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Op. Dr. Murat Yaman
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 11+years exp.
- 5,000+surgeries
- 6Treatments
Turkish · English
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Breast Surgery
Breast implant removal
A guide to breast implant removal (explant surgery) in Turkey: when removal is medically needed and when it is a personal choice, en bloc, total and partial capsulectomy, what the FDA and MHRA say about BIA-ALCL and breast implant illness, removal with a lift or fat transfer, approximate costs, the stay and recovery.
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Prof. Dr. Ayhan Numanoğlu
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 56+years exp.
English · Turkish
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Dr. Erdem Tezel
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 37+years exp.
English · Turkish
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Prof. Dr. Özhan Çelebiler
Plastic & Aesthetic SurgeryVerified
- 44+years exp.
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Breast implant removal in Turkey: what you should know first
Breast implant removal — often called explant surgery — takes out one or both implants and, depending on your situation, part or all of the scar capsule that the body forms around every implant. It is a different operation from a first augmentation: the surgeon works inside an existing pocket, sometimes around a hardened or calcified capsule, and has to plan what your breasts will look like without the implant. For the full guide to implants, prices and first-time surgery, see breast augmentation in Turkey.
Women choose breast implant removal in Turkey for three broad reasons: a problem with the implant (capsular contracture, rupture, pain, malposition), a health concern (symptoms they link to their implants, or worry about textured implants and BIA-ALCL), or simply because they no longer want implants. Each leads to a slightly different plan, and the first step is always the same: a surgeon looks at your history, your implant card and recent imaging before giving you a plan and a price.
When is removal medically needed, and when is it your choice?
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) both say that women without symptoms do not need to have their implants removed just because they have them — including textured implants. Removal is clearly advised when there is:
- A confirmed or suspected BIA-ALCL: new, persistent swelling of one breast, fluid around the implant or a lump, usually years after surgery. This needs tests (ultrasound, and fluid tested for the CD30 marker) before any operation, and is treated by a breast or plastic surgeon with oncology support.
- Severe capsular contracture: a hard, painful or visibly distorted breast (Baker grade III–IV).
- A ruptured implant: a saline implant deflates visibly; a silicone rupture is often silent and is found on ultrasound or MRI.
- Infection or a wound that exposes the implant.
Outside these situations, removal is a personal decision, and a legitimate one. If you want to keep a similar size, breast implant revision — exchanging the implants — may suit you better than removal alone.
Breast implant illness and BIA-ALCL: what the FDA and MHRA say
Breast implant illness (BII) is the name women use for symptoms such as fatigue, joint and muscle pain, brain fog, rashes, hair loss and anxiety that they attribute to their implants. It is not a formal diagnosis, there is no test that confirms it, and studies have not established a cause. The FDA and MHRA nevertheless recognise that these symptoms are reported, and since 2021 the FDA has required a boxed warning and a patient decision checklist for implants. Some women report that their symptoms improve after removal; others do not, and no surgeon can promise it. A careful surgeon asks you to see your GP first to rule out other causes such as thyroid disease, anaemia or an autoimmune condition.
BIA-ALCL (breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma) is a rare cancer of the immune system in the fluid or capsule around an implant. By 30 June 2024 the FDA had received 1,380 reports worldwide, including 64 deaths; most cases with a known history involved textured implants. The MHRA estimated the UK risk at about 1 in 15,000 implants sold (2021) and has no confirmed UK case in a woman who only ever had smooth implants. Treatment guidelines (NCCN) call for removal of the implant together with the entire capsule; caught early, this is usually curative. In 2022 the FDA also reported rare cases of squamous cell carcinoma and other lymphomas in the capsule and continues to study them.
If you are worried but have no symptoms, the advice from both regulators is to know your implant type, check your breasts monthly and see a doctor about any new swelling or lump.
En bloc, total or partial capsulectomy: what each means
How much of the capsule is removed is the key decision in explant surgery, and the terms are often used loosely. Ask your surgeon to write down exactly which one is planned.
| Technique | What is removed | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Implant removal only (no capsulectomy) | The implant; a thin, soft capsule is left and usually absorbs | Intact implant, soft breast, no suspicion of disease |
| Partial capsulectomy | The implant and the thickened or calcified part of the capsule | Contracture limited to part of the capsule |
| Total capsulectomy | The implant and the whole capsule, possibly in more than one piece | Contracture, silicone rupture, patient preference with BII symptoms |
| En bloc capsulectomy | The implant and the whole capsule removed together in one sealed piece | Suspected or confirmed BIA-ALCL; often requested for ruptured silicone |
En bloc capsulectomy is not always possible or safe: when an implant lies under the muscle, the back of the capsule can be thin and stuck to the ribs, and removing it carries a small risk of bleeding or of air entering the chest (pneumothorax). A surgeon who promises "en bloc for everyone" without examining you is selling a phrase, not a plan. The capsule should be sent to a pathology laboratory; ask for the report in writing.
How much does breast implant removal cost in Turkey?
The price depends far more on the capsule than on the implants. Removal alone is the shortest operation; total or en bloc capsulectomy, a lift, fat transfer or treating a rupture with leaked silicone all add time and cost. We do not publish a fixed price for explant surgery; the table gives approximate ranges, which are confirmed in a written quote after a surgeon has reviewed your case.
| Country | Approximate cost of removal with capsulectomy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | about €2,500–€5,000 (approximate, confirmed in a written quote) | Package usually includes surgeon, anaesthesia, hospital night, pathology, garment, transfers; a lift adds to the price |
| United Kingdom | about £4,000–£8,000 | Private only, unless removal is medically needed; the NHS may remove implants for a serious complication but not replace them |
| United States | about $5,000–$12,000 | Surgeon, anaesthesia and facility fees often billed separately |
| Germany | about €3,500–€7,000 | Higher with en bloc capsulectomy and lift |
What usually changes the breast implant removal cost:
- Type of capsulectomy: en bloc and total capsulectomy take longer than simple removal.
