Breast Implant Removal in Turkey
Table of Contents
Breast implant removal takes a significant place among cosmetic treatments, not only for aesthetic problems but also for health-related conditions. With the rapidly increasing experience in breast augmentation surgeries along with silicone implants, reflections of complications have gained a much larger place both in the plastic surgery field and in society as a reflection of increasing awareness. Owing to the varied dimensions of the conditions experienced, women’s demand to remove breast implants has various motivations. It has been stated that for some, this may be because they could have just had a bad experience with their breast implants from the start. But it could also be any number of evolving physical issues, health issues, as well as a change in their thoughts and society thereafter. Expanded societal awareness and media discussions have improved the level of knowledge regarding breast implant removal in the extended community.
Within the previously published research, other variables also attracted attention, namely the shape of the breast implant that the person used, the ways that one channeled their commitments, and especially the higher education level, which has been found to be determinative about the choice of removal. It is important for depression, the preservation of body visibility, and the social life rebirth. Anxious thinking, thought changes, and options for people who have doubts and concerns about breast implants, exploring these conditions, are important motives in the removal process. In this way, it has been considered necessary to establish an interdisciplinary bridge between the reasons for breast implant removal and the studies related to these reasons. Since breast implants and the related processes and reflections should be considered over a wide range from medical and surgical perspectives, the basic principle will be to try to understand scientifically while looking at the matter from various aspects. In this context, the primary goal was to make this comprehensive study regarding breast implant removal in Turkey. The aim is to gather experiences and data that can provide further insight by compiling the insights of plastic surgeons from the patient group in Turkey who had and wanted to have their breast implants removed.
Medical Reasons for Breast Implant Removal
The reasons leading women to remove their implants are mainly medical and psychological. Growing research reports and media coverage suggest that reform and silicone gel-filled implant recipients are helping a growing number of women, primarily at the individual level, to make the difficult decision to remove their surgical implants in consultation with plastic surgery experts. Reasons for medically recommended or individually preferred implant removal include the following.
Rupture or leakage: Implants are not permanent devices that last a lifetime. The longer the implant is in place, the more likely the shell is to break. Consequently, some balloon-enlarged swollen implants burst, whereas others deflate.
Capsular contracture: the formation of tight scar tissue or capsules around the implant area. Implants may fail to appear as they did when the patients first obtained them. As a result, the form of swelling may alter.
Inadequate or erroneous implant placement: Breast implants may alter body proportions. During breast implantation, several patients request or need a placement of their implants in the middle of the chest and underneath the muscle. Possible temporary skin fluctuation subsequent to breast implant removal.
Desire for breast implant removal: Some women who received breast implants in their youth may want to remove them when their bodies and body image change so that they are no longer compatible with those with breast implants.
Changed food habits or lifestyle: colored alcohol is known to affect new silicone contraction.
Aging process: As women get older, hormonal fluctuations can alter the appearance and texture of their implants. For instance, a post-menopausal female patient with over 20 years of silicone breast implants discovered that one of her implants was open and released silicone-based substances into her breast capsule and tissues. In mid-2022, she opted to remove both implants at the same time. In general, women with implants must actively monitor the situation of their breasts and periodically follow up with a breast implant surgeon for any changes in the hue, size, feel, consistency, and look of their chest.
Surgical Techniques for Breast Implant Removal
The recent text reports an indication of breast implant removal as per the recommendations of the Turkish Breast Society. Breast implant removal is a topic that has attracted the interest of the world’s plastic surgeons as well as the patients. Implant technique advances, differently from the 60s, led to creating new concepts under the heading of “capsular contracture” and even writing books on this subject. This created an incorrect perspective that everything related to the implant process was over, except for the patient follow-up. Actually, the most frequently asked question by the patients who are scheduled for breast implant operations would be the complication ratio and what to do in case of implant removal. Most of the time, it seems that there is no major complication with the surgery; so, what to do for the secondary problems or how to deal with the aesthetic side is also important on this issue.
