The short answer is yes. Breast implant removal or exchange at Aylan Clinic allows international patients to have ageing implants removed, replaced, or a specific concern addressed, for up to 60% less than private prices at home. You do not need to justify wanting your implants out: some patients have a clinical reason such as a rupture or a contracture, and many simply want to return to their own body. All of those are reasons enough, and we treat them as such. You stay seven to fourteen days depending on the procedure, with daily nursing visits, and you leave with your operative report and, where the capsule was removed, the pathology result.
This guide sits within our breast surgery in Turkey hub, in our wider aesthetic surgery in Turkey section. It explains removal and exchange, what your breasts will look like afterwards, how the capsule is assessed, capsular contracture and rupture, symptoms some patients attribute to implants, your trip day by day, recovery, aftercare, and how a price is built. For a personalised plan you can start with the category hub or see our pricing in Turkey page at any time. One practical note first: if you have noticed a change in one breast, such as swelling, a new lump or unexplained pain, that is worth having assessed at home before booking. The section below explains why, and it takes very little to arrange.
1. Understanding removal and exchange
The two options
Removal takes the implant out without replacing it, often called explant. Exchange replaces the old implant with a new one, potentially of a different size, shape or type. They produce very different results, and choosing between them is the main decision at your consultation.
What patients come for
The reasons divide roughly into two groups, and both are equally legitimate.
- A clinical reason. Implant rupture, a capsular contracture that has made the breast firm or distorted, implant displacement, thinning of the overlying tissue, or symptoms a patient attributes to her implants.
- A personal reason. Wanting to return to a natural appearance. Finding that the volume no longer suits her body, her age or her life. Wanting a different size. Being tired of the monitoring. Or simply having changed her mind, which is allowed.
A meaningful proportion of our explant patients are in the second group, and it is a growing one. Nothing has gone wrong; they want something different now.
What is the capsule?
A fibrous capsule forms naturally around any implant, which is a normal tissue response rather than a problem in itself. Depending on its condition, the surgeon may leave it, remove part of it (partial capsulectomy), or remove it entirely (total capsulectomy). A thin, supple capsule can be left in place and will resolve on its own. A thickened, calcified capsule, or one causing contracture, is removed. The decision is made from the state of your capsule rather than as a default.
En bloc removal
This means removing the implant and the capsule together as a single unit, without opening the capsule. It has a precise indication: where there is a suspicion of the rare lymphoma associated with breast implants, en bloc removal is the standard of care. It is also appropriate where the capsule is markedly thickened or calcified. Outside those situations, its systematic benefit over a well-performed total or partial capsulectomy is debated in the surgical literature, and it is a more extensive operation. What matters for you is that the capsule decision is made from your capsule, on imaging beforehand and on direct assessment during surgery, rather than from a default position in either direction. Your surgeon will explain what is planned and why, and the operative report records what was actually done.
2. If you have noticed a change
Why this comes early
Because a small number of patients arrive with a symptom rather than a preference, and for them the sequence matters. A change in one breast that has appeared over weeks or months, such as swelling, a new lump, unexplained pain, or a rapid change in shape, is worth having assessed before a surgical plan is made.
What that involves
Imaging, meaning ultrasound and often MRI, and where fluid is present around the implant, analysis of it. It is straightforward, it is usually covered at home, and in the great majority of cases it is reassuring.
Why it is better done at home
Because it is covered, because your own records hold the history, and because the findings shape the plan. Where the assessment shows a thickened capsule or fluid, the surgery planned is different from a straightforward exchange. Doing it first means arriving with the information rather than discovering it on the table.
What we ask for
Any recent imaging you have, and the report. If you have noticed a change and have not yet had it looked at, we will suggest you do, and we will hold your dates while you arrange it. That is not a delay tactic. It means your plan is built on what is actually there. If your imaging is normal, which it usually is, you proceed with a plan informed by a current picture of your capsule and implants, which is a better starting point than assumption.
