(501) 224-1044
BREAST IMPLANT REMOVAL & EXCHANGE · LITTLE ROCK, AR
Breast Implant Removal
Breast implants last a long time, but they are not lifetime devices. Some women replace theirs with new ones; others decide to return to a smaller, natural shape. The reasons are both cosmetic and medical; a change in what you want, a complication that needs addressing, or simply reaching the point where an exchange is due. Dr. Homayoun Pournik, a fellowship-trained cosmetic surgeon, will walk you through the options without pushing you toward any of them.
1–3 hrs
Depending on capsule work needed
~ 1–2 wks
Back to office-based work for most patients
3-6 mo
Final results take shape
Why women choose removal
Removing implants offers both cosmetic and medical benefits, particularly if yours are aging, causing discomfort, or no longer fit your life. You may be thinking about it if you have had the same implants for ten years or more, your preferences or lifestyle have changed, you were never fully satisfied with the original result, you are dealing with a complication, or you want to get ahead of one before it happens.
COMFORT
Pain relief
The scar tissue that forms after implant surgery can harden and cause real pain. Dr. Pournik can remove the hardened tissue along with the implant if that is what you want, which relieves the discomfort at its source.
HEALTH
Addressing complications
The outer shell of an implant can break down, letting silicone or saline leak. That can distort the shape and cause other symptoms. A leaking or ruptured implant should come out for your general health, not just your appearance.
TIMING
Implants that have aged out
Implants have a lifespan of roughly 10 to 15 years. Depending on what you want, yours can be removed entirely or exchanged for new ones.
Removal, exchange, or something in between
There is more than one way to do this, and the right one depends on why your implants are coming out and what you want afterward. Dr. Pournik will evaluate your current implants, your breast tissue, and any symptoms you are having, then talk through what each route would mean for you.
Removal only
The implants come out and nothing goes back in. Your breasts return to a natural shape determined by your own tissue and skin elasticity.
Best for: returning to a smaller shape
Adds: nothing
Result: depends on your tissue
Removal and exchange
Old implants out, new ones in; a different size, a different type, or simply new versions of what you have. Often the answer when implants have aged out rather than gone wrong.
Best for: aged-out implants, a new size
Adds: new implants
Results: refreshed, or changed
Removal with capsulectomy
The scar tissue capsule around the implant is removed along with it. This is what addresses hardened, painful capsular contracture rather than just taking out the implant inside it.
Best for: capsular contracture, pain
Adds: scar tissue removal
Result: relief
Removal with a breast lift
Creates or defines a natural double-lid crease while preserving your ethnic identity. Learn more.
Best for: stretched skin, sagging
Adds: a lift
Result: firmer and elevated right away
Are you a candidate?
Most women with existing implants are good candidates. Beyond that, the criteria are the same as for any elective surgery.
You may be a candidate if:
- At least 6 to 12 months out from your original augmentation, unless a complication means it needs to happen sooner.
- In good overall health.
- Not smoking, or willing to stop before and after surgery.
- At a healthy, stable weight.
- Realistic about the outcome, and about what removal can and cannot achieve.
Will my breasts look deflated?
Possibly, at first. How your breasts look after removal depends on your natural tissue, your skin elasticity, and whether you add a lift. Some women notice a deflated or flattened appearance early on, because the tissue needs time to settle and reshape. Over the following weeks and months the swelling drops and the skin adjusts, and the look becomes much more natural. If a lift is done at the same time, your breasts will generally look firmer and more elevated right away.
What to expect on procedure day
Removal or replacement is performed under general anesthesia as an outpatient procedure, so you go home the same day. How long it takes depends on whether you are simply removing the implants, replacing them, or combining the procedure with a capsulectomy or a lift.
In many cases Dr. Pournik can use the same incision from your original augmentation, which avoids adding new scarring. If those incisions do not give him the access he needs, he will choose the most discreet location available. He removes or exchanges the implants and makes any necessary adjustments, taking out scar tissue, reshaping the breast pocket. You wake up in the recovery area, where the team monitors you and walks through the first steps of your post-op care.
Recovery timeline
Recovery varies with how complex your procedure was and whether you removed or replaced. Many patients find implant removal more comfortable than their original augmentation was.
