A New Beginning

In the setting of oncologic reconstruction, patients that experience radiation damage, capsular contracture, breast implant illness, implant rupture, or any other medical necessity, undergoing another implant surgery or going flat may not be an option.

At Southwest Breast & Aesthetics in Phoenix, breast cancer patients with breast implant related complications and others who seek implant removal can choose explantation to flap reconstruction. This option allows them to remove their implants without going flat or losing breast volume and shape.

What is Explantation to Flap Reconstruction?

Explantation to Flap Reconstruction is a multi-stage surgical procedure to treat women who need to have their breast implants removed

By removing the implants (explantation) with or without capsulectomy and replacing the lost volume with their own body tissue (flap reconstruction). There are several reasons why a woman may choose explantation to flap reconstruction, including:

Capsular contracture grade 3 or 4 (oddly-shaped breast, pain, implant displacement)
Implant bottoming out (falling implant) with failed attempts to fix it
Multiple unsuccessful implant-based reconstruction attempts
Multiple implant revision surgeries without improvement
Inability to achieve symmetry with bilateral or unilateral implant-based reconstruction
Implant loss from infection or extrusion (implant is visible through wound on breast)
Severe animation deformity (displacement of the implant with arm movement)
Radiation-induced tightening and pain with implant reconstruction
Tissue compromise (from implant pressure and radiation damage)
Inability to accept your breast after implant-based reconstruction
Unhappy with the appearance and feel of the breasts
Pain in the breast after implant reconstruction
Unpleasantly cold breast after implant reconstruction
Current or previous Breast Implant Illness symptoms
Fear of developing Breast Implant-Associated Large Cell Lymphoma (BI-ALCL)

Additional Reading

In each scenario, replacing the implant with another implant may not be the best way to treat the underlying issue. Flap reconstruction uses donor tissue from another part of the body to replace some of the volume lost by the implant. Depending on the size of the implants, the procedure may not replace all the volume lost, but the surgeons at Southwest Breast & Aesthetics work with you to ensure that your results fit your needs, goals, and lifestyle.

What are the benefits of Explantation to Flap Reconstruction?

The most significant benefit of explantation to flap reconstruction is comfort. If you’re experiencing pain, brain fog, disorientation, or any of the other symptoms of breast implant illness, you are dealing with a constant impediment to your daily life. If you are suffering from capsular contracture or some of the other issues listed above, the pain can be unrelenting. Explantation to flap reconstruction provides a road map out of your painful present and into a healthier, happier future… without sacrificing your dreams of a full feminine figure.

Am I a good candidate for Explantation to Flap Reconstruction?

If you are in overall good health (aside from the issues with your implants), you are likely a good candidate for explantation to flap reconstruction. During your consultation, our board-certified plastic surgeons will review your health history and ensure you are a safe candidate for this procedure. They will go over all the risks with you and take you through each step of the surgery and recovery process, giving you plenty of space to ask questions along the way. Our Phoenix explantation to flap reconstruction surgeons know how important it is for you to have an accurate idea of what this surgery can accomplish. They want to empower you to have clear and informed expectations of life after the procedure so you can make the right decisions for your body.

Explantation to Flap Reconstruction Procedure

Explantation to flap reconstruction is a multi-stage procedure that involves crucial decisions along the way. You will work with your surgeons ahead of the procedure to determine:

If you are a good candidate for explantation
Your preferred method of explantation (ex: en bloc capsulectomy)
If you want flap reconstruction or another reconstruction method
The site for the donor flap (usually the tummy, thighs, or a combination of both)

Your surgeons will plan your procedure around these decisions. Because the procedure involves removing the implants, performing a modified tummy tuck or thigh lift to remove the tissue flap, and then implanting the flap and reconstructing the breasts, the surgery often requires several hours to complete. It will require a two night stay so your surgeon can monitor your initial recovery. Your surgeon will go over the specifics of your surgery plan so you can have everything in place before surgery.

Explantation to Flap Reconstruction Recovery

Expect recovery to take six weeks.

After explantation to flap reconstruction Phoenix patients will be referred to physical therapy to expedite your recovery. You should be able to resume strenuous activities after week six, but you and your surgeon will make that determination based on how you feel during your post-surgery check-ups.

Your post-surgery recovery from reconstruction will feel different from your implant recovery because you will also be recovering from a tummy tuck or thigh lift. The most important thing to remember is not to rush your body. Follow the post-surgery instructions you receive from Southwest Breast & Aesthetics for the best chance of a full and speedy recovery.

Explantation to Flap Reconstruction Results

While relief from breast implant related complications following explantation is not guaranteed, most women who undergo the procedure say they feel an immediate positive change following the procedure. Others report a fading of symptoms over time as they heal. If you require explantation for acute symptoms like implant extrusion or infection, you should also feel a gradual improvement as your body heals from surgery.

Explantation to Flap Reconstruction In Phoenix, Scottsdale and Chandler