3. What your breasts will look like afterwards
The honest answer
After simple removal, your breast returns to approximately the appearance it had before implantation, minus the effects of time, any pregnancies since, and the stretching the implant itself caused. In practical terms: smaller than you are now, often with some descent, and sometimes with visible skin looseness in the first months. The larger your implants and the longer you have had them, the more stretching there will be. A patient who had modest implants for six years has a very different starting point from one who had large implants for twenty.
Why we set this out plainly
Because it is the difference between a satisfied patient and a disappointed one, and it costs nothing to explain properly. Patients who arrive knowing what to expect are consistently happy with explant. Patients who expected their pre-implant breasts back are the ones who struggle, and that is entirely preventable with a clear conversation and photographs at consultation.
Does the skin retract?
Yes, and often more than patients expect, but unpredictably, and over months rather than weeks. Retraction continues for three to twelve months. Young, elastic skin retracts well. Skin stretched by large implants over fifteen years retracts less. This is why the first month is not your result, and why the lift question is best deferred.
The lift question
Where there is skin looseness, a lift can be combined with removal, or deferred. Many surgeons prefer to wait, and the reasoning is sound: remove the implants, allow six to twelve months of retraction, then assess whether a lift is genuinely needed. A meaningful proportion of patients find it is not, or that far less is needed than it appeared at one month. Removing skin immediately risks an overly tight result once retraction occurs. Some patients prefer a single procedure and accept the trade-off, which is a reasonable choice made knowingly. Your consultation sets out both, with photographs of each approach.
Fat grafting: the option most patients have not considered
One of the best indications for fat transfer. It restores part of the lost volume using your own tissue, without reintroducing a prosthesis, and the donor area is contoured at the same time. Typically performed as a second stage once retraction has stabilised, though it can sometimes be combined with removal. For a patient who wants her implants out but does not want to feel deflated, this is frequently the answer, and it comes up in most explant consultations.
4. Assessing your capsule and your implants
Finding your implant details
Brand, model and lot number determine whether a manufacturer warranty may apply, whether your implants are subject to any particular surveillance, and what technical precautions are useful. There are three routes to finding them: your implant card, if you were given one; the records of the clinic that operated on you, which should retain the data; or, failing both, identification at removal.
If you cannot find them
Surgery proceeds without difficulty. Say so and your surgeon will plan accordingly. The implants removed are identified during the operation, and that information is given to you. A number of patients learn what they had for the first time this way, and it is useful for their records going forward.
What imaging shows
Ultrasound, and MRI where indicated, shows the state of the implants, whether the shell is intact, and the state of the capsule: thin and supple, thickened, or calcified. That determines the capsule plan, which determines the extent of the operation, which determines your stay and your recovery. It is worth having.
Manufacturer warranty
Many recognised manufacturers guarantee against rupture, sometimes for life, and may contribute toward the cost of replacement surgery under defined conditions. This applies only to traceable implants, which is one more reason to find your card. If your imaging suggests rupture, check with the manufacturer before incurring costs. It is a short enquiry and occasionally worth a substantial amount.
Pathology on the capsule
Where the capsule is removed, it is sent for laboratory examination as standard practice, particularly where it is thickened, calcified, or where fluid was present. Request the result and keep it in your medical file. It is medical information that belongs to you, and it is occasionally useful.
5. Capsular contracture
How it presents
The breast becomes firm, rides higher than before, changes shape, and sometimes becomes uncomfortable. It can develop months or years after implantation. It is the most common late reason patients seek revision, and it is entirely treatable.
How it is treated
Surgically: implant removal or exchange with capsulectomy. Removing the capsule rather than simply releasing it gives more durable results. Where an exchange is planned, changing the implant plane or type may be proposed to reduce the chance of recurrence, a discussion worth having, since it is what makes the second result last longer than the first.
The relief is often immediate
Patients who have lived with a firm, uncomfortable contracture for months frequently report that the discomfort is gone within days of removal. It is one of the more satisfying revision procedures for exactly that reason.
