Episode 24: Will I Have Scars After Breast Explant Surgery?

Foreign Dr.

Rob Whitfield, the board certified plastic surgeon specializing in explant surgery Breast implant illness is a topic that is not often talked enough about, especially in medical community, but is something that affects many women. In this podcast I will be discussing the latest research, treatment options and personal stories of women who have undergone explant.

Surgery in an effort to heal breast implant illness.

In this podcast, we'll explore the symptoms of breast implant illness and delve into.

The latest surgical techniques for explantation and the recovery process. Whether you are currently experiencing breast implant.

Illness or are considering explant surgery, this podcast is a valuable resource for anyone.

Looking to take control of their health and wellness.

So let's dive in. Before we get started today, I wanted.

To tell you about a way you can speed your healing and to begin.

Reverse aging in your body.

Reducing inflammation is especially important for women with breast implant illness. In fact, one of the most important pre explant surgery steps we take is to get rid of as much inflammation in the body as possible. So I've created a special inflammation support bundle to give you everything you need to reduce inflammation as quickly as possible. Don't let inflammation hold you back. Visit drrobsolutions.com now and grab the inflammation support bundle today again, you can get it@drrobsolutions.com it's Dr. Robert Whitfield and welcome.

To my Breast Implant Illness podcast.

Today we're going to discuss the question.

Will I have scars after breast explant surgery? So explant surgery for me is done through either the fold, through a vertical, or through a periareolar approach. And so let me delve into what that means relative to the breast size and shape. So allow me to be a little liberal with how I think about this and try to explain my thoughts. If you have a wide breast that extends into your armpits, you're going to want that narrowed. Otherwise, when you remove the device itself, it may be more flattened and boxy at the bottom. So in those instances where we want to narrow and lift the breast, we're going to use a vertical technique, often referred to when you look at the scar pattern as a lollipop. So that allows us to take tissue from below the nipple complex and advance and lift the tissue as we close it. That's how you get an increased or elevated nipple position. You do not take the nipple off. Many times people have had lifts. I'm just revising that incision by carefully, tangentially excising skin around the areola to make it fit a smaller breast. So tangential means like think of the outside of an onion just peeling in a way. You're not removing the nipple complex. I'm removing the tissue below the nipple complex in a way that allows me to close and lift at the end. So when that vertical excision is done, you have a wide open appearance to the actual tissues. And then you could go through the tissues and expose the implants scar capsule and then take it out circumferentially in an intact manner entirely. And I like to tell you, picture, you know, not breaking the shell of an Easter egg. Don't want to see the candy inside.

If there's not going to be a.

Lift, then it's purely about how was it put in? Was it put in periareolar or through the fold? Because I can't take an implant and its scar capsule out through the armpit. So that's off the table.

We'll get back to this show in a moment, but I wanted to share.

Something that I think can really help you.

You might not be aware, but part of my work as an innovator in the cosmetic surgery space is to create products that will give my patients the best possible outcomes and restore their health as quickly as possible. I can't tell you how critical it is for all of my patients to actively work to reduce inflammation in their bodies. We do this through diet and supplementation. In fact, I've created a special inflammation support bundle for my patients and now you can have access to it as well. One of the reasons this bundle is perfect for my patients is that so many of them have pill fatigue. It's just not going to work for them to have a handful of pills each day to reduce inflammation. So I made sure to include the liposomal version of many of the vitamins and minerals within the bundle.

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So if we're underneath the breast, we need a slightly bigger incision. Typically get all out because the tissue around it makes it hard to get out. It's not smooth anymore. Can't just advance it through a small incision. So typically about 6 to 7 centimeters once again, 6 to 7 centimeter incision to get that out, all hidden in the fold. If the tissues will drape over that fold incision. And then of course I can take things out through a periareolar incision. Obviously Danica Patrick talked about this when she explained her explant journey and how it was done. The then ramifications of doing these different types of procedures, we'll take them one by one. So if you just do a periareolar, I'm typically going to do a periareolar lift with it so that I can diminish the stretched out areola if that's the case. Because typically you want to downsize it to match a smaller breast so that can be done at the same time. So that leaves you just with one scar pattern around the outside of the areola. And then we discussed the vertical which going to leave you with a lollipop type scar, but allows you to take out excess skin and tissue, not breast tissue, but you know, little excess fatty tissue and mostly skin so that you want to preserve breast tissue in that instance IMF or the fold incision, once again straightforward. It's not going to take any excess skin out really. It's just really to get the implant material capsule all out together. When we're talking about any of these, you know, we want to preserve sensation always. That's why when I talk about that little tangential excision of breast skin around the areola that's meant to not affect sensation. We want to minimize scarring whenever we can. So to have a lollipop you have to have a wide breast and need the nipple position elevated. If it's done through a periareolar as the initial incision, you can do periareolar lift. If you feel like the periareolar lift is going to help you because there's excess skin but the nipple's in good position, you can do that. Then of course there's the below the breast incision and that's, you know, the infirmary fold incision. So these are all the types of things that we discuss and evaluate to see what will work best. And then with any of those I can always add a fat transfer to help revolumize the breast. But always remember, fat goes between the skin and above the breast because that's the fatty layer. That's where the fat belongs. It doesn't belong in the breast and I don't put it in the pocket where I took the breast implant and its capsule out of. It's not going to survive there. So if you're going to have this, make sure your provider understands these points. I discussed the different types of incisions, the ramifications of those incisions. If a lift is necessary, what type of lift is necessary? What does it really mean? How is it going to help? And if you need to revolumize, then that's where the fat transfer. Make sure that you understand that where to place it and that will optimize your results. Obviously, anybody can take advantage of our recovery program harp if their provider doesn't have that, then you know we're always looking to help support any way we can before we wrap up today, don't.

Forget to head over to the DrRobSolutions.com and pick up the inflammation Support bundle.

I've put this bundle together after working.

With thousands of women with breast implant illness who wanted explant surgery. Reducing inflammation is always the first step we take. Now I'm offering the same solution to you. So go to Drrobsolutions.com and get yours today.

Thanks for joining me today. I hope you found the information and stories shared on this podcast helpful and informative. Remember, taking control of your health and wellness is key to recovery from breast implant illness. If you're looking for additional resources and support, be sure to visit our online store, Dr. Rob's Solutions. At DrRobSolutions.com you'll find a wide range of wellness products and supplements to support.

Your journey to recovery.

From specially formulated detox supplements to personalized.

Skincare products, we have everything you need to aid your recovery.

Visit Dr.

Rob's Solutions today at DrRobsSolutions.com thank you for listening and we'll be back with another episode soon. Remember, you're not alone in this journey and together we can overcome breast implant illness.

Take care.