Breast Implant Removal in Miami
Breast implants are not lifetime devices. Most women who have them will have at least one more breast operation, whether to replace implants that have reached the end of their life, to treat a rupture or a hard capsule, to change size, or simply because they no longer want implants. Breast implant removal is that operation, and it ends in one of three ways: no implant, a new implant, or a lift to reshape the breast without one. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Moises Salama performs implant removal, total capsulectomy, exchange and removal with lift at Elite Plastic Surgery in Hollywood, serving Miami, for patients whose implants were placed here or anywhere else.
Breast implant removal at a glance
- Also called
- Explant surgery, explantation, implant removal
- Options
- Removal only · removal with breast lift · exchange for new implants
- Capsule
- Left, partly removed or removed in full (total capsulectomy) depending on its condition
- Incision
- The original augmentation scar whenever possible
- Anesthesia / time
- General, outpatient; about 1–2 hours (longer with a lift or capsulectomy)
- Recovery
- Desk work ~1 week; strenuous activity after ~1 month; final shape ~6 months
- Not offered
- Fat transfer to the breast
- Surgeon
- Dr. Moises Salama, thousands of breast implant surgeries
Reasons to Remove Breast Implants
| Reason | What is going on | What Dr. Salama usually recommends |
|---|---|---|
| Rupture | Saline implants deflate visibly; silicone implants usually rupture silently inside the capsule and are found on ultrasound or MRI | Removal of the implant and, for silicone, the capsule with the gel; exchange if you want implants |
| Capsular contracture | The scar capsule tightens and the breast becomes firm, high or painful | Total capsulectomy with a new implant in a fresh pocket, or removal without replacement; see capsular contracture |
| Malposition | Implants have dropped, drifted outward or joined in the middle (symmastia) | Pocket repair with exchange, or removal with a lift |
| Size or shape no longer right | Implants too large, or the breast has changed with pregnancy, weight or age | Exchange for a different size, often with a lift; or removal with a lift |
| End of implant life | Older implants, especially past 10–15 years, have a rising rupture rate | Exchange, or removal if you are done with implants |
| Recalled implants | Certain textured implants were recalled; the FDA does not recommend removing them without symptoms | Discussion of your individual risk; removal and exchange if you choose |
| Health concerns or preference | You feel better without them, or simply no longer want them | Removal, with or without a lift; the capsule removed when indicated |
Video: Dr. Salama on the reasons patients choose implant removal.
Your Three Options
Medical illustrations, simplified and not to scale.
1. Removal only
The implants come out through the original scar and the breast is closed. This suits women with good skin tone, modest implants and a nipple that still sits above the fold. The breast looks deflated for the first weeks and settles over three to six months into a smaller, natural shape.
2. Removal with a breast lift
When the implants were large, the skin is stretched or the nipple has dropped, removal alone leaves a loose, low breast. A lift at the same time removes the excess skin, reshapes the remaining tissue and raises the nipple, giving a smaller but shapely breast without an implant. It adds the scars of a lift, which fade over 12–18 months.
3. Exchange for new implants
The old implants are replaced with new ones, in the same size, smaller or larger, saline or silicone gel, often with a lift if the breast has dropped. When the reason is capsular contracture, the capsule is removed in full and the new implant is placed in a fresh pocket. See breast implant exchange.
Not offered: Dr. Salama does not perform fat transfer to the breast, so volume after removal comes from a lift that reshapes your own tissue, or from a new implant.
Video: Dr. Salama on combining implant removal with a breast lift.
What Happens to the Capsule
Every implant sits inside a scar capsule the body forms around it. What is done with it depends on its condition.
- Thin, soft capsule around an intact implant: may be left in place or partly removed; the body absorbs a thin capsule over time.
- Thick, contracted or calcified capsule: removed in full (total capsulectomy), because leaving it causes firmness, fluid collection and recurrence if a new implant is placed.
- Capsule around a ruptured silicone implant: removed in full together with the gel.
- Any capsule that needs examination: removed and sent for pathology; fluid around an implant is tested when indicated.
Dr. Salama performs total capsulectomy, removing the entire capsule after the implant is taken out. The term “en bloc,” in which the capsule is removed with the implant still sealed inside, is reserved for the specific situations that require it and is not how routine removal is described.
How the Surgery Is Performed
- Consultation. Dr. Salama examines your breasts, reviews your implant card and operative report if available, orders an ultrasound or MRI when rupture or fluid is suspected, and shows you what each option would look like on your anatomy.