If you have had more than one
A patient who has had contracture recur after a previous exchange has a higher chance of it happening again. For that patient, definitive removal, with or without fat grafting to restore some volume, is worth genuine consideration rather than another attempt with a prosthesis. It is a conversation we have openly, and a number of patients find it a relief to have the option set out.
6. Implant rupture
How it presents
A saline implant deflates visibly and unmistakably. A silicone gel implant can be damaged without any outward sign, since the cohesive gel holds its shape. This is why periodic imaging forms part of long-term implant follow-up.
How it is confirmed
Ultrasound, and most reliably MRI, which is the most sensitive test.
What is done
Removal or exchange, with the capsule addressed according to its state and the extent of any gel outside the shell.
Check the warranty
Rupture is the situation manufacturer warranties are designed for. Check before incurring costs. It is a short enquiry and it may cover the implant, and sometimes contribute to the surgery. Your implant card is what makes the enquiry possible, which is the practical argument for finding it.
7. Symptoms some patients attribute to implants
Taking it seriously
Some patients report a constellation of symptoms, such as fatigue, joint discomfort and cognitive difficulty among others, that they associate with their implants. This is the subject of ongoing research and discussion. Our position is straightforward: these symptoms deserve to be taken seriously and investigated properly, without being dismissed and without being attributed to the implants before other explanations have been considered. A medical assessment at home, where it is covered and where your history is held, is the appropriate first step.
What we can and cannot say about removal
Honestly: some patients report improvement after removal, and some do not. We cannot promise that removal will resolve symptoms, and we would not. Any clinic that does is claiming more than is known. What we can do is remove the implants and the capsule properly, document what was found, and send you home with the pathology result, which is useful information for you and for your doctor.
Why patients tell us they appreciate this
Because the alternative, being promised a cure and then not getting one, is worse. Patients who proceed with realistic expectations and who do feel better are delighted. Patients who proceed with realistic expectations and do not feel better are at least not additionally disappointed. A number have said that being told plainly was the reason they chose us.
8. Why patients choose Turkey for revision surgery
| Factor | At home | Turkey — Aylan Clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Wait time | Often long, particularly for revision | Rapid scheduling |
| Cost | Possible coverage for a documented complication | At your expense, well below private prices at home |
| Accommodation | Your responsibility | 5-star hotel, full board included |
| Companion | Additional cost | Free, accommodated and fed |
| Daily wound care | Scheduled appointments | Daily nursing visits during your stay |
| Capsule pathology | Standard | Standard, with the result given to you |
Where revision experience matters
Revision breast surgery is more demanding than primary surgery. The tissues have been altered, the capsule must be assessed and addressed, the result depends on what remains, and the surgical planes are not virgin. It is entirely reasonable to ask any surgeon how much revision work they do. A high-volume plastic surgery centre sees these cases constantly, which is a genuine advantage.
Coverage at home
Worth checking. Implant removal for a documented medical complication, such as confirmed rupture, painful contracture or infection, may qualify as a medical indication under your health plan. Removal for personal preference is generally considered cosmetic. Public plans generally do not reimburse surgery performed abroad, so a procedure here will be at your expense either way. But if your situation involves a documented complication, ask your plan before deciding. Many patients still choose to travel, because revision waiting times can be long. That is a legitimate reason; it is simply better to know.
Two things worth checking before you pay anything
- A manufacturer warranty, where rupture is involved.
- Public or private coverage, where a complication is documented.
Both are frequently overlooked, both take a short enquiry, and either can materially change the arithmetic. We suggest both at consultation.
9. Assessment: building your plan
The online consultation
You send photographs, your implant details if you have them, any recent imaging, and a description of what you want. Your surgeon reviews it and provides a plan and quote, including the capsule approach, whether a lift is recommended or better deferred, and whether fat grafting interests you. What to send: photographs from the front, three-quarter and profile, standing, arms at your sides and then raised, in light-coloured underwear, unfiltered. Add the date of your original surgery, your implant details if known, any imaging report, your height and weight, and a note of what is prompting the change.