- FIRST FEW DAYS
Soreness, swelling, and tightness. Easily managed with medication, rest, and proper compression garments, and generally milder than the original augmentation. - WEEK 1
Most people return to office-based work. - WEEKS 2 TO 6
Strenuous activity and heavy lifting stay off the table for several weeks to allow proper healing. Swelling decreases and the skin begins to adjust. - WEEKS TO MONTHS
The deflated or flattened look that some women notice at first resolves as the tissue settles and reshapes. If you had a lift at the same time, your breasts looked firmer and more elevated from the start. - MONTHS 3 TO 6
Final results take shape, the most balanced, natural appearance your tissue will give.
Why choose a board-certified surgeon
Implant removal is more variable than the surgery that placed them. What happens to the capsule, whether a lift is needed at the same time, and how much breast tissue remains after years with implants all change the plan and the result. That assessment matters more here than technique alone.
Risks include changes in nipple sensation, asymmetry, and skin laxity that may need a separate procedure to address. Dr. Pournik reviews your specific risks and what your breasts are likely to look like afterward at consultation, so you can decide with full information.
WHAT SETS DR. POURNIK APART?
- Board certified by the American Board of Surgery
- Twelve years of complex tissue and reconstructive surgery experience
- High-volume fellowship training across breast lift, reduction, and augmentation
- Honest assessment of whether a lift or exchange is needed alongside removal
Combining with a lift
Many patients combine implant removal with a breast lift to improve the overall shape and position of the breast and to help prevent future sagging. It is the most common pairing by some distance, and for good reason, it is what turns a deflated result into a reshaped one. Dr. Pournik will tell you whether it applies to you.
- Brow Lift
- Facelift
- Laser Skin Tightening
WHY CHOOSE DR. POURNIK
Homayoun Pournik, MD
- Fellowship-Trained Cosmetic Surgeon
Dr. Pournik spent twelve years in transplant surgery; around 300 organ transplants, and the first robotic kidney transplant performed in either California or North Carolina. That work builds a particular kind of judgment about tissue: how it behaves, how it heals, and what it will do under tension.
It matters here more than it might sound. Implant removal is rarely just a removal; there is scar tissue to assess, a breast pocket to reshape, and a decision about whether your skin will retract on its own or needs a lift to get there. His cosmetic fellowship, through the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, covered roughly 1,800 procedures in a single year, including breast revision and post-weight-loss reconstruction.
He asks every patient the same question at every follow-up: day one, one week, six months. Are you happy? “Nobody knows their body better than the patient,” he says. “I see them for five minutes. They’re seeing themselves for the rest of their life.”
BOARD CERTIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS
REAL PATIENTS
Before & After
Sensitive Content
These before and after photos contain nudity. Please click/tap to view the images.
Sensitive Content
These before and after photos contain nudity. Please click/tap to view the images.
Sensitive Content
These before and after photos contain nudity. Please click/tap to view the images.
Sensitive Content
These before and after photos contain nudity. Please click/tap to view the images.
Sensitive Content
These before and after photos contain nudity. Please click/tap to view the images.
CONTACT US
Talk it through first
A consultation is the first step in working out whether removal or replacement is right for you. Dr. Pournik will listen to your concerns, evaluate your current implants and your breast tissue, and go through any symptoms you are having, then explain the benefits and the limits of each option honestly.
Frequently asked questions
Cost varies with the complexity of your procedure, whether scar tissue needs to be removed, and whether anything else, such as a lift, is included. You get a personalized quote at your consultation.
Yes. Many patients combine removal with a breast lift to improve overall breast shape and position and help prevent future sagging. Dr. Pournik will help you determine whether additional procedures suit your goals.
Many patients find it more comfortable than their original augmentation. Most soreness and tightness lasts a few days and improves quickly. Discomfort is generally mild to moderate and well managed with prescribed medication.
There is no age requirement. Implants should come out or be replaced based on your goals, your health, the condition of the implants, and any symptoms or complications, not your age.
Roughly 10 to 15 years. They are long-lasting but not lifetime devices, and they will need to be replaced eventually.
In many cases the original augmentation incision can be reused, which avoids adding new scarring. If it does not give the access needed, the most discreet location available is used instead.
Generally at least 6 to 12 months out, unless a complication requires removal sooner.
Instagram
Facebook
Tiktok
Youtube
X
LinkedIn