- Anesthesia. General anesthesia by a board-certified anesthesia provider in the practice’s state-certified surgical facility; you go home the same day.
- Incision. Through the original scar in the fold or around the areola; a lift uses the lift pattern.
- Removal. The implant is removed through an opening in the capsule, or the capsule is dissected free and removed in full when indicated.
- Reshaping or replacement. A lift reshapes the tissue and raises the nipple; or a new implant is placed, usually in a fresh pocket.
- Closing. Layered closure with dissolving sutures, a small drain for a few days when a large capsule was removed, and a support bra.
Removal alone takes about an hour; with a capsulectomy, a lift or new implants, about two to three hours.
Results From the Gallery
These patients from Dr. Salama’s gallery had their old implants removed and replaced, with a lift where the breast had dropped.
See breast revision cases → · Breast lift with implants cases →
Who Is a Candidate?
- You have breast implants and want them removed, replaced or reshaped for any of the reasons above.
- You are in good health, at a stable weight and do not smoke, or will stop for a month before and after surgery.
- You have realistic expectations: a breast without an implant will be smaller than it was, and stretched skin needs a lift for the best shape.
- Your implants were placed elsewhere: bring your implant card and operative report if you have them; if you do not, Dr. Salama works from the examination and imaging.
Recovery After Breast Implant Removal
| Time after surgery | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Days 1–7 | Soreness and tightness, usually less than after the original augmentation. Support bra day and night. Drain out within a few days if one was placed. Sleep on your back, elevated. |
| Week 2 | Desk work. Shower from 48 hours. Light household activity; no lifting over 10 lb. |
| Weeks 3–4 | Swelling falls. Walking for exercise. No upper-body training or heavy lifting for about a month (six weeks with a lift or new implants). |
| Weeks 6–12 | Cleared for exercise. Regular bras. Scar care continues. |
| Months 3–6 | Skin retracts and the breast settles into its final shape; scars fade over 6–18 months. |
Call the office the same day for fever, spreading redness or discharge at an incision, one side suddenly larger or more painful, calf pain or shortness of breath. Detailed recovery instructions for implant surgery are in the breast augmentation recovery guide and, for a lift, the breast lift recovery guide.
Risks and How They’re Managed
Bleeding or a blood collection (a drain when needed), infection, fluid collection after capsulectomy, loose or sagging skin after removal without a lift (prevented by planning a lift when the skin needs it), asymmetry, changes in nipple sensation, scarring from a lift, a rare pneumothorax risk during removal of a capsule stuck to the ribs, and anesthesia risks. They are reduced by careful planning, board-certified anesthesia in a state-certified facility, layered closure and close follow-up with Dr. Salama himself.
How Much Does Breast Implant Removal Cost in Miami?
The price depends on what the surgery includes, so Dr. Salama gives you a written quote after the consultation that lists the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, the facility, any implants and post-operative care.
What changes the price
- Removal alone is the simplest and least costly option.
- Total capsulectomy adds surgical time, and pathology when needed.
- A lift adds the cost of a breast lift.
- New implants add the implant cost; manufacturer warranties sometimes supply replacements for rupture or contracture.
- Insurance occasionally covers removal for documented medical reasons; our team provides the paperwork.
Financing through CareCredit, United Medical Credit and Alphaeon Credit is available; see financing.
Why Patients Choose Dr. Salama
Patient reviews: 4.9★ on Google, 748 reviews for Elite Plastic Surgery · 4.7★ on RealSelf, 2,561 reviews (RealSelf Verified) · counts as of October 2026.
- Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery; member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The Aesthetic Society.
- Surgery in the practice’s own state-certified facility in Hollywood, Florida, minutes from Miami, with board-certified anesthesia providers.
- An honest opinion about which option fits your anatomy, including when removal alone will not give the shape you want.
- Bilingual team: hablamos español.
Thinking About Removing or Replacing Your Implants?
Book a virtual consultation from home, or call or text (305) 933-4033. Hablamos español.
Breast Implant Removal Frequently Asked Questions
What is breast implant removal?
Surgery to take out breast implants placed in an earlier augmentation or reconstruction. The implants come out through the original incision; the surrounding scar capsule is removed in full when it is thick, contracted or needs to be examined; and the surgery ends with no implant, a new implant, or a breast lift, depending on what you and Dr. Salama decide.
Why do people have their breast implants removed?
