants removed and nothing more. Others want to address the loose skin, deflation, or sagging that can follow removal. Dr. Rivela will walk you through what your breasts are likely to look like afterward so there are no surprises.
Reasons Patients Choose Breast Implant Removal
There is no wrong reason to want your implants out. The most common reasons patients in The Woodlands and Spring come to Dr. Rivela include:
- Capsular contracture, where hardened scar tissue tightens around the implant and causes firmness, distortion, or discomfort
- A ruptured or leaking implant, whether saline or silicone
- Implants that have shifted, dropped, or become noticeably asymmetric over time
- Rippling, palpability, or a look and feel that no longer seems natural
- Changes in body shape after pregnancy, weight loss, or menopause
- A desire for smaller, lighter breasts and less strain on the back, neck, and shoulders
- Symptoms a patient associates with breast implant illness
- Simply wanting to age without implants
If you are experiencing pain, a change in breast shape, or a sudden change in size, schedule an evaluation rather than waiting for your next annual exam.
Your Breast Implant Removal Options
Implant Removal Alone
The implants are removed through an incision usually placed along the existing scar. This is the simplest version of the procedure and works well for patients with good skin elasticity, smaller implants, or minimal breast sagging.
Implant Removal with Capsulectomy
The scar tissue capsule is removed along with the implant. Dr. Rivela may recommend a partial or total capsulectomy when the capsule is thickened, calcified, contracted, or when an implant has ruptured. In select cases, the implant and the capsule are removed together as one unit, an approach often referred to as en bloc removal.
Implant Removal with a Breast Lift
Removing an implant leaves behind the skin envelope that was holding it. For many patients, especially those who have had larger implants or several years of stretching, combining explant surgery with a breast lift produces a much better contour. The lift tightens the skin and repositions the nipple for a perkier, more youthful shape without implants.
Implant Exchange or Downsizing
Some patients do not want to give up volume entirely. If that describes you, Dr. Rivela can replace your current implants with a smaller or different style implant. Learn more about your options on our breast augmentation page.
Am I a Good Candidate?
You may be a good candidate for breast implant removal in The Woodlands if you are in good general health, you are a nonsmoker or are willing to stop before surgery, and you have realistic expectations about how your breasts will look without implants.
Realistic expectations matter here more than with almost any other breast procedure. Breast tissue thins with age, pregnancy, and time under an implant, so the breasts will not simply return to how they looked before your augmentation. Dr. Rivela uses Vectra 3D imaging and honest conversation to help you picture your likely result before you commit to anything.
What to Expect During Your Consultation
Your consultation begins with your history. Dr. Rivela will ask when your implants were placed, what type and size they are, whether you have had any complications, and what is driving your decision now. He will examine your breasts, assess your skin quality and nipple position, and review any imaging you have had.
From there, he will explain which technique fits your anatomy, whether a lift or fat transfer would improve your outcome, and what recovery will realistically look like. You will leave with a clear surgical plan and a cost estimate. Our team can also review financing options with you.
MEET DR. RIVELA
With over 25 years of experience, Lucian J. Rivela M. D., F. A. C. S. is proud to offer some of the most innovative procedures available in cosmetic and plastic surgery, aesthetic treatments, and skincare. Dr. Rivela is board certified and is a member of both The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He and his staff are dedicated to helping you be your best confident, natural, and authentic self.
LEARN MORE
The Explant Procedure
Breast implant removal is performed on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. Most cases take between one and three hours depending on whether a capsulectomy, lift, or exchange is included.
Dr. Rivela typically works through your original incision when possible, which avoids adding new scars. The implants and any planned capsule tissue are removed, the pocket is closed, and the breast is reshaped as discussed. If a lift is part of your plan, that is completed during the same operation. You will go home the same day with a supportive surgical bra.
Recovery After Breast Implant Removal
Expect soreness, swelling, and bruising for the first week. Most patients describe recovery from a straightforward explant as easier than their original augmentation, though adding a capsulectomy or lift extends it somewhat.
Most people return to desk work within one week and resume light activity soon after. Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting are usually restricted for four to six weeks. Your surgical bra supports healing and helps control swelling, so wear it exactly as directed. Final shape continues to refine over three to six months as swelling resolves and tissues settle.
Why Choose Dr. Rivela for Explant Surgery?
Dr. Lucian J. Rivela, M.D., F.A.C.S. is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has served The Woodlands and Spring since 1998. He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The Aesthetic Society, and he has been voted Best Plastic Surgeon by Woodlandsonline.com every year since 2010.
Revision and removal work rewards experience. Scar tissue, thinned skin, and prior surgical planes all require judgment that comes from decades of breast surgery. Dr. Rivela and his team also understand that explant patients often arrive frustrated or anxious, and they will listen without pressure. Hablamos Español.
See real patient outcomes in our before-and-after gallery.
Schedule Your Breast Implant Removal Consultation in The Woodlands
If you are considering breast implant removal, the best next step is a conversation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who will give you a straight answer about your options.
Call Rivela Plastic Surgery or submit our contact form to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rivela. Our office is located at 9191 Pinecroft Drive, Suite 150, The Woodlands, TX 77380, serving patients throughout Spring, Conroe, Magnolia, and the greater Houston area.
