Breast Implant Removal
More women than ever are choosing to remove their breast implants rather than replace them — U.S. implant-removal volume has risen sharply over the past two decades, and a global survey found explant procedures climbed roughly two-thirds between 2020 and 2024. The reasons are personal and varied: aging implants, capsular contracture, a suspected or confirmed rupture, a desire to return to a softer natural shape, or symptoms a patient attributes to breast implant illness. Breast implant removal — often called explant surgery — takes the implants out and, when appropriate, removes the surrounding scar capsule, with the option to restore shape using a lift or the patient’s own fat. Dr. Rafizadeh has performed breast surgery in Morristown, NJ for more than 40 years and approaches explant the way he approaches everything: honestly, and matched to what each patient actually needs.
“Implant removal has become one of the most requested conversations in my practice, and it deserves an honest one. I tell patients what the evidence does and does not show — that ‘en bloc’ is a cancer operation, not a marketing upgrade, and that a complete total capsulectomy is the right answer for most people who need the capsule removed. My job is to remove the implants safely, leave you with the best possible shape, and never sell you a bigger operation than your situation calls for.”
— Dr. Farhad Rafizadeh, MD FACS
Why Women Choose Implant Removal
There is no single reason patients come in for explant surgery, and Dr. Rafizadeh treats each one individually. The most common are capsular contracture — hardening, distortion, or discomfort from a tight scar capsule, especially around older implants; implant age, since implants are not lifetime devices and may be updated or removed after 10 to 20 years; rupture or rippling confirmed or suspected on MRI or ultrasound; a genuine change of heart about size or about having implants at all; and wellness concerns grouped under breast implant illness. Whatever the reason, the goal is the same: remove the implants safely and leave you comfortable with how your breasts look and feel.
Your Options at Explant
Removal is not one operation but a small family of them. The right plan depends on your tissue, your implants, and your goals — decided together at consultation.
The implants are removed and, when clinically indicated, the scar capsule with them — usually as a complete total capsulectomy. The extent is matched to your situation, not to a fixed formula.
After larger or long-standing implants come out, skin and tissue may have stretched. A breast lift (mastopexy) raises and reshapes the breast for a firmer, more youthful contour in the same surgery.
For patients who want to restore modest volume without new implants, fat harvested by liposuction can be grafted into the breast to soften the transition and rebuild gentle fullness.
The Honest Part: En Bloc vs. Total Capsulectomy
No part of explant surgery is more misunderstood — or more marketed — than “en bloc” removal. En bloc capsulectomy means taking out the implant and its scar capsule together as one intact, unopened unit with a margin of surrounding tissue. It is a true oncologic operation, and the 2024 Breast Surgery Collaborative Community consensus — endorsed by the ASPS, The Aesthetic Society, and ISAPS — is clear that it is specifically indicated for patients with a confirmed or suspected implant-associated cancer (BIA-ALCL), not as a routine upgrade. For the great majority of patients who need the capsule removed — for capsular contracture, calcification, or peace of mind — a total capsulectomy, which removes the entire capsule but not necessarily in one piece, accomplishes the same goal and is often safer, because forcing an intact removal can risk injury to the chest wall, lung, or surrounding tissue. Dr. Rafizadeh will tell you honestly which approach your situation calls for, and why — the extent of capsule removal should be driven by clinical indication, not by demand alone.
→ Schedule a ConsultationMeet with Dr. Rafizadeh personally to discuss your goals and a personalized plan. Call (973) 267-0928 or request a consultation online.Breast Implant Illness: A Straight Answer
Breast implant illness (BII) is the term patients use for a constellation of symptoms — fatigue, joint and muscle pain, brain fog, hair changes, rashes, and others — that they associate with their implants. It is important to be honest on both sides: BII is not yet a formally established medical diagnosis, and the science is still developing, but the symptoms are real to the people living with them, and a meaningful number of patients report feeling better after their implants are removed. Dr. Rafizadeh does not dismiss these concerns, nor does he overpromise. He evaluates each patient carefully, encourages appropriate medical workup for other causes, and removes implants for patients who, after an honest discussion, decide that is the right path for them.
The Procedure & Recovery
Explant surgery is performed as a same-day procedure under general anesthesia, usually through your existing incision so no new scar is created. Depending on the plan — removal alone, removal with capsulectomy, or removal combined with a lift or fat transfer — it takes roughly one to three hours. A small drain is sometimes placed after a capsulectomy and removed within days.
Breast Implant Removal in New Jersey
Dr. Rafizadeh evaluates patients for explant surgery whether their original implants were placed by him or by another surgeon, and welcomes patients from across New Jersey — Morris, Essex, Union, Somerset, Bergen, and Passaic counties — as well as those traveling from New York City. Because the decision is so personal, the first step is always an unhurried, honest consultation about your reasons, your imaging if rupture is suspected, and the shape you want afterward. Many patients consider removal alongside a breast lift, fat transfer, or simply a return to a natural contour. If you are exploring removal versus exchange, the breast augmentation & revision page covers updating implants, and our blog discusses breast implant illness, explant & en bloc capsulectomy in depth.
A newer, no-surgery option for refinement: for women who want modest smoothing after explant — softening the upper pole, blending rippling or step-offs — without new implants and without a liposuction harvest, AlloClae offers a third path. It is a structural adipose filler made from purified donor fat matrix, injected in the office under local anesthesia. It suits smaller refinements rather than full volume restoration, and Dr. Rafizadeh will tell you plainly which approach fits your goals.
→ AlloClae — Volume Without LiposuctionA no-liposuction option after explant — smooth contours and soften the upper pole with donor adipose matrix, in an office visit.Sources & References
- Breast Surgery Collaborative Community. “Consensus Statement on Breast Implant Capsulectomy Definitions and Management” (endorsed by ASPS, The Aesthetic Society, ISAPS), 2024. plasticsurgery.org
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration. “Breast Implants — Certain Labeling Recommendations to Improve Patient Communication” & BIA-ALCL updates. fda.gov
- Swanson E. “The Case Against En Bloc Capsulectomy.” Annals of Plastic Surgery / Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. PubMed
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “Breast Implant Removal — Procedure & statistics.” plasticsurgery.org
- American Board of Plastic Surgery. “Verify a Surgeon’s Certification.” abplasticsurgery.org
- Dr. Farhad Rafizadeh, RealSelf Q&A profile. realself.com
