Breast Implant Removal: Stories
Write a ReviewFaulty Pip Implants to Be Removed. - United Kingdom
- flashgirl
- updated 1 year ago
- Worth It
- london
Hello everyone, here’s my story: I had...
- 8 Apr 2012
- 14 days pre
Hello everyone, here’s my story: I had silicone implants in July 2000. I was 27 at the time and 34a/b. I was also pear shaped and wanted to be evened up and to feel more feminine. My aim was to be a c cup, as i didn’t want anything too obvious. I went to a company called Bodylooks as the surgeons that they used were well-respected NHS surgeons within good private hospitals. The company has since gone into administration.
The implants were done in the July 2000 and were bigger than I had wanted, turning out to be a 34dd. I never wanted an obvious boob job and didn’t want anyone to know (apart from very close people). To be honest I have always been embarrassed as I didn’t want to be seen as a fake... part of me was still that shy girl inside who used to cover herself up with baggy clothes. Since I have tended to keep myself covered up and not promote the fact that they aren’t real, but saying that I was very pleased with the look in clothes – just not too tight ones! I definitely gained more confidence. Unfortunately there were some downsides. I lost a lot of sensation in both breasts, with numbness on the underside and with nipple sensation virtually non-existent in one breast and ridiculously painfully sensitive in the other. Obviously this wasn’t ideal (but I wasn’t happy with what the look of my boobs were like before anyway....so i kind of accepted it as a downside). The really difficult part for me came when I had my children, as I was unable to breast feed - I believed the surgeon when he said that I would still be able to bf . But for me, one nipple was numb and the other was so sensitive that it felt like a needle was being put through it. Psychologically this really affected me as I felt like a terrible mother. But who knows, perhaps the children may have been affected by leaching silicone…one can’t say and will never know. Other downsides were obvious ones like sleeping on your front/hugging people etc.
By 2011, I knew that because my implants were nearly 12 years old that they would have to be changed. I was kind of burying my head in the sand as they weren’t causing me any obvious problems. Then the pip scandal broke out in the news in the UK late 2011. I didn’t honestly think I was affected as on the hospital website it had said that all patients who had received pips had been written to in 2010, which I hadn’t. I called the hospital and they confirmed that the implants were pips. I booked an appointment with a consultant for the next week. That weekend I was in a complete state, and it didn’t help that I found a lump on one of the implants, which made me totally paranoid! I really didn’t know what to do as far as the implants were concerned. I’m at a totally different part of my life as I was then…now married, two children, more inner confidence etc. Then I found this site and gradually everything became so much clearer (so thanks to everyone who posted their stories!)
So last week, I went to see a breast reconstruction expert at the hospital. He offered to remove and replace the implants (for free!), but I’ve opted for a removal instead. I have booked in for the two weeks time. I am nervous, worried about what I will look like, worried about scars, sensation, tiny bras and boobs, sagginess; all the normal worries I’m sure. So keep posting stories and updates. I will keep you updated and will put some pictures on soon!! Counting down the days…
Hi ladies. Thanks for your well wishes. Am now in...
- 23 Apr 2012
- Day of treatment
Have been resolute I want them out although there's always a 1% 'am I doing the right thing' question. But I know deep down its the right decision.
Will keep you updated!!
Feeling much better this morning. Am in hospital...
- 24 Apr 2012
- 1 day post
This morning am feeling very tender and sore but mobility is good. I've also put on my macom bra and that feels much better than without. My breasts look pretty sorrowful. Very saggy and empty, but I know 100% that I've done the right thing. They're small but they feel so soft and I don't look top heavy and frumpy (although now I need to seriously tone my backside so I don't look so pear shaped!!).
My consultant has been round. He said my left implant was ruptured and that he cleaned it all out well. He is happy this morning and seems to think I will have a quick recovery - and I agree with him.
Sorry if the review is bitty. Am doing it via my phone.
I will update with pictures over the next few days. I jut want to reiterate that already, although they are a sorrowful state I am certain that the explant was the right thing to do. Thanks ladies for all your inspirational stories.
Xx
Hi all, just thought i would give you a quick...
- 25 Apr 2012
- 2 days post
i feel so happy that ive had them out. when i got back from the hospital, even though i was sore, i went through my wardrobe trying on different clothes - and i cant believe how much better i look now in clothes than i used to. i even tried on my tankini which looks great now (and my boobs feel so soft!!) i had shyed away from wearing this tankini on a recent holiday as my boobs were spilling out if the sides, as well as there being such an obvious line of cleavage and under my arm.
i'm really excited about what the future will bring; delicate tops without looking all frumpy, bikinis without looking chesty and fake, exercise without two great lumps on my chest bouncing up and down, hugging my family and friends without feeling like all theyre hugging is a pair of rock hard boobs, never having to have an unnecessary operation again (and paying lots of money for it), as well as buying some lovely new gel bras (and possibly fillers that i can decide whether or not i want to wear!!). i definitely made the right decision.
thanks all! will keep you updated soon. x
Well life is getting back to normal. hubby went...
- 27 Apr 2012
- 4 days post
my cuts are starting to itch a little. i assume that this is the healing process (??). havent really taken my bra off yet and its pretty uncomfortable at night - i feel like i want to be free! perhaps i need to take more pain killers at night to ease the sleeping. am also finding going up and down stairs hurts! i have to cup them as i move!! a funny sight i'm sure.
apart from that all feels good - no regrets. cant wait till i can wear nice normal bras and that they start to fluff up. xx
Hi ladies. its now one week post implant. ...
