Removing an existing implant leaves a cavity that fills with fluid before it settles, so drains, swelling, and a firm feeling in the breast are usual for the first weeks. The breast may look flatter or looser than before while the tissue and capsule retract. Bleeding, hematoma, infection, and changes in nipple sensation are possible. Where the capsule is thickened or calcified, part or all of it is taken out, which lengthens recovery.
With the new implant in place, swelling, bruising, and tightness across the chest ease over one to two weeks, and the shape keeps settling for several months. Capsular contracture can firm or distort the breast at any time, and rupture, rippling, displacement, asymmetry, or infection may require a further operation to revise or remove the implant. Scars fade but remain visible. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma linked to breast implants has been reported very rarely.