On-site assessment
Clinical examination with measurements, assessment of your skin quality and tissue thickness, blood work, and breast imaging where you do not have recent studies.
What determines the plan
- The state of your capsule, from imaging and examination.
- Your skin quality and how much stretching has occurred, which determines what removal will look like and whether a lift will be wanted.
- Whether you want volume restored, and if so whether by exchange or by fat grafting.
- Your own priority: one procedure, or a staged approach with a better final result.
The consultation
This is where the expectations conversation happens, with photographs. Patients arriving for explant should see one-year photographs of explant results, not augmentation results, on patients with similar implant size and duration. Ask for them specifically. Many clinics photograph augmentations and have fewer explant results to show, and the difference tells you something about how much of this work they do.
10. Your trip, day by day
Seven to ten days after simple removal or exchange. Ten to fourteen days after extensive capsulectomy or where a lift is combined.
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 1 — Arrival | Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel with your companion. Nothing clinical today. |
| Day 2 — Assessment | Clinical examination, blood work, and imaging where needed. Then the consultation: the capsule plan, the lift question, whether fat grafting interests you now or later, and one-year photographs of comparable explant results. By the end of the day your plan is confirmed. |
| Day 3 — Surgery | Marking in the morning. Then the procedure under general anaesthesia, one to three hours depending on the extent. You wake in a supportive garment. Where extensive capsulectomy was performed, drains are sometimes used. You will be asked to get up and walk within hours. One night in hospital, sometimes two after extensive capsulectomy. |
| Day 4 — Transfer to hotel | Discharge to your hotel with your first nursing visit. Drains removed if used. Simple removal is generally not very painful, frequently less than the original implantation, which surprises many patients. Total capsulectomy is more uncomfortable. |
| Days 5 to 8 — Recovery | A nurse visits daily to check your dressings, review medication and answer questions. Most patients notice a clear turning point around day three or four after simple removal. And a number notice something else: where a contracture was removed, the discomfort they had lived with is gone. |
| Days 9 to 10 — Review and departure | Your surgeon reviews the result. Sutures removed if applicable. Final review, and your documentation: operative report, the identification of the implants removed, the pathology result where the capsule was removed, an implant card where new implants were placed, and written aftercare guidance. |
Where a lift or extensive capsulectomy was performed, add three to four days. Your surgeon confirms your departure date.
11. Recovery and the first months
| Period | Typically reported progress |
|---|---|
| Day of surgery | Groggy, supportive garment in place. Discomfort moderate after simple removal, more noticeable after capsulectomy. |
| Days 1 to 2 | Swelling and some bruising. The chest feels oddly light, which a number of patients comment on. |
| Days 3 to 4 | The turning point after simple removal. Most patients move to over-the-counter pain relief. |
| Days 5 to 10 | Progressive improvement, drains out if used, surgical review, departure. |
| Weeks 2 to 4 | Desk work at seven to ten days after simple removal, longer after capsulectomy or a combined lift. |
| Month 1 | The phase worth being prepared for. The breast can look deflated and loose, and it is the least flattering point in the whole process. |
| Months 2 to 6 | Skin retraction progresses, and it is frequently more than patients expected at one month. Shape improves steadily. |
| Months 6 to 12 | Retraction completes. This is when your result is assessable, and when the lift question is properly answered. |
The first month, honestly
Several of our patients have said that being warned about the first month mattered more than any other piece of advice. It is transitory. Skin that looks loose at four weeks frequently looks considerably better at three months, and better again at six. Photograph yourself monthly: progress is gradual enough that you will not perceive it day to day, and comparing photographs is genuinely reassuring.
What helps
A supportive but not tight bra, which encourages retraction. Stable weight. Not smoking, which affects skin quality directly. And patience with the timeline.
12. Aftercare and daily life
What to wear
After removal, a supportive but non-compressive bra, which encourages the skin to retract. After exchange with new implants, a standard compression bra as for any augmentation. Where fat grafting was combined, follow the specific instructions, as grafted tissue is not compressed.
