Breast implant removal, also called explant surgery, takes out breast implants and, when appropriate, the surrounding scar-tissue capsule. Women choose it for health concerns, changing goals, or a wish to return to a more natural breast. Dr. Claire B. Davis, a board eligible female plastic surgeon in Asheville, listens closely and tailors each explant to the individual. Schedule a consultation to discuss your options.
Find out how explant surgery can be tailored to your health, comfort, and aesthetic goals.
Explant surgery is often more demanding than the original augmentation. Working around the implant and its capsule, close to the ribs and chest wall, calls for patience and meticulous technique to protect the surrounding tissue.
As a female plastic surgeon, Dr. Davis understands how personal the decision to remove implants can be, and she begins by hearing your concerns rather than dismissing them. She completed a six-year integrated plastic surgery residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center and has extensive experience in breast surgery.
AAAASF-accredited facility — surgery performed where safety, comfort, and privacy come first
Alpha Omega Alpha — academic distinction recognizing excellence in medicine
Breast surgery experience — UT Southwestern residency training applied to implant and capsule anatomy
Patient-centered approach — your goals, symptoms, and questions guide the surgical plan
Explant surgery removes one or both implants and addresses the capsule, the layer of scar tissue the body forms around every implant. How much of that capsule is removed depends on your anatomy, your reason for removal, and what is safe to achieve.
There are three general approaches. Standard removal takes out the implant and leaves the capsule in place. Total capsulectomy removes the implant and the capsule, though not necessarily in one piece. En bloc capsulectomy removes the implant and capsule together as a single intact unit, which some patients prefer in cases of rupture or breast implant illness concerns. En bloc removal is not possible for every patient, since a thin or fragile capsule near the ribs cannot always be taken out intact. Dr. Davis aims to remove capsule tissue as completely as the anatomy safely allows.
Patients pursue explant surgery for a range of personal, physical, and health-related reasons.
Heavier implants can contribute to neck, back, and shoulder strain. Removing them often eases that physical burden and improves day-to-day comfort for women who feel weighed down.
For patients dealing with capsular contracture, implant rupture, or symptoms they associate with breast implant illness, explant surgery removes the implant and, when appropriate, the capsule that may be contributing to those concerns.
Many women simply want to return to a softer, more natural breast that suits their current life and body. Explant surgery is a step toward that goal, shaped around each patient’s anatomy.
Whether the motivation is health or preference, many patients describe feeling more at ease in their bodies afterward. Individual results vary with tissue quality, implant size, and skin elasticity.
Explant surgery suits women who are ready to remove their implants for health, comfort, or aesthetic reasons. A consultation with Dr. Davis confirms the right approach for your anatomy and goals.
You may be a good candidate if you:
A personal consultation determines candidacy and lets Dr. Davis review your implants, symptoms, and any imaging needed.
Explant surgery is performed under general anesthesia and follows a careful sequence from planning through closure.
Consultation & Surgical Planning — Dr. Davis evaluates your implants, symptoms, and breast tissue, reviews your medical history and any imaging, discusses standard removal, total capsulectomy, or en bloc capsulectomy, and develops a surgical plan suited to your anatomy and goals.
Anesthesia Administration — General anesthesia is administered by credentialed anesthesia providers with continuous monitoring throughout the procedure for your safety and comfort, in Dr. Davis’s AAAASF-accredited facility.
Strategic Incision Placement — Where possible, Dr. Davis works through the existing augmentation scar to limit new scarring. A capsulectomy may require a slightly longer incision to remove the capsule without tearing it.
Implant and Capsule Removal — The implant is removed, and depending on your plan, the capsule is removed separately or, when the tissue allows, intact around the implant. Dr. Davis works meticulously to protect the chest wall and surrounding tissue.
Tissue Assessment and Reshaping — Dr. Davis evaluates the breast pocket and remaining tissue. If you have chosen a complementary procedure such as a lift or fat transfer, or a flat closure, it is addressed at this stage.
Advanced Closure Technique — Layered closure with advanced suturing supports healing and a refined scar. Drains are typically placed to manage fluid after capsule work, and dressings and a supportive garment are applied.
Recovery from explant surgery unfolds over several months. Because capsule removal involves more tissue work than a simple exchange, some soreness, swelling, and bruising are a normal part of healing.
Expect soreness, swelling, and tightness in the chest, managed with prescribed medication. Rest is essential, and any drains and dressings are monitored closely. A supportive garment helps cushion the area.
Drains, when placed, are often removed during this period. Many patients arrange help at home and limit arm and chest movement. Return to desk work varies, and Dr. Davis advises on a timeline suited to your procedure.
Swelling and bruising steadily subside, and comfort improves. The supportive garment is still worn, and strenuous activity, lifting, and overhead movement remain restricted as the chest continues to heal.
Fuller activity typically resumes around six weeks, once Dr. Davis clears you. The breasts settle and soften over three to six months as swelling resolves and scars mature. Follow-up visits confirm healing, and individual results vary.
For many women, removing implants is as significant a decision as placing them. Dr. Davis meets that decision with patience and respect, building a surgical plan around your symptoms, your anatomy, and the natural-looking result you hope to reach.
Explant surgery performed by a board eligible plastic surgeon in an AAAASF-accredited facility brings careful technique to the implant, the capsule, and the tissue left behind. From your first consultation, Dr. Davis focuses on a safe, honest, and individualized outcome.
Explant surgery cost varies based on whether a capsulectomy is performed, whether one or both implants are removed, and your individualized surgical plan. Dr. Davis provides a personalized quote during your consultation. Insurance may contribute when removal is medically necessary, such as for rupture or capsular contracture.
As with any surgery, explant risks include bleeding, infection, scarring, fluid accumulation (seroma), changes in sensation, and skin or volume changes in the breast. Capsule removal can add soreness and bleeding risk. Dr. Davis reduces risk through careful technique in an AAAASF-accredited facility and reviews these considerations during your consultation.
Not every patient is a candidate for en bloc capsulectomy. When a capsule is thin or fragile, or sits close to the ribs, it cannot always be removed intact without added risk. Dr. Davis assesses your anatomy and works to remove capsule tissue as completely as is safely possible.
Explant surgery is often paired with procedures that restore shape after the implant is gone. Dr. Davis can discuss combinations during your consultation.
Pairing removal with a breast lift tightens and reshapes the remaining tissue, helping address skin laxity once the implant is removed.
Some patients choose breast augmentation with new implants, exchanging older implants for an updated shape, size, or material.
For complex cases, revision breast surgery addresses concerns such as capsular contracture or implant malposition alongside removal.
A consultation helps Dr. Davis sequence any combination safely around your goals.
Breast appearance after removal depends on your original tissue, implant size, and skin elasticity. Some women are satisfied with the result alone, while others choose a lift or fat transfer to restore shape. Individual results vary, and Dr. Davis reviews realistic expectations during your consultation.
Breast
Body
Face
