Removal of almost 12 y/o 425 cc submuscular Saline implants, no lift

I saw Dr. Fiala today for my 1 week post op appointment. Once again, Dr. Fiala had exceptional bedside manners, was reassuring, kind, and allowed me ample time to address all of my questions and concerns to him. Recovery is also going great. The biggest hurdle I’ve experienced is how much bigger my belly looks with my smaller breasts (but that’s expected with my MomBod and just gives me more motivation to get back in the gym when I’m cleared to resume all activities). Even with that said, I am so thrilled and beyond happy with the results I currently have and I’m only 1 week post op.
During this past week I’ve had to keep my dressings and surgical bra on, not move my arms over my head and across my chest (my husband has had to wash my hair), 10 lbs weight limit restriction, and sleep at an incline. About 2 days ago the adhesive on my dressings made my skin extremely itchy and start turning red. I wasn’t surprised by this since I have extremely sensitive skin (eczema) and most bandages have this effect on me. I called Dr. Fiala’s office and they told me/confirmed how to care for them (change the dressing, keep steri-strips on, and don’t get the incision area wet). At my appointment they removed the steri-strips as well as my stitches then applied new steri-strips on my incision lines; I’m supposed to leave them in place until my 2 week post-op appt. Dr. Fiala informed me that I can shower normally, lay/sleep on my back and sides if I feel comfortable doing so, and to maintain my 10 lb limit restriction until my next appt. Obviously, I am supposed to wear a compression bra 24/7 too.
As far as the days after surgery, those went well. I only needed to take Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and the prescribed antibiotics to feel comfortable. Occasionally I had to ice my chest when I felt some discomfort but it was only mild to moderate discomfort, at most. My surgery was on Friday and in addition to providing an emergency contact number, Dr. Fiala’s staff called Monday morning to check in. The staff has been extremely pleasant this entire time. When I called Tuesday to explain my skin’s reaction to the adhesive tape I was put in contact with a nurse right away; all of Dr. Fiala’s nurses have been knowledgeable and kind. He has an AMAZING team working with him. Also, I’d like to add after my surgery was completed Dr. Fiala spoke to my husband immediately, was detailed in description, and allowed my husband to address any concerns/questions he had. Dr. Fiala has been extremely professional and caring in every single encounter my husband and I have had with him. You definitely feel and know you’re in good hands with him.
As far as my post-op results, there is some drooping; which, is completely 100% expected considering I had no lift, had 425cc implants, and breastfed over 30 months cumulatively. Even with my droopy breasts I am thrilled. I wish I had them removed sooner! I have very slight bruising near the incision and the incision line is tiny. The biggest “blemish” near the incision line is the now-removed mole under my left breast that I asked Dr. Fiala to remove. It was a decent-sized, large mole and even after removal that area is very clean and small looking. Dr. Fiala explained that he did remove the old incision line when he was closing me up so I can’t wait to see what I will look like when I’m completely healed. On a side note, when I was in the shower washing my hair this evening I noticed that natural breasts move around a lot more than augmented breasts, which I wasn’t expecting since my breasts moved easily even when I had implants (at one point during a breast examination I had an OBGYN say how natural my augmented breasts felt). I know that may sound ridiculous to some but I wasn’t anticipating extra bounce; I am thrilled by it though.
Again, I have absolutely NO REGRETS removing my implants, and doing so without a lift. I wish I did this earlier but I am so glad with all of my research in 2 years I found Dr. Fiala. I cannot recommend him enough!

I am writing this review to help others make a decision that is right for them. Currently I am 31 years old (next month), 5’ 4.5” and 171 lbs... full MomBod despite recently losing 17 lbs since Jan 1. I have been researching implant extraction for 2 years and going over a plethora of reviews and pictures. My original plan was to wait until I was done having children since I’m not sure if I would like more or not. I have two children (2 and 4 y/o) who I breastfed for 15 months each. However, I had a recent health scare which required a mammogram and breast ultrasound (all results came back negative) and I have a family history of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Given that, I decided now was the time to remove my implants.
In July 2007 I was 19 years old (5’3” and 120 lbs) and decided to get 425 cc Saline sub-muscular implants with incisions under the breasts. 6 months later I had a crescent moon nipple lift because my left nipple was 1.5-2 cm lower than the right, even though the implants and pockets were level (according to my plastic surgeon at that time). Prior to augmentation I was a full A/small B cup and my implants made me a full D. They were fun while they lasted and my only complaint was after a few years I began to feel a random dull stabbing feeling (I could never tell if it was the breast or chest wall area) and it wasn’t in relation to my menstrual cycle. I discussed with a doctor who told me to speak to my plastic surgeon. My PS couldn’t do much other than suggest it might be scar tissue breaking up and to speak with my regular doctor. The regular doctor was pretty useless; I saw other doctors over the next few years and it was more of the same. Since it didn’t occur often (only 1-2x/year) I decided to let it go and if it occurred more frequently then I would seek more medical help. Within this past year, I started to experience more of that same pain and finally found an amazing OB/GYN who ordered a mammogram and ultrasound. Again, all results were negative but my mind was made up my implants were coming out sooner than later, for peace of mind.
