Breast Implant Removal Beverly Hills

Implant Rupture: A ruptured implant must be removed. Silicone ruptures can be ‘silent’ as the gel is engineered to remain in place (Cohesive, or highly cohesive silicone gel). In fact, there may be no symptoms at all. These may be detected during routine mammograms or ultrasounds but the most sensitive imaging study to evaluate breast implants is an MRI. It is recommended that women with silicone breast implants have an MRI routinely to detect these types of ruptures. Saline implant ruptures are usually noticeable to the patient, as the device commonly deflates causing the breast to become noticeably smaller. Implants can rupture due to age-related mechanical injury, car accidents, mammograms or from being nicked by surgical instruments when undergoing a breast biopsy.

Breast Implant Illness: In recent years, there has been heightened attention to a non-specific disease labeled as “breast implant illness,” by many patients. This is not an actual medical diagnosis, and does vary between women most likely due to genetic factors.

This likely explains the very low incidence. This may encompass many diverse and unrelated systemic illnesses, in particular, illnesses that are commonly classified as auto-immune. Although there is no clear evidence that breast implants cause any of these disease processes, many patients have difficulty moving past the association. Further, there is some thought that these symptoms may be associated with colonization of the implant with some type of bacteria, which may set up a sub-clinical infection of the implant space. In the course of treating patients, symptoms such as: numbness and tingling of the breast and extremities, headaches, malaise, feeling like they are in a ‘fog,’ memory difficulties, fertility issues, insomnia, muscle aches, joint pains, and breast pain have been described by patients. Most patients who present with these types of issues (usually after a long and comprehensive evaluation by their primary care doctor that rules out other more likely and serious illnesses) often request to have their implants removed. They also commonly request to have their breast capsules removed at the same time. Many patients report improvement in their symptoms following surgery for removal, though this is not universal.

BIA-ALCL: This is an extremely rare entity that has been classified as a T-cell lymphoma that occurs adjacent to breast implants. The exact cause is unclear. In recent studies, although the absolute number of cases is very low, BIA-ALCL has been found more commonly in patients who have had textured implants placed. Texturing of implants does vary depending on the manufacturer, and many of the cases associated with textured implants occurred predominantly with those devices made by one particular company (Dr. Brenner does not use implants from that company). However, some cases have occurred in women with smooth implants as well, both with silicone and saline devices. This entity most commonly presents as a late seroma (fluid collection) around the implant. Appropriate treatment includes removal of the implants, fluid and breast capsules.

Malposition: The Breast implants may have shifted (breast implant malposition) and are now located in an area which is uncomfortable, such as the armpit. Or they may have shifted into a position that is unattractive (i.e. bottoming out, also known as inferior malposition).

During your consultations with Dr. Brenner, he will offer alternatives to implants if reinserting them is not an option. In some cases it is not possible for medical reasons. The important thing to remember, is that Dr. Brenner has extensive experience and success in restoring a normal, natural appearance to breasts following changes resulting from pregnancy, natural aging, as well as myriad post-surgical issues as demonstrated above.