Rupture or deflation
Saline deflation is visible and immediate; silicone rupture may be silent and is detected through MRI or ultrasound.
Sieveking/Plastic Surgery/Implant Removal
Implant Removal in Nashville
Judgment-Free · Full Information · Every Option Explained
Whether you are choosing to live implant-free, replace your implants, or address a medical concern that has made removal the right next step, the reasons patients arrive at this decision are as individual as the patients themselves.
No judgment. Full information. A plan tailored to your anatomy and goals.
Thoughtful explant care. Every reason respected. Every next step explained.
Breast implant removal, commonly called explant surgery, is the surgical removal of one or both breast implants, with or without simultaneous removal of the surrounding scar tissue capsule — a capsulectomy. The procedure varies considerably depending on implant type and condition, the status of the capsule, and what you hope to achieve. Some patients go implant-free; others remove and replace; others combine removal with a breast lift.
What implant removal does not do on its own is automatically restore the breast to its pre-augmentation appearance. Breast shape and volume after removal depend on your original tissue, the size of the implant you carried, how long the implants were in place, and the quality of your skin. Honest expectation-setting is a cornerstone of every consultation at Sieveking Plastic Surgery.
The approach
Understanding your explant options.
Explant surgery is not a single operation. Dr. Sieveking presents each option clearly during your consultation so you can make a fully informed decision — what the surgery involves is determined by your anatomy, your implant condition, and your goals.
Simple explant removes the implant through the original incision while leaving the capsule largely intact when it is thin, soft, and without pathology; recovery is typically the shortest among the variants. Partial capsulectomy removes the implant along with a portion of the capsule where that tissue has thickened, calcified, or begun to contract, with the extent determined by clinical findings during the operation.
Total capsulectomy involves complete removal of the fibrous capsule, in separate pieces or as completely as anatomy safely permits — often chosen when capsular contracture is significant, when silicone has leaked into capsule tissue, or when maximal removal of implant-associated tissue is the goal. En bloc capsulectomy removes the implant and its entire capsule as a single intact unit; it is the most technically demanding variant, appropriate in specific clinical situations including confirmed or suspected BIA-ALCL, and it is not necessary, appropriate, or anatomically feasible for every patient.
When implants are removed — particularly large ones carried for many years — the breast skin envelope can be stretched in ways that affect contour and projection, and a concurrent breast lift reshapes and tightens the breast mound for a more lifted, natural profile. Patients who wish to maintain augmented volume may choose explant and re-augmentation in the same surgery or as a staged procedure.
Reasons patients seek implant removal.
There is no single reason patients decide to remove their implants, and no reason is considered more or less valid at Sieveking Plastic Surgery.
Capsular contracture
Hardening and distortion caused by scar tissue tightening around the implant, from mild firmness to significant discomfort.
Breast implant illness concerns
Systemic symptoms some patients attribute to their implants — fatigue, joint pain, cognitive changes — taken seriously here.
BIA-ALCL concerns or diagnosis
A confirmed or suspected diagnosis warrants specialist evaluation; Dr. Sieveking can discuss next steps and referral pathways.
Implant age or preference
Many patients simply decide, after years or decades, that implant-free living aligns better with their lifestyle.
Pain or aesthetic changes
Visible rippling, asymmetry, positional changes, or chronic discomfort are all legitimate reasons to explore removal.
Why choose this procedure
Thoughtful explant care, whatever the reason.
Explant surgery done well begins long before the operating room — in a consultation built on full information and honest expectation-setting.
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No judgment, full information
The reasons patients arrive at this decision are as individual as the patients themselves, and every one is met without judgment.
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Honest expectation-setting
Dr. Sieveking explains what your breasts will realistically look like after removal — honest expectation-setting is a cornerstone of every consultation.
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Every option explained
Simple explant, partial or total capsulectomy, en bloc, removal with lift, or removal with replacement — each presented clearly so your decision is fully informed.
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Careful capsule management
Capsulectomy and en bloc procedures demand a thorough command of breast anatomy and careful surgical judgment near chest wall structures.
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Concerns heard, not dismissed
Patients who arrive with breast implant illness concerns are heard, not dismissed — and broader conversations about long-term well-being can happen here, too.
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Accredited on-site surgery center
Your procedure takes place in a controlled, credentialed environment — the accredited on-site surgery center at 1200 Old Hillsboro Road in Franklin.
Whatever brought you to this decision, the right next step is a thorough, unhurried conversation with a surgeon who will listen.
Selected results
Honest results, designed around the individual.
Implant removal cases are included in our full results archive — each pair represents a single patient photographed at the same angle, light, and camera.
The journey from decision to resolution.
01
Consultation
A complete history, a fully aligned plan
Dr. Sieveking will review your complete health and implant history, including implant type and manufacturer, the surgical approach used for your augmentation, and how long the implants have been in place. Prior operative records and any available imaging are reviewed, and if rupture is suspected, an MRI may be ordered. No plan is finalized until your goals, anatomy, and realistic expectations are fully aligned.
