Implant Removal, Exchange or Replacement of Breast Implants

Changing or removing breast implants eventually becomes a reality for virtually all women who carry them.

There are 4 main reasons that lead women to undergo this type of procedure:

• With age, some women no longer see the benefit of keeping these foreign bodies in their body. They request their removal: in this case, it is a definitive implant removal.
• A second group of women experiencing problems with implant integrity most commonly request an implant exchange: here we see how important it is to have the most extensive warranty possible to reduce costs in case of rupture or any other implant defect. Dr Weiss uses the best-warranted implants on the market for this reason.
  Sometimes an alert regarding poor design of certain implants, as seen in the PIP affair, leads women to implant removal or exchange: in this case, part of the procedure is covered by the implant manufacturer's insurance.
• Implant replacement is also performed when a woman with implants wishes to change volume, either increasing or decreasing: in this case, the warranty does not apply.
• Finally, a last group of women change or have their implants removed as a precaution, following highly publicised information, sometimes following new scientific discoveries, such as the current issues with textured implants.
  For information: in reality, the risk of developing anaplastic large cell lymphoma is minimal (200 cases described worldwide) compared to the risk of breast cancer, which can affect one in eight women.