Sleeping
On your back, slightly elevated, for two to three weeks after simple removal; three to four weeks after extensive capsulectomy or a combined lift. To get out of bed, roll onto your side and push up with your elbows.
Preparing your home before you travel
Move everything to waist height. Front-fastening tops. Three or four pillows plus one for each elbow. Prepared food or deliveries. No lifting pets or children. Help arranged for the first two or three days if you live alone.
Buying bras
Wait until six months, once retraction has stabilised. Buying at one month is something a number of patients have done and regretted. Then have a professional fitting. Patients frequently comment that being fitted for their own body, rather than around implants, is a distinctly good experience.
Returning to activity
Walking, from day one. Desk work, seven to ten days after simple removal; two to three weeks after capsulectomy. Physical work, three to six weeks depending on extent. Light exercise, three to four weeks. Running, six weeks with a supportive sports bra. Upper body weights, six weeks, longer after a combined lift.
13. Aylan Clinic serves patients across the country
Aylan Clinic works with patients from every region. Wherever you live, the process begins the same way: a free online consultation, with photographs sent from home and no need to travel before your dates are confirmed. Below are practical notes on travelling to Istanbul.
Major urban centres
Our largest source cities offer the most direct connections to Istanbul, the simplest journey. Across the wider metropolitan areas we regularly work with patients from surrounding towns, most of whom drive to the main international airport rather than connecting domestically.
Regional and remote areas
Patients from more distant regions typically connect through a major hub. Journeys from remote areas involve a domestic connection, so we recommend an overnight stay near your arrival airport on the return. Revision waiting times at major centres are frequently the longest for patients from these regions, which is why a number of our explant enquiries come from here.
Staged approaches
Where a staged approach is chosen, meaning removal now and fat grafting or a lift later, the frequency of departures from major hubs makes the second stage straightforward to arrange. We discuss the timing at your first consultation so it can be arranged around your own travel.
How we handle the logistics
Whichever city you are travelling from, your coordinator arranges airport transfers at both ends in Istanbul, confirms your hotel before you depart, and builds your schedule around your arrival time. Three recommendations: schedule your assessment for the day after you land, since the consultation involves real decisions; avoid a same-day domestic connection on your return; and book an aisle seat, since you should be standing and walking every hour. If you are unsure how to structure your travel from your city, ask. We have arranged revision trips from a wide range of cities.
14. What the package includes
- Free online consultation with a plan and quote, including the capsule approach and the lift question
- Full on-site assessment: clinical examination with measurements, skin quality evaluation, blood work, breast imaging where recent studies are not available
- An unhurried consultation with one-year photographs of comparable explant results
- Standing surgical marking
- The procedure, general anaesthesia and hospitalisation
- Capsule addressed according to its state — partial, total or en bloc as indicated
- New implants where an exchange is planned, with an implant card
- Lift or fat grafting where these form part of your plan
- Drains where used, and their removal
- Supportive garment
- Daily nursing visits and wound care throughout your hotel stay
- Surgical review before departure, with sutures removed if applicable
- Identification of the implants removed, given to you
- Pathology examination of the capsule where removed, with the result given to you
- Written aftercare guidance, including realistic expectations for the first months
- Operative report describing what was removed and how
- 5-star hotel accommodation, full board
- A companion at no extra cost, accommodated and fed in the same room
- Airport–clinic–hotel transfers
- A personal coordinator from arrival to departure
- English and French-speaking patient liaison available on request
The surgical team
- Senior plastic surgeon experienced in revision breast surgery and capsule management
- Female plastic surgeon available for patients who prefer a female surgeon
- Anaesthetist for pre-operative assessment and continuous monitoring
- Dedicated nurse for daily post-operative care throughout your stay
15. Results by patient profile
Removal for personal reasons
A patient of forty-six with implants placed at twenty-six, who wanted to return to her own body. The consultation focused entirely on what the result would look like: smaller, with some looseness in the first months and progressive retraction thereafter. She saw one-year photographs of patients with similar implant size and duration. Simple removal with a thin capsule left in place. At eight months her retraction was better than she had expected, and she decided against the lift she had thought she would need. She has said the expectations conversation was what made her confident, and it is the conversation this page exists to have.
