Choosing the right Doctor to perform your breast implant removal procedure can be a challenging task. In many cases, a breast implant removal surgery may turn out to be a more complex procedure compared to the original breast augmentation. Therefore, you should ideally choose a surgeon who has the requisite skills and experience to perform implant removal.
Dr. Lauren Greenberg, board-certified Plastic surgeon and a member of both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, reveals what to look for when selecting a breast implant removal surgeon, including board certifications and memberships, experience, and skill set, techniques offered, and more.
Since the FDA’s 2019 recall of certain textured breast implants linked to breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), the aesthetic surgery industry has seen a rise in the number of breast implant removal procedures both requested and performed. While alarm over BIA-ALCL is certainly partially responsible for this uptick as of late, Palo Alto plastic surgeon Lauren Greenberg, MD notes that breast implant removal—also referred to as explantation or explant surgery—has long been a staple in plastic surgery. In fact, she says it has been a focus of her practice for many years.
Dr. Greenberg explains breast explantation is performed for a variety of different reasons, including a desire to switch to a different implant type or style, increase or decrease implant size, address an implant leak or capsular contracture, or simply to no longer have breast implants. In addition, some patients seek breast implant removal because they are worried their implants are making them sick.
Regardless of why a woman is pursuing explant surgery, Dr. Greenberg stresses the importance of selecting the right treatment provider: “This is a surgery where you want a plastic surgeon who does a lot of revision breast surgery. Many of these cases are challenging. You want an expert.”
- With this in mind, Dr. Greenberg emphasizes that you first need to verify that the doctor is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), as this distinction signifies they have undergone extensive training and assessments beyond minimal plastic surgeon requirements, as well as continually uphold high standards of excellence.
- Once you made sure that the surgeon is board-certified, then you need to look for affiliation with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), both of which are elite plastic surgery organizations that have several ongoing requirements in order for physicians to maintain membership status.
- You then need to verify the expertise and the experience the surgeon has with the procedure you want to undergo. You can do that by finding out how long they have been performing explantation, approximately how many cases they have successfully completed, and asking to view before-and-after photos of their previous patients.
- Ensure the doctor removes the capsule that surrounds breast implants—including the en bloc capsulectomy method. Know the best result may involve doing a breast lift at the same time. Dr. Greenberg prefers the shorter scar vertical breast lift, so patients do not have the long scar under the breast.
- Confirm that the physician’s “aesthetic” matches one’s personal cosmetic preferences, as not everyone has the same opinion in regard to beauty.
- Make sure there is two-way communication, a strong rapport, and an overall feeling of comfort and confidence, all of which is critical to an optimal treatment experience and achieving one’s desired results.
- Discover what others have to say about the surgeon by reading reviews and testimonials, as well as asking if any of their former patients are willing to be contacted to speak about their experience.
Ultimately, Dr. Greenberg says if anything feels off with a particular doctor—even if all else checks out—simply continue the search. “Selecting the right surgeon for breast implant removal is vital to receiving exceptional care and attaining the best outcome possible, and only when you are entirely happy and confident in your choice should you move forward with treatment.”
Dr. Lauren Greenberg offers a complete span of cosmetic surgical procedures for the breasts, face, and body—including breast implant removal, breast reduction, mastopexy, abdominoplasty, blepharoplasty, fat grafting, and more.
If you’re considering performing a plastic surgery procedure, kindly visit her website and facebook.com/laurengreenbergmd.
Dr. Greenberg is available for interview upon request.