The common reasons are a ruptured implant, capsular contracture (a hard, tight capsule), implants that are too large or have shifted, changes in the breast after pregnancy, weight change or age, implants that have reached the end of their expected life, a wish to be smaller or implant-free, and concerns about their health or about a recalled implant. Many patients simply no longer want them, which is reason enough.
Is breast implant removal (explant) a common procedure?
Yes. Implant removal and revision are among the most common breast operations in the United States, because implants are not lifetime devices and most women with implants will have at least one more breast surgery over their lives.
Should the capsule be removed with the implants?
Not always. A thin, soft capsule around a healthy implant can be left or partly removed. A thick, contracted or calcified capsule, a capsule around a ruptured silicone implant, or any capsule that needs pathology is removed in full (total capsulectomy). Dr. Salama recommends what your capsule needs at the consultation and confirms it during surgery.
What is the difference between a total capsulectomy and an en bloc capsulectomy?
Both remove the entire capsule. In a total capsulectomy the implant is removed first and the capsule is then taken out completely; in an en bloc capsulectomy the capsule is removed with the implant still sealed inside it. En bloc is reserved for cases where the capsule must not be opened, such as suspected breast implant-associated ALCL. Dr. Salama performs total capsulectomy and does not describe it as en bloc. See the capsular contracture page.
What will my breasts look like after implant removal without replacement?
Smaller than before the augmentation in many cases, because the breast tissue was stretched and sometimes thinned by the implant. Right after surgery the breast looks deflated and loose; over three to six months the skin retracts and the tissue settles. Patients with good skin tone and smaller implants retract well. Patients with larger implants, stretched skin or a low nipple usually need a lift for a good shape, which can be done at the same time or a few months later.
Do I need a breast lift with implant removal?
If your nipple sits at or below the breast fold, your skin is stretched or you had large implants, a lift at the same time gives a far better result than removal alone. If your skin is tight and the implants were modest, removal alone may be enough. Dr. Salama shows you where you fall at the consultation.
Can I replace my implants with fat transfer?
Dr. Salama does not perform fat transfer to the breast. The options after removal are no implant, removal with a lift, or a new implant of the size you prefer.
Can I get new implants during the same surgery?
Yes. An implant exchange replaces the old implants with new ones, in the same size, smaller or larger, saline or silicone, often with a lift if the breast has dropped. Exchange for capsular contracture also includes total capsulectomy and usually a fresh pocket.
What happens if an implant has ruptured?
A ruptured saline implant deflates and is simply removed; the saline is absorbed harmlessly. A ruptured silicone implant usually stays inside its capsule (a silent rupture found on MRI or ultrasound); the implant and the capsule are removed together with the gel. The FDA recommends periodic ultrasound or MRI screening of silicone implants, and any rupture should be removed.
Is breast implant removal painful?
It is usually easier than the original augmentation, especially when the implants sat above the muscle and no capsule is removed. Removal of a thick capsule from the chest wall or placement of a new implant under the muscle adds soreness for the first week. Prescription medication covers the first days.
How long is recovery after breast implant removal?
Desk work in about a week, driving once off prescription medication, a support bra for four to six weeks, no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for about a month (six weeks if a lift or new implants were added), and the final shape at about six months as the skin settles. A drain is sometimes used for a few days after a capsulectomy.
Will I have new scars?
Dr. Salama uses the original incision whenever possible, so removal alone adds no new scar. A lift adds the scars of a breast lift (around the areola, and usually a vertical line to the fold), which fade over 12 to 18 months.
Can implant removal be covered by insurance?
Sometimes, when there is a documented medical reason such as a ruptured implant, severe capsular contracture, or removal after reconstruction. Our team can provide the documentation to ask your insurer. Removal for personal preference is cosmetic and self-pay.
How much does breast implant removal cost in Miami?
The price depends on whether the capsule is removed, whether a lift or new implants are added, and whether a drain or pathology is needed. After your consultation you receive a written quote from Elite Plastic Surgery listing the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, the facility, any implants and post-operative care. Financing is available.
Why choose Dr. Salama for breast implant removal?
Dr. Moises Salama has performed thousands of breast implant surgeries over more than two decades, including removals, exchanges, capsulectomies and lifts after removal, and performs every operation himself in the practice’s state-certified facility. Patients whose implants were placed elsewhere are welcome; bring your implant card and operative report if you have them.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Breast implants: risks, screening recommendations and recalls.
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Breast implant removal.
- Elite Plastic Surgery breast revision gallery.