Exchange for rupture
A patient whose MRI showed damage to a gel implant shell. Exchange with partial capsulectomy, and a different implant plane chosen to reduce the chance of a repeat contracture. Her manufacturer warranty covered the implant and contributed to the surgery, which she only discovered because we suggested she check.
Contracture relieved
A patient with a firm, high, uncomfortable breast eighteen months after her original augmentation. Removal with total capsulectomy. The discomfort she had lived with was gone within days. She chose not to replace the implant, and fat grafting at nine months restored some volume.
Removal with deferred lift
A patient with large implants placed fourteen years earlier and considerable skin stretching. She had assumed a lift would be needed at the same time. Her surgeon recommended deferring it. At ten months her retraction was substantial, and the lift she eventually had was considerably less extensive than it would have been at month one. Deferring produced a better result with a smaller operation, and it is why the recommendation exists.
Removal with fat grafting
A patient who wanted her implants out but did not want to feel deflated. Removal first, then fat grafting at seven months once retraction had stabilised. Two trips, no prosthesis, and volume restored with her own tissue. This is a very common pathway and it is worth knowing about.
A patient who had her imaging done first
A patient who had noticed swelling in one breast over two months. On our suggestion she had it assessed at home before booking. Her imaging showed a thickened capsule with fluid, which changed the plan from a straightforward exchange to removal with total capsulectomy and pathology. She arrived with the information rather than discovering it on the table, and that is the sequence we suggest to anyone with a symptom.
A patient with unresolved symptoms
A patient reporting fatigue and joint discomfort she associated with her implants. She had been assessed at home and no other cause had been identified. We were straightforward: some patients report improvement after removal and some do not, and we could not promise. She proceeded on that basis, with removal and total capsulectomy and pathology on the capsule. Her symptoms improved substantially. Others in her position have not, and she was told that beforehand, which is why she has said the honesty was the reason she chose us.
16. Questions worth asking any clinic
- “What is the state of my capsule, and what do you plan to do with it?” The answer should come from imaging and examination rather than a default position.
- “Why partial, total or en bloc in my case?” A reasoned answer indicates the decision is being made from your anatomy.
- “Will the capsule be sent for pathology, and will I receive the result?” Standard practice, and the result belongs to you.
- “What will my breasts look like after removal?” The most important question, and a good answer includes one-year photographs of comparable explant results.
- “Can I see explant results, not augmentation results?” A clinic with a substantial revision practice will have them.
- “Do you recommend a lift now or deferred, and why?” A surgeon who recommends waiting is usually thinking about your result.
- “Would fat grafting suit me, and when?” Frequently the answer for patients who do not want to feel deflated.
- “Will I be told which implants were removed?” You should be, particularly if you never had a card.
- “Should I check for a manufacturer warranty or public coverage first?” A clinic that suggests both is being straight with you.
17. Practical points to know
What to expect
Simple removal is generally not very painful, often less than the original augmentation. Total capsulectomy is more uncomfortable and involves a longer stay. A turning point around day three or four after simple removal. The first month is the least flattering point, deflated and loose in appearance. It is transitory, and retraction over three to twelve months frequently exceeds what patients expected at four weeks. Your result is assessable at six to twelve months.
Recognised points
Revision surgery is well established, and your surgeon will discuss the considerations relevant to your plan. The main ones: haematoma, most likely in the first 48 hours. Infection, uncommon and treated promptly. A more extensive operation with total capsulectomy than with simple removal, with correspondingly more swelling and a longer recovery, and, where the capsule adheres closely to the chest wall, a small risk of pneumothorax, which is one reason total capsulectomy is performed where indicated rather than by default. Skin looseness where retraction is less than hoped, addressed by a deferred lift. Altered nipple sensation, uncommon after simple removal. Where new implants are placed, the considerations for augmentation apply again. And venous thrombosis, which is why early mobilisation, compression stockings and the flying interval matter.
