Do I Need to Remove My Textured Breast Implants?

There has been a lot of recent media coverage about breast implants and BIA-ALCL (breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma). Many of our patients have come in or called asking about their implants and risk of BIA-ALCL. They ask if their implants need to be removed. The short answer is “probably not”. BIA-ALCL is a very rare lymphoma that is primarily associated with textured implants and also depends on the type of texturing used. Certain brands of textured breast implants have a higher incidence of BIA-ALCL than others but even in this category, the incidence is rare. In patients who are not having any problems that have textured implants, we would not recommend removal or replacement unless there was some other reason to change or remove the implants. It is important to follow up with your plastic surgeon if you have implants especially if you notice any changes in your implants. Implants do not last forever and need to be replaced periodically. That is why periodic follow up (we like to see our patients every year) is so important. It also gives us an opportunity to educate our patients on any new information regarding their implants. However, if you have decided to remove your implants, and have textured implants, we would remove your entire capsule and send it to pathology for evaluation and additional studies if indicated.

Since this post was written, we no longer put in breast implants for primary breast augmentation but we do still see our patients who have implants yearly.