Breast Implant Removal in Sarasota, FL
Take Your Implants Out With a Surgeon Who Supports the Decision
Breast implant removal, also called explant surgery, takes out one or both breast implants. Some women have them removed because of a rupture, hardening, or pain. Others are done with them, or never fully wanted them, or have decided the long-term maintenance isn't worth it. All of those are legitimate reasons, and none of them requires justifying yourself.
That matters, because a lot of women report being talked out of removal, or pushed toward replacement they didn't ask for. Dr. Shulman is a vocal advocate for explant. If you want your implants out, she treats that as your decision to make and her job to execute well.
Dr. Alissa Shulman has been a board-certified plastic surgeon since 2002 and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.). She has practiced since 2000 and has been in Sarasota since 2009. Explant is one of the procedures she's best known for, and patients travel from Tampa and across Florida for it. Request an appointment and you'll get a straight conversation about your options.
Explant Surgery on Its Own
Remove Your Implants Without Replacing Them
Breast implant removal surgery takes the implants out and, depending on your situation, removes some or all of the scar tissue capsule around them. Many women are happy with removal alone, particularly if their implants were modest in size and their skin has held its tone. Dr. Shulman will show you what your breasts are likely to look like afterward rather than leaving you to guess.
Removal Combined With a Lift
Reshape the Breast After the Implant Comes Out
When an implant has stretched the skin, taking it out can leave the breast looking deflated or sitting low. Implant removal with lift handles both in one operation, removing the implant and then repositioning and tightening what remains. Not everyone needs it. Dr. Shulman will tell you honestly whether you're likely to be happy without one.
Treating a Hardened or Painful Implant
Address Capsular Contracture at the Same Time
If your breast has become firm, misshapen, or painful, the cause is often capsular contracture, which is scar tissue tightening around the implant. Treating it means removing the capsule along with the implant. This is one of the most common reasons women come in for explant, and it's a problem that tends to get worse rather than better on its own.
Restoring Volume Without a Device
Use Your Own Fat Instead of Another Implant
If you'd like some fullness back after removal but don't want another device, fat grafting can restore volume using fat taken from your own abdomen or thighs. Some patients do it during the same operation and others wait to see how the breast settles first. Dr. Shulman has done high volume fat grafting since 2013 and will explain which timing suits your case.
If You're Worried About Symptoms
Talk Honestly About Breast Implant Illness
Some women with implants report fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, and other systemic symptoms, commonly referred to as breast implant illness (BII). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledges these reports in the boxed warning it requires on implant labeling, while noting that the cause isn't yet established. You can read the agency's guidance on what to know about breast implants. Dr. Shulman won't promise that removal will resolve symptoms, because no honest surgeon can. What she will do is take your experience seriously rather than dismiss it.
Traveling for Explant Surgery
Come From Tampa, Orlando, or Further
Patients travel to Sarasota for explant because surgeons who genuinely support the decision aren't easy to find. If you're coming from out of the area, call the office early so the team can help you plan timing and follow-up. Dr. Shulman prefers surgical patients stay nearby for a few weeks afterward so she can look after you properly.