Stopping smoking
Useful here, and particularly where a lift is combined. Nicotine constricts the small vessels the skin depends on, and it also affects skin retraction, which is the thing you want most after removal. Stopping for at least four weeks before and after makes a genuine difference. Public quitlines are free.
Hormonal contraception
Increases thrombotic risk, which compounds with surgery and a long flight. Disclose it.
Who this suits
Adults in general good health, with a clear picture of what removal will look like and of the timeline for retraction. Where you have noticed a change in one breast that has not been assessed, we would ask you to arrange that first; the earlier section explains why, and it takes a short appointment at home. Surgery is not performed during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
18. Flying home
Why the interval
It covers the period of maximum haematoma risk and allows a proper review before you travel. Capsulectomy is a more extensive operation with drains sometimes used, which warrants the additional days. Confirm your date with the clinical team before booking a non-changeable return fare.
Making the flight easier
- Book an aisle seat. You should stand and walk every hour.
- Wear your supportive garment, graduated compression stockings, and loose clothing that fastens at the front.
- Before boarding, take your analgesia, walk the terminal, hydrate.
- During the flight, walk the aisle hourly, flex your ankles when seated, drink water, avoid alcohol.
- Keep in your cabin bag: operative report, pathology result, implant card if new implants were placed, and medication.
- Request airport assistance when booking.
19. Long-term follow-up
After complete removal
A clinical review, then continued breast cancer screening according to the guidelines for your age and family history. Tell your radiologist about your implant history and their removal, as residual capsule or calcifications may appear on imaging, and knowing the history allows accurate interpretation. Beyond that, your follow-up becomes essentially that of a woman who has had no breast surgery: no implant card to keep, no periodic implant imaging, no replacement to plan, and a number of patients rate that simplicity as one of the reasons they chose removal.
After exchange
Implant follow-up resumes: an annual clinical review and periodic imaging. Keep the card for your new implants, request it before you leave, and photograph it.
Keep your documentation
Operative report, the identification of the implants removed, and the pathology result on the capsule. Give copies to your family doctor. For bras, wait until six months once retraction has stabilised, with a professional fitting.
20. Price: how it is built and how to compare it
Why we quote per case rather than publishing a price list
Because the range is wide. Simple removal with a thin capsule left in place, and removal with total capsulectomy plus a lift, are entirely different operations. Your quote is built from your photographs, your imaging where available, and your implant details, itemised, and fixed once you approve it.
What determines your price
- Removal or exchange, and whether new implants are included.
- The capsule approach, whether left in place, partial, total or en bloc. This is the largest variable in the surgical extent, and it is determined by the state of your capsule rather than chosen from a menu.
- Whether a lift is combined, or deferred to a second stage.
- Whether fat grafting forms part of the plan, now or later.
- The length of your stay, since accommodation, full board and daily nursing are included, and extensive capsulectomy carries a longer stay.
- Whether imaging is needed on site, or you bring recent studies from home.
What is included in your quote
The online consultation and plan. Full on-site assessment with measurements, skin evaluation, blood work and imaging where needed. The consultation with comparable one-year explant photographs. Standing marking. The procedure, anaesthesia and hospitalisation. The capsule addressed as indicated. New implants with a card where an exchange is planned. Drains where used. Supportive garment. Daily nursing visits. Surgical review and suture removal. Identification of the implants removed. Pathology on the capsule where removed, with the result. Written aftercare guidance. Operative report. Your 5-star hotel with full board. Airport transfers. Your coordinator throughout. A companion is accommodated and fed at no additional cost.
What sits outside it
Flights, travel insurance, follow-up at home, scar care products, new bras at six months, and, where you choose a staged approach, a second trip for a lift or fat grafting.
