A concave chest after breast implant removal (explant) often happens because the stretched skin and tissues lack volume, creating a hollowed look, especially in the upper breast, and sometimes due to the implant's pressure deforming the rib cage or pectoral muscle shifting upwards, leaving a visible indentation. While often normal and temporary as tissues settle, significant concavity can stem from lax skin, loss of implant fullness, or muscle changes, sometimes requiring procedures like mastopexy (lift) or fat transfer for improvement.
The forces produced by tissue expanders and implants between the pectoral muscle and the rib cage, can cause rib cage deformation – this means that there may be an indentation (concavity) left where the implant was removed. This is usually purely a cosmetic issue that may improve with time.
Potential Changes to Your Pectoral Muscles
These changes may include: Muscle definition – without the volume of the implants, the underlying muscle definition may become more visible. Muscle strength – as the muscles return to their natural position, some women report increased strength and functionality.
Concavity is mostly due to the patient's anatomy, i.e., the rib cage and the overlying musculature, and can be more pronounced after explant.
The double bubble effect is a complication seen after breast surgery. It manifests as a visible indentation or bubble under the implant. Various factors, such as improper placement, surgical technique, and anatomy, can cause it.
Breast dimpling is when a section of skin on your breast has tiny indentations that look like dimples. The indentations may make that section of skin resemble a piece of orange peel (peau d'orange). Your breast skin may look rough or uneven. The change in your breast skin may be a breast cancer symptom.
Capsular contracture is a complication in which the scar tissue tightens around an implant and causes pain and visible deformities. In some breast explant cases, the capsule needs to be removed in addition to the implant.
Caused by hardened lymph vessels, cording feels like a tight cord running from your armpit down the inside of the arm, sometimes to the palm of your hand. You may see and feel raised cord-like structures across your arm, chest or breast, which may limit how you move.
After implant removal, your breasts may sag, droop or appear misshapen. Many people choose to have implant removal with a breast lift (mastopexy). During a breast lift, your surgeon removes excess skin and reshapes your breast tissue. If needed, the surgeon can also reposition the nipple and areola.
After a mastectomy
The scar will be across the skin of the chest. If you have surgery to remove the lymph nodes, the scar will also be in the armpit. At first the scar will be firm, slightly raised and red. Over the next few months, it will flatten and fade.
Tips to Improve the Fluff:
How long do I wear my compression bra after a Breast Implant Explantation? Normally you will wear the compression bra day and night for about 2 weeks, except while bathing. This allows your breast tissue to shrink back, while preventing a seroma, and help with comfort.
Once they're gone, the breasts may sit lower on the chest or appear deflated. A breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, can reposition and reshape the breast. Women often consider a lift if they've had larger implants, lost skin elasticity with age, or want to improve the balance between both breasts.
Breast explant regret refers to the emotional or aesthetic dissatisfaction some women experience after having their breast implants removed. While many patients feel empowered and relieved after explant surgery, others encounter unexpected feelings of loss, disappointment, or self-doubt.
According to a study performed by a group of plastic surgeons in London, the most popular breast shape has an upper pole to lower pole ratio of 45:55, meaning 45 percent of the breast is in the upper pole (above the nipple) and 55 percent of the breast is in the lower pole (below the nipple).
At the end of your operation your breastbone is held together by a number of steel wires which usually remain in place for the rest of your life. Your breastbone should have knitted together at about six to eight weeks after your heart surgery and will have fully healed by 12 weeks.
The "45 55 breast rule" refers to a widely studied aesthetic ideal where the breast volume is split with 45% in the upper pole (above the nipple) and 55% in the lower pole (below the nipple), creating a naturally sloped, teardrop shape rather than a round, full look. This ratio, established by plastic surgeon research, is consistently rated as most attractive by men, women, and surgeons across different demographics, supporting its use as a benchmark in breast augmentation for natural-looking results.
Breast massage after explant surgery can help to speed up your recovery. The following top tips will help you to carry out an effective breast massage: Use the palms of your hands and cut the upper part of the breasts, followed by downward pressure for no more than a few seconds at a time.
Overall, you should feel completely normal after getting your implant taken out. Your arm may feel tender or swollen around where the implant was for a few days. It may look bruised for a week or two. Your doctor or nurse will tell you how to wash and take care of your skin for a couple of days after removal.
How is cording treated? Cording treatment typically involves physical therapy. During treatment, your physical therapist manually stretches and breaks up the scar tissue in your underarm. This allows your body to reabsorb the tissue.
Signs and Symptoms of Tethered Cord
Leg or back pain. Decrease in strength of legs or feet. Loss of sensation in the legs. Deformity of the legs or feet.
It's visible via ultrasound. Your practitioner can detect a nuchal cord about 70 percent of the time during routine ultrasounds, although it's usually not possible to determine if the cord is short or tight around the neck.
While some women end up with a satisfying breast shape and minimal loose skin after explant surgery alone, others find their breasts appear somewhat deflated, saggy, or deformed without implants filling them out. Combining mastopexy with explant helps reshape and support the remaining tissue.
Patients with capsular contracture experience feelings of tightness in their breasts as if the implant is being squeezed. Their breasts also commonly feel very firm, tight, and round, like a tennis ball or baseball.