Different techniques for breast implant removal have been reported in the literature. Although the most administered method was the traditional submammary approach in the first reports, the techniques employed in practice today have presented developments in different dimensions. These include techniques for breast implant removal, implant re-insertion, and creation of a neo-subglandular space preserved in the pocket by means of the contracted implant wall removed through the areolar incision/vertical mammaplasty developed by Baroudi. In cases mentioning that the surgeon has to choose the appropriate technique based on the specific condition of the patient, the guiding principle is to divide the issue into two as implant-less revision and revision accompanied by the insertion of a new prosthesis.
Recovery Process and Aftercare
Taking a significant amount of rest is essential for individuals who have undergone breast implant removal surgery to be able to start their recovery process and to protect their overall health. After the operation, patients are advised to attend their scheduled follow-up appointments so that the necessary actions can be taken and any potential complications can be detected. Since such changes can occur in the body, patients are advised to attend the follow-up examination immediately and regularly, in addition to adhering to the timetable. After the operation, blood and incision wound formation are possible. At any visit, the doctor can show patients how to frequently examine their incisions for any signs of infection and what medications are recommended for handling any side effects that may happen after the operation.
The removal of any kind of cosmetic surgery, especially the implant, will result in an emotional change. It is also highly advised for patients to talk to their doctor or a professional clinical therapist about their feelings and any worries they might be experiencing. Redefining any part of the body can be an uncomfortable circumstance and may cause scars. To continue the patient’s comfort, it is recommended to speak about these issues with a therapist or specialist. Healthcare providers will often set up a local group or have a decent job with a family or spouse to help with the patient postoperatively. If a patient develops a bump or has a delayed postoperative recovery that causes them to worry, they should see a doctor right away. Since the removal of breast implants is unpredictable and slow, patience can be sustained during the total treatment period. The impact on the patient’s quality of life in the early steps of care can even be minimized if the patient and the doctor address the expectations as honestly and formally as feasible.
Cost and Accessibility of Breast Implant Removal in Turkey
Cost and Accessibility of Breast Implants in Turkey The total fee for breast implant removal is shaped by several elements: surgical fees, anesthesiologist fees, surgery clinic or accredited hospital fees, and medical tests conducted during or before the surgical operation. The fees are also subject to VAT. The costs presented above do not include fees related to minor events such as medical tests and therapy before or after the treatment. The accessibility of breast implant removal is based on the availability of various healthcare providers. It may differ from one country to another, as well as from one town to another within the same country.
Thus, the ability to deliver MRM procedures must be considered differently for various societies and regions. Breast implant removal operations can be performed in different countries. Turkey is well-known for its potential to fulfill these tasks both medically and logistically, with a rapidly growing capacity due to its qualified medical providers and modern technological facilities. General operating conditions can vary from place to place. The financial hardship of people living in various societies and regions does not have the same impact; thus, the question of accessibility should also be addressed. Breast implant removal operations can present unique difficulties that vary from one society to another. However, the most essential factors are the affordability of the service, the distribution and necessity of surgical services, and the availability of authorized health personnel. Based on the presence of these components, MRM surgeries can be reasonably reviewed for accessibility challenges. In summary, the main determinants of breast implant removal accessibility include the availability of authorized surgeons and their hospitals or operation centers, the costs associated with the removal of breast implants, and insurance or direct payment options for the cost of MRM surgery. Ultimately, patients may choose from various aesthetic restoration options based on core country evaluation factors such as the quality of anatomical and pathological diagnosis. Setting can be a primary criterion.
The appropriateness of the governing country’s population’s income, the demand for services, and the cost of services must also be considered as additional factors. According to these results, surgeons should manage their business models and communicate their operation costs by explaining the analogy of cleaning or reconstructive surgeries to patients in the countries where they provide MRM services. More importantly, patients tend to reduce their spending levels based on treatment affordability rather than considering how to avoid breast implant surgeries or transition to reconstructive surgeries. This assumption can be just as beneficial to the developed countries of Europe as it is to Turkey. Additionally, the costs of breast implant surgery in other countries that international MRM candidates consider are higher compared to the costs of this surgery in Turkey from the patients’ perspectives, while all medical care and transport prices are not included.