How to compare quotes properly
- What capsule approach does the quote assume? Simple removal and total capsulectomy are substantially different operations at substantially different prices, and a quote that does not specify is not comparable.
- Does it include a lift, or is the lift deferred and quoted separately? The most common source of confusion.
- Is pathology on the capsule included, and will you receive the result?
- How many nights, and how many nursing visits?
- Is a companion included?
Why the lowest quote is rarely the best value
On revision surgery the savings available concern the capsule and the stay: a quote assuming the capsule is left in place is cheaper than one assuming total capsulectomy, and they are not the same operation. What matters more is whether the capsule plan matches your capsule. That is determined by imaging and examination, which is why we ask for both.
Insurance and payment
Removal for a documented complication may qualify at home. Care abroad is generally not reimbursed, but ask before deciding. Request itemised invoicing separating the surgical procedure from accommodation and travel. Travel medical insurance is worth arranging; read the exclusions, as many policies exclude complications of elective surgery, and ask in writing. A deposit confirms your dates. The balance is settled on site, under terms set out in full when you approve your plan. There are no additional charges once accepted. See our pricing in Turkey page for a fuller overview.
21. Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Explant | Removal of breast implants |
| Exchange | Replacement with new implants |
| Capsule | The fibrous envelope forming naturally around any implant |
| Capsulectomy | Removal of the capsule, partial or total |
| En bloc removal | Implant and capsule removed together, without opening the capsule |
| Capsular contracture | Thickening of the capsule, making the breast firm or distorted |
| Skin retraction | The skin’s ability to tighten after implant removal; three to twelve months |
| Deferred lift | A lift performed six to twelve months after removal, once retraction has stabilised |
| Fat grafting | Restoring volume with your own tissue, without a prosthesis |
| Implant card | Traceability document; brand, model, volume and lot number |
22. How patients search for this
Common searches include “breast implant removal Turkey”, the most frequent, and “explant surgery”, increasingly used and popularised by patient communities. “Going back to natural” describes the motivation of a growing proportion of patients accurately, while “what do breasts look like after explant” is the most important question, answered directly above. “En bloc capsulectomy” is widely discussed; it has a precise indication, and the capsule decision should come from your capsule. “Capsular contracture symptoms” describes a breast becoming firm, high, distorted or uncomfortable, months or years after surgery, and it is entirely treatable. “Silent rupture silicone implant” reflects that gel implants can be damaged without visible signs, which is why periodic imaging matters. “Implant removal covered” is possible where a complication is documented, and worth asking. “Do I need a lift after explant” is often less than it appears at one month, since deferring six to twelve months frequently means a smaller operation. “Fat transfer after implant removal” is one of the best indications for fat grafting and a very common pathway. “Implant warranty rupture” applies to many manufacturers, sometimes for life, so check before paying, as your implant card makes it possible. “Breast implant illness” describes symptoms that deserve proper investigation; some patients report improvement after removal and some do not, and no clinic can promise. “Skin retraction after explant” takes three to twelve months, and is frequently better than patients expect at one month.
In summary
Breast implant removal or exchange at Aylan Clinic combines surgeons experienced in revision breast surgery, a capsule plan built from imaging and examination rather than a default, pathology on the capsule where removed, identification of the implants taken out, and daily nursing visits throughout your stay, with 5-star accommodation and a companion at no extra cost, for up to 60% less than private prices at home. Four things that make this go well: you do not need a reason, since wanting them out is reason enough and we treat it that way; understand what removal will look like, meaning smaller, with some looseness at first, and retraction over three to twelve months that is frequently better than expected, so ask for one-year explant photographs; consider deferring the lift, since six to twelve months of retraction often means a smaller operation and sometimes no lift at all; and check two things before you pay anything, a manufacturer warranty where rupture is involved and public or private coverage where a complication is documented. And if you have noticed a change in one breast, have it assessed at home first; we will hold your dates while you do.
To plan your own procedure, explore the full range of breast surgery in Turkey and see our pricing in Turkey page for a personalised quote.