- Silicone rupture: leaked gel and silicone in nearby tissue must be cleaned out.
- A lift or fat transfer: often advisable after larger implants (see below).
- Drains and pathology: usually included in a hospital package; ask.
Everything else — what a package contains, paying the hospital directly on arrival, no pre-payment — works as described in the breast augmentation guide.
What your breasts look like after explant surgery
This is the question to discuss most honestly before surgery. Implants stretch the skin and, over the years, the natural breast tissue thins under them. After removal, breasts are smaller than before the implants were placed in many women, and they may look flat, deflated or lower. How much depends on the implant size, how long you had them, your skin quality, pregnancies and weight changes.
- Small implants, good skin: removal alone often gives an acceptable shape within a few months as the skin retracts.
- Larger implants or loose skin: a breast lift (mastopexy) at the same time, or a few months later once the tissues have settled, reshapes the breast and raises the nipple, at the cost of more scarring.
- Want some volume back without implants: fat transfer can add roughly a small cup size; some surgeons do it during the explant, others prefer a second stage.
Implant removal with breast lift in one operation saves a second trip but makes the operation longer; some surgeons prefer two stages when the skin is very thin or the capsule was difficult.
How explant surgery is performed, and how long to stay
The operation is done under general anaesthesia and takes roughly one and a half to three hours, longer with en bloc capsulectomy and a lift. The surgeon usually reuses the old scar under the breast; a scar around the areola or in the armpit may need to be extended or replaced by one in the fold for en bloc work. Drains are often placed for a few days. Most patients stay one night in hospital.
Plan about 6–7 days in Turkey: consultation and tests on day one, surgery on day two, a check and drain removal during the week, and a final check before you fly. Bring your implant card, the original operation report if you have it, and any ultrasound or MRI from the last year; if you have symptoms of BIA-ALCL, the tests should be done before you travel. The general trip plan is on our how it works page.
Recovery and risks after breast implant removal
Recovery is often easier than after the original augmentation, especially when implants were under the muscle and removal frees it. Expect soreness and tightness for one to two weeks, a support bra day and night for about four to six weeks, office work after about a week and the gym after about six weeks. Breast shape keeps changing for three to six months as the skin retracts and swelling settles.
The main risks are bleeding and haematoma, fluid collection (seroma), infection, wound problems, changes in nipple sensation, asymmetry and contour irregularities, and dissatisfaction with the deflated shape. With capsulectomy under the muscle there is a small risk of pneumothorax. Smoking increases wound problems, especially when a lift is added. You lower the risks by choosing a surgeon who does explant and capsulectomy routinely, in a licensed hospital with an anaesthesiologist present, and by staying the full time before flying — see flying after surgery.
Choosing a surgeon for explant surgery in Turkey
Ask the surgeon, by name, how often they perform total and en bloc capsulectomy, to show before-and-after photos of explant patients with a similar starting point, whether the capsule goes to pathology, and how a lift or fat transfer would be planned. Make sure the operation is in a licensed hospital, not a day clinic. The general checks are in our guide on how to choose a safe surgeon in Turkey; the surgeons and hospitals on this page are those that perform breast surgery.
Take home the operation report (what was removed, whether the capsule was intact), the pathology report and your implant details; your GP needs them, and so does any future surgeon.
Hospitals with Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery in Turkey
Frequently asked questions
Approximately €2,500–€5,000 for removal with capsulectomy, depending on the type of capsulectomy, whether an implant has ruptured and whether a lift or fat transfer is added. The exact price is confirmed in a written quote after a surgeon reviews your history and imaging.
Removal of the implant and the whole scar capsule together in one sealed piece. It is the standard when BIA-ALCL is suspected and is often requested for ruptured silicone implants. It is not always safely possible when the back of the capsule is stuck to the ribs.
Not if you have no symptoms. The FDA and the MHRA do not recommend removing implants, including textured ones, in women without symptoms. Check your breasts monthly and see a doctor about new swelling or a lump.
No one can promise that. Breast implant illness is not a formal diagnosis and has no test; some women report that their symptoms improve after removal and others do not. See your GP first to rule out other causes.
Often smaller and flatter than before the implants, and sometimes lower, because implants stretch the skin and thin the breast tissue. The skin retracts over three to six months; with larger implants a lift or fat transfer is often recommended.
Yes, many patients do. It saves a second trip but makes the operation longer and adds scars. Some surgeons prefer to wait a few months when the skin is very thin or the capsule is difficult.
About 6–7 days: consultation and tests, surgery with one night in hospital, drain removal and a final check before you fly.
Most patients find it less painful than the original augmentation, especially when implants were under the muscle. Expect soreness and tightness for one to two weeks, controlled with painkillers.
The NHS may remove implants when there is a serious medical problem, such as rupture or severe contracture, but it generally does not replace them or remove them for cosmetic reasons or worry alone.
Yes. Ask for the capsule and any fluid to be sent to a pathology laboratory and for the report in writing, especially if you have textured implants or any swelling.
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