Breast Implant Removal

Implant Removal in Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa. Dr. Doumit is a world-renowned plastic surgeon with a great reputation in breast surgery. Dr. Doumit is known to produce natural, pleasing aesthetic results with the least possible scars. Dr. Doumit has authored a scientific article on breast implant removal in the Canadian Journal of Plastic Surgery. In addition, Dr. Doumit is double board-certified in plastic surgery and general surgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the American Board of Surgery, and by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Due to his dual training and experience, Dr. Doumit has great proficiency in breast implant removal, en bloc removal of the breast implant capsule, and simultaneous breast lift.

I consulted Dr. Doumit to undergo a breast explanation and I enjoyed my meeting with him. He put me in confidence and was empathetic to my cause. My choice was made. So I had my surgery in December 2021. Everything went well, I am satisfied with my recovery, my scars, and the service after my intervention. I enjoyed his sweetness, his calm, and his confidence. It was reassuring for me. I recommend Dr. Doumit without hesitation and I would choose it again if it had to be redone. Thank you for your good job.

Before and After Photos

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Procedure

On March 21, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported a warning about a certain association between breast implants and an extremely rare form of cancer: anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). Research revealed that the risk of ALCL is higher in women who have textured implants, which have a bumpy surface, as opposed to smooth implants, according to the FDA. Hence, there has never been a reported case of anaplastic large-cell lymphoma linked with SMOOTH implants. Research suggested that the material inside the implant did not seem to affect the risk of ALCL. When this information was gathered, the frequency of the lymphoma was calculated to be only one in 1 million.

At present, data suggests the incidence to be as high as one in 3000. However, Dr. Gaby Doumit does not and has never used these types of implants which are described as having a particular bumpy texture on their surface since any risk of cancer is deemed unacceptable.

The common reaction of the human body to foreign objects, including breast implants, is to make a capsule around that specific object. It is a completely normal physiological reaction by the human body. The use of textured implants can lead to chronic inflammation in the body which can ultimately increase the risk of ALCL because of the rough surface between the implant and capsule. The standard description of ALCL is the growth of a mass or fluid around the implant capsule several years after the procedure. Nowadays, the general recommendation is to do a biopsy of the mass and a collection of the fluid to rule out ALCL.

It is important to note that the Food and Drug Administration has deemed the risk of ALCL in women with breast implants as extremely low. The FDA does not think that this link should discourage women from implant reconstruction/breast augmentation.

Details

In this section, when we are talking about the removal of breast implants we include the removal of the entire capsule, given that the capsule contains the inflammatory response to the breast implant. Capsulectomy en bloc suggests the removal of the entire capsule with the implant inside as one unit, especially important in the case of ruptured silicone implants since it prevents the silicone from diffusing into the surgical site.

Procedure Details

Capsulectomy en bloc is performed by making a long incision in the fold underneath the breast in order to permit adequate exposure of the implant and its capsule. This procedure can be extremely difficult since the capsule is typically adherent to the surrounding muscles. Capsulectomy en bloc can cause some degree of damage to the surrounding muscle but the damage is usually minimal, requiring a few simple stitches to repair. In the case of implants under the muscle, the surgery will be more challenging because the capsule is stuck to the underlying ribs as well, requiring careful dissection without entering the lung cavity.

Recovery

Recovery will vary and depend on the procedure performed and the patient’s ability to heal, but it is often similar to the recovery after breast augmentation which is usually 2 weeks

Patients will keep their dressings in place for 1 to 2 weeks. It is suggested to keep the dressing dry and clean. Usually, wounds are well healed by two to three weeks after surgery. Patients will be instructed to sleep only on their back and to not lift with their arms anything heavy for a one-month period.

Cost

Implant removal is covered by the Régie d’Assurance Maladie du Québec in three different scenarios.

Dr Doumit can not perform breast implant removal at the center de Chirurgie plastique et esthétique de Montréal for the above reasons as those patients are covered by the RAMQ  and need to be operated on at a public hospital. Please refer to a public hospital for those surgeries.

At Centre de chirurgie plastique et esthétique de Montréal, Dr Doumit performs in combination breast implant removal, en bloc capsulectomy, and breast lift (mastopexy) immediately following breast augmentation, the skin stretch. Hence, upon removing the breast implant, the breast skin will hang and the breast will lose its shape. Breast lift is designed to give the breast a more youthful appearance. Dr Doumit tailors the breast lift technique with the least possible scar specifically to each patient. Furthermore,  Dr Doumit has developed a technique to keep the hanging breast tissues which is usually removed by most plastic surgeons to offer as much fullness as possible.

The cost of breast implant removal, en bloc capsulectomy, and breast lift, is: 10,500 -12,500 $

For more information or to book an appointment, call us at 514 932-8200 or book a consultation via our website.