Breast Implant Removal Long Island, NY
Serving patients in Huntington Station & Suffolk County, NY
Serving patients in Huntington Station & Suffolk County, NY
Over time, a woman’s goals and preferences can change, and so can her relationship with her breast implants. Breast implant removal offers a safe, personalized way to restore comfort, address medical or cosmetic concerns, or simply return to a more natural look and feel. Whether you’re experiencing implant complications, lifestyle changes, or simply wish to refine your appearance, Dr. Charlotte Ann Rhee provides expert, compassionate care tailored to your needs.
As a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon with more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Rhee performs breast implant removal with precision and artistry, ensuring results that complement your body and restore confidence. In her private, accredited surgical suite in Huntington, Long Island, she focuses on patient safety, natural contour restoration, and long-term satisfaction, helping each woman feel at ease and beautifully herself once again.
Safe removal of breast implants to restore natural contours or replace them with new implants
1–3 hours
General anesthesia
1–2 weeks for most daily activities
Women seeking to remove or replace their breast implants due to changing preferences or implant-related complications
An increasing number of women are opting to have their breast implants removed. The numbers are still dwarfed by those wishing to augment their breasts with implants, but there is some growth in implant removal. This could be due in part to the recent FDA recall and ban on Allergan Biocell textured implants due to their risk of the possible development of a type of lymphoma known as anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
Regardless of the reasons, Dr. Rhee helps patients who want to remove their breast implants. She often combines a breast lift with removal for the best aesthetic results.
Breast implant removal, also called explant surgery, is designed to remove breast implants and, if necessary, the surrounding scar tissue (capsule). Dr. Rhee tailors each surgery to the individual, ensuring that the removal is done with care and precision. When appropriate, she may recommend a breast lift (mastopexy) to restore firmness and shape following implant removal, helping patients feel confident and proportionate again.
These are not complicated surgeries. Dr. Rhee enters through the original incisions used to place the implants. She then removes the implants. If you have any signs of capsular contracture, where scar tissue continues to build around the implant, the hardened capsule of scar tissue will also be removed. If the scar tissue is still soft, it will likely be left in place.
Is A Breast Lift Necessary After Implant Removal?
It’s likely that once your implants are removed, your breasts will have many of the characteristics that women seek to correct with a breast lift. That’s why, in the majority of cases, Dr. Rhee recommends a breast lift as a part of the implant removal process. This is because, with a breast lift, she is able to remove the loose hanging skin, reposition the remaining breast tissue, and likely relocate the nipple/areola complex.
The goal with a breast lift is to return the breasts to a higher position on the chest, which will be important for you to be satisfied with the appearance of your breasts after removing your implants. As mentioned, without a lift, it’s likely your breasts will be quite flat and saggy without the implants. This is especially true the longer you have had implants, and with larger implant sizes.
Breast implant removal can be performed for both cosmetic and medical reasons, including:
Dr. Rhee’s focus is always on patient safety, comfort, and confidence, addressing both aesthetic goals and health concerns with equal care and attention.
The decision to remove implants can bring both physical relief and emotional clarity.
Key benefits include:
Many patients describe the experience as a liberating way to feel renewed and aligned with their current life stage.
You may be a good candidate if you:
During your consultation, Dr. Rhee will carefully evaluate your goals, breast anatomy, and surgical history to create a personalized treatment plan that aligns with your desired results.
"Dr. Rhee and staff are kind, caring, friendly people. My surgery went Amazing not a complaint in the world. I HIGHLY recommend this surgeon and office."
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Most patients return home the same day as surgery. Swelling and tenderness are common for the first week and gradually subside over two to three weeks.
You’ll wear a soft surgical bra to support healing and maintain shape. Dr. Rhee will provide detailed aftercare instructions and closely monitor your progress to ensure a comfortable and confident recovery. Most patients resume light activity within a week and feel fully recovered within one to two months.
Results are visible immediately and continue to improve as the breasts heal. The final outcome is a natural, proportionate shape that reflects your body’s unique beauty.
If a breast lift or fat transfer was performed, results appear fuller and more lifted, with long-lasting, elegant definition. Dr. Rhee prioritizes harmony and proportion, ensuring your results look soft, feminine, and authentic.
When you come to see Dr. Charlotte Ann Rhee, you’re cared for by a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 30 years of experience in breast surgery. Known for her warmth, technical expertise, and patient-centered approach, Dr. Rhee helps women navigate every stage of their surgical journey with compassion and clarity.
Whether you’re choosing to remove implants for medical, aesthetic, or personal reasons, Dr. Rhee provides unhurried, individualized care that empowers you to feel comfortable and confident in your body again.
At her private, boutique practice in Huntington Station, NY, you’ll experience a supportive, discreet environment where your goals are heard and your results are beautifully refined.
If you’re interested in learning more about breast implant removal, please contact us for a consultation at (631) 424-6707 or fill out our contact form below. We will discuss your needs and concerns and determine your best course of action.
If you have saline implants, a rupture will be obvious, as your implant will deflate as the saline solution leaks out and the body absorbs the salt water.
Things are not as simple with silicone gel implants. This is especially true if you have newer, highly cohesive gel implants or gummy bear implants. In these implants, the silicone gel adheres mostly to itself, meaning that it won’t exit the ruptured implant but will stay in place. Because of that, you will not have any visual changes in your breast.
This is why the FDA recommends women with silicone breast implants have an MRI three years after their initial surgery and then every other year after that. This is typically when a rupture can be detected.
You would also need to remove and replace your implants if you have signs of capsular contracture, where scar tissue continues to build around the implant. This can cause pain, firmness, and distortion of the implant and the breast.
Like any manufactured item, breast implants have a lifespan. Manufacturers generally warranty their implants for 10 years, and if they rupture within that timeframe, they pay for removal and replacement. The duration of a person’s implants can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years, but anything longer than that would be quite rare without a rupture.
If you’re in your 30s, you should expect to have to replace your implants at least two or three times. Replacement surgery is easier, as the surgeon can enter through the same incisions used for the original augmentation.
When Dr. Rhee is removing the implants, she checks the capsule. This is scar tissue that has formed around the implants. This is the body’s natural response to a foreign body (the implant) placed inside it, to build scar tissue around it. When excessive scar tissue continues to build around an implant, this is capsular contracture, and the scar tissue will begin to constrict and deform the implant. If the reason you need to remove and replace your implants is capsular contracture, Dr. Rhee will remove the capsule. However, if the scar tissue is still soft and not rigid, it is often left in place.
Capsulectomy is the surgical removal of scar tissue (the capsule) that has become thickened and hardened around a breast implant.
As mentioned above, the formation of a capsule around your implants is a normal process. The capsule is composed of fibroblasts, collagen, and blood vessels. Its formation is your body’s immune system’s protective response to the presence of a foreign object (your implants).
When having implants removed or replaced, a capsulectomy is necessary if the scar tissue (the capsule) has become overly thick and hardened. This is the case when capsular contracture has occurred, but it is not the norm. If the scar tissue doesn’t have those characteristics, it is left in place.
Since a capsulectomy is a part of surgery to either replace or remove a patient’s implants, the recovery is basically the same as with any augmentation procedure. These are not difficult recoveries. If the patient has had capsular contracture, removing the hardened capsule will provide immediate relief of the discomfort caused by the constricting scar tissue.