Other reasons I decided to remove my implants are the following. I don’t want to deal with having to replace them every 10-15 years. I don’t want to get bigger implants or lifts every time to fill excess saggy skin. It’s taken me a long time to feel secure in the skin I’m in and the way my post-baby body is. If my natural breasts are droopy and I’m insecure I’ll just invest in a great push-up bra and swimsuit top. Furthermore, when I spoke to the breast ultrasound tech and she could tell I was adamant about removal she added that it’s better to do it now vs later because she has seen a few patients 75+ y/o who have serious health concerns (cardiac issues, etc) that can’t find a plastic surgeon willing to remove implants that cause them pain because they are considered too high risk for surgery. While I wonder why their health insurance (assuming these patients have it) won’t cover something that seems medically necessary, it was a very good point the tech brought up. What happens when all of us augmented ladies become seniors and might find ourselves in a similar situation?? Lastly, I figure now is the time to remove them because I still have age on my side so if my body is going to absorb some of the droopiness after removal then it’s better to do it sooner than later, in my opinion.
I now live in Central Florida and after meeting with many plastic surgeons I made a consultation with Dr. Fiala. He was kind, excellent bedside manner, thorough, and took an ample amount of time answering all of my questions. He even quietly waited as I looked over my long list of questions/concerns to make sure I was able to bring it all to his attention. This was something I did not experience with all of the plastic surgeons I met. I know this sounds harsh but if I’m being 100% honest most plastic surgeons present themselves as stereotypical ‘used car salesmen’ by always trying to up-sell. I even had one PS suggest I get a Mommy Makeover... nice way to play on the MomBod insecurities. Let me assure you that Dr. Fiala is NOT THAT type of plastic surgeon! I told him that I preferred not to have a lift and he agreed that it’s not necessary. He did say that due to the low location of my nipples I am a candidate for a lift but that we can remove the implants without a lift and should I decide in the future that I’d like one I can do so later. When I asked approximately how much natural tissue I have left he said he thinks I have a full B/small C, which I was stunned. (If I had that much tissue when I was 19 I highly doubt I would’ve augmented my breasts). Anyway, I’d like to add that Dr. Fiala’s staff (from the receptionists, nurses, and schedule coordinator) have all been nice, reassuring, and knowledgeable.
For my procedure Dr. Fiala and I decided to remove the implants under general anesthesia and if the capsules were not thick or presented themselves as problematic then we would leave them. Since I had no preference about having a capsulectomy, I asked him why some people think it’s necessary to have one and he explained in length it was for health concerns. He added that there has yet to be a proven link between implants and some of the health issues patients bring up but, in no way was he dismissive of those patients; he just explained what current research says. He did add that if he has a patient who insists on having a capsulectomy he would do so but most patients don’t need one. He said he would cauterize the capsules to help them close/heal faster and the capsules should fully close in several (6-7) months. Dr. Fiala explained my incisions would be under the breast and only a few centimeters wide. I was under anesthesia for only an hour. From what I remember and my husband was told, everything went great during surgery. I did vomit twice afterwards, which has never happened from anesthesia before, but, I’m certain it’s because I drank too much water in recovery. I was very thirsty and even the recovery room nurse was a bit stunned I drank my water as fast as I did. She looked away for barely a minute to explain post-op instructions to my husband and that’s when I managed to drink my water. When I asked for more she said “let’s hold off and see how that sits.” Oops on my part. Before I forget, I did ask Dr. Fiala to remove a mole under my left breast that was hidden in the fold of the breast but I remember being very visible before augmentation. Since it’s wrapped in dressing, I can’t currently report on how it looks.
As far as recovery, I’m 1 day post op and so far so good. I would like to add that for anyone considering extraction please expect the worst results. Anything better than the worst will be a pleasant surprise. After all my research I was fully expecting my breasts to look heinous (concave, super droopy, inverted nipples, you name it). So far I am pleasantly surprised. Of course they’re not as full on top and droopy but I was 100% expecting this; after all, I breastfed for 30 months total and was removing 425 cc of saline implants. Unfortunately I can’t take off my surgical bra until my 1 week post op but from what I can see, it looks very good. I don’t see any concave effect in my breasts and when I peek at my nipples they’re not inverted looking. Also, I’m surprised at how much tissue there is but we will see how that changes as my swelling diminishes. As far as pain, I’m comfortable while taking only Ibuprofen and Tylenol and occasionally icing my chest. I don’t need the heavier drugs to be comfortable. I haven’t been to the gym in forever but it feels comparable to the soreness after a heavy chest day. The biggest nuisances about my recovery is having to wear a surgical bra and not remove any dressings until my 1 week post op appt. That, and not being able to lift my kids (25 lbs and 40 lbs) for 2 weeks. Therefore, showering will be an adventure and I will have to be creative comforting crying children. I also am not allowed to lift my arms above my head or extend my arm across my body so I’m dependent on my 6’ 1” husband to grab items that are too high and to do another things due to my limited mobility. All in all, I’m a happy camper and can’t report on much more until my 1 week post op appt. I will try to update then.
I hope this lengthy review helps some you! Also, when researching a PS make sure to look at ALL of their work. Breast implant removal, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, rhinoplasty, etc. I noticed some plastic surgeons seem to have better work in some areas but not all. I wanted to make sure my plastic surgeon had beautiful work no matter what area of the body they’re operating on; Dr. Fiala has beautiful work in every thing I searched!