02
Procedure
In the accredited on-site surgery center
Breast implant removal is performed under general anesthesia at the accredited on-site surgery center at 1200 Old Hillsboro Road in Franklin. In most cases, the original augmentation incision is used to minimize additional scarring. Surgical steps include implant removal, capsule management consistent with the approach selected at consultation, careful hemostasis, and closure. Operative time varies by procedure complexity, and Dr. Sieveking provides a realistic estimate at consultation.
03
Recovery
A gradual, supported return
Rest is required for the first 48 hours, in a surgical bra or compression garment, with discomfort and fatigue expected and managed with prescribed medication. Most patients with sedentary work return within 1–2 weeks, and drains, when placed, are typically removed within this window. Activity restrictions ease gradually from there, with lifting and strenuous exercise restricted for approximately 4–6 weeks.
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Results
The shape you were prepared for
Final breast shape takes several months to fully settle as tissues redistribute and skin redrapes, and scars mature over 12–18 months. Some patients are very pleased with the natural result of removal alone; others benefit from a concurrent or staged breast lift. Dr. Sieveking and the team provide detailed post-operative instructions and follow your healing at every stage, at the same address where the journey began.
Why Sieveking
Meet Dr. Sieveking
Explant surgery without an agenda.
Stanford-trained. Triple board-certified (including The American Board of Wound Management, ABWM) plastic surgeon.
Breast implant removal — particularly total capsulectomy and en bloc procedures — demands a thorough command of breast anatomy and careful surgical judgment near chest wall structures. Dr. Sieveking is Stanford-trained and triple board-certified (including The American Board of Wound Management, ABWM) in plastic and reconstructive surgery, with fellowship training in anti-aging and functional medicine — a combination reflecting both the surgical depth and the whole-patient perspective this procedure often requires.
Patients who arrive with breast implant illness concerns are heard, not dismissed. As the only practice in Middle Tennessee integrating world-class plastic surgery, advanced medical aesthetics, and clinical functional and longevity medicine under one triple board-certified (including The American Board of Wound Management, ABWM) physician, broader conversations about your health and long-term well-being can happen here, too.
The accredited on-site surgery center at 1200 Old Hillsboro Road means your procedure takes place in a controlled, credentialed environment. More than 90% of new patients arrive by referral — the result of 25 years of consistent, honest, patient-centered surgical care in Franklin and across greater Nashville.
Investment
Cost of implant removal.
The cost of implant removal depends on what the plan involves — simple explant, partial or total capsulectomy, en bloc, or a combined lift or replacement — along with anesthesia and facility considerations. Because those paths differ meaningfully, pricing is reviewed transparently at consultation, once the right plan is actually known, with a complete quote and no pressure toward the more extensive option.
Financing is available through PatientFi and CareCredit, and HSA and FSA funds are accepted where eligible. Whatever the path, the investment buys the same things: a Stanford-trained, triple board-certified (including The American Board of Wound Management, ABWM) surgeon, an accredited on-site surgery center, and a plan built on full information and honest expectations — which is, in the end, what a good explant outcome is made of.
Questions, answered.
The questions most prospective patients ask before booking a consultation.
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Good candidates are healthy adults who have made a considered decision about removal and hold realistic expectations about post-removal breast appearance. Patients with confirmed or suspected rupture, BIA-ALCL, or significant capsular contracture are particularly appropriate candidates for surgical evaluation. A consultation with Dr. Sieveking is the only way to confirm the right approach for your situation.
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En bloc is not necessary or appropriate for every patient. The right capsule management approach depends on your implant condition, capsule integrity, and what is safely achievable given your anatomy. Dr. Sieveking will recommend the approach that is both clinically appropriate and safely executable for your specific case.
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Breast appearance after explant depends on your original tissue volume, implant size and duration, and skin laxity. Some patients are very pleased with the natural result; others benefit from a concurrent or staged breast lift. Final shape takes several months to fully emerge as swelling resolves and tissues redistribute.
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In many cases, yes. A concurrent mastopexy is appropriate when there is sufficient skin laxity and when combining procedures is safe, given the planned operative time. Some patients and surgeons prefer a staged approach. Dr. Sieveking will assess your candidacy during your consultation.
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Risks include bleeding, infection, changes in breast sensation, asymmetry, scarring, and anesthesia-related considerations. More complex procedures carry additional considerations related to operative time and the proximity of capsule tissue to chest wall structures. Dr. Sieveking reviews all relevant risks thoroughly during your consultation.
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Most patients with sedentary work return to their routines within 1–2 weeks. Strenuous activity and lifting are restricted for approximately 4–6 weeks. The final breast shape takes several months to fully emerge. Dr. Sieveking and the team provide detailed post-operative instructions and are available to support you at every stage.
More in Plastic Surgery.
Facial Sculpting
Breast Surgery
Begin your journey
Explore implant removal, on your terms, at Sieveking Plastic Surgery in Franklin, TN.
Whatever brought you to this decision, the right next step is a thorough, unhurried conversation with a surgeon who will listen. Dr. Sieveking will review your history, explain every option available to you, and help you build a surgical plan that reflects your anatomy, your goals, and your timeline. Contact Sieveking Plastic Surgery to schedule your consultation and understand your options — no judgment, full information, and a plan tailored entirely to you.
1200 Old Hillsboro Road, B2 · Franklin, Tennessee
Mon–Thu 9–4:30 · Fri by appointment