- 30 Apr 2012
- 7 days post
its now one week post implant. today was the first day that i actually feel like my normal self. back to the routines, lifting my toddlers out of the car, carrying my two year old when she refuses to walk (shes a madam) and generally just more energetic etc.
last night i took off the padding over the steristrips. havent taken the steristrips off yet. basicallly my ps is 200 miles away, as i have moved house since my op 12 years ago, and to get them removed for free i needed to go back to the same hospital. anyway i mention this as i was meant to have a meeting with my ps to take off the steristrips etc...so now i have to do this instead. i started to peel off one edge and chickened out, so i will leave for a few days.
as for pain, i dont have to cup my boobs when i go downstairs anymore, and now the pain i have is from the scars. i felt the scars and although theyre neat (i think!) they are thick, but i remember this when i had my ba.
i went out yesterday, and managed to find some natural 'scar cream' from the organic pharmacy. i also bought some pure rosehip oul to mix with it, and then an extra treat of some massage oil. all their products have no parabens, sls etc and are very natural...so i will look forward to using those. i really wanted to buy some bras, but that has to wait for three weeks i imagine.
anyway! will take some piccies of the scars when i am brave enough to remove the strips. still have my macom bra on. have had enough of wearing it at night, but i know its not long. the boobs arent really fluffing up yet, but to be honest i never had much breast tissue anyway, so am not that hopeful... but i reiterate, as in all of my posts, that i am still happy with my decision :-)
xx
Hi ladies just a quick update as i wanted to...
- 3 May 2012
- 10 days post
just a quick update as i wanted to put some piccies on. i tried on a few of my old non padded bras which i used to wear with my implants before my two children (they have no extra internal padding or chicken fillets).
i was very surprised at the results. i'm not brimming over the top by all means as quite empty boobs, but it just goes to show that with a little support and not the post surgery bras things arent so bad after all!!
unfortunately i cant keep them on, so back to squashed boobs i go. xx
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Comments (112)
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I wanted to write this review to pay it forward, the stories I read from you ladies really...
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Hi All, My personal experience mirrors many of yours - I wanted my silicone implants at...
greenbeam - glad you took something from my story! i did exactly the same, i used to have to turn the computer screen or phone around to just face me, as i was looking at so many close ups of ladies boobs!! especially with my little boy asking me what i was looking at!! ha ha.
glad youre ok! things get even better with time. x
Best wishes
I'm sure we're doing the right thing and I'm quite relaxed at the moment now that I've made the decision, although I'm sure the jitters will return come my pre-op on 25th July! I don't envy your peer pressure, that must be very difficult. My family never wanted me to get implants, saying that, I have told no-one other than my hubby and the ladies on this site that I am explanting! Will tell them once I have come to terms with my new body - keep hearing the words "told you so!" Good luck. X
Flashgirl I have spoken to my mum about it and she first advised me to go with the consultants advice before making any rash decisions but later said to do what's best for me. Similarly my sister has breast implants too but hers are rediculously big and finds it difficult to get clothes that fit her properly. I told her what I was thinking of doing and the first thing she said was "wouldn't you miss having boobs?". I was laughing inside but said actually, I don't think so as they don't feel like boobs to me, they feel so false. My mum has offered to come with me for my consultation but I don't know if that's a good idea or not as I don't want her to try and side with the surgeon if he advises corrective surgery. Somehow, I think this is the advice he will give me and I don't want to go through it all again with the loss of sensation, pains, discomfort etc. I spoke to my partner who also said to go with the surgeon's advice but also said that whatever I decide to do he will support me. I have to admit, I'm scared of how her may react to my 'new' boobs but I have to keep reminding myself that I am doing this for myself and nobody else. I would love to breast feed if the day ever came when I have children and I'm scared that breast implants would interfere with that although I'm aware that many people are successful with breast feeding. I also want to get back into fitness and feel like i'm all boobs when I run. There's nothing worse than trying to sleep on my front... I realise I am ranting! There are so many things that I hadn't forseen prior to having breast implants which have made me come to the decision to have them taken out. I agree Laineylou that it really is an emotional roller coaster but looking at all the other ladies stories and seeing how great they all look I am sure that we are doing the right thing. Good luck for 30th July :-) Keep us all informed. I will definitely keep you posted x
We have so many similarities. Your comments to others are spurring me on and keeping me strong. If I have a similar outcome to you I will be happy. Roll on 30th July!
Good luck with your journey Habib1984, it is such a roller coaster of emotions. Good luck with your consultation. Keep us posted.
poor you - you seem to have lots of problems with your implants, beings though theyre only two years old. i was lucky that i didnt have any problems, although when i did start to have some (10 years on), i found out they were pips, and this was enough to make me want to just have them out instantly with no replacement - i never wanted to put myself through something like this again! i had mine a long time and so psychologically i had moved on from the 27 year old i was when i had them, i have had children, long term partner etc. i liked them at first, but then i started to feel fake. its funny that you mention your mum. i remember asking my mum if she thought i should get them and her response was 'if i was as flat as you i would' - so really its all her fault ;-) what does your mum say about your new decision?
lots of luck with your consultation. you have done the right thing in coming on here and starting to talk to ladies who have had explants. this is important before your consultation. this is exactly what i did, and it really helped me to read stories of women just like me and also to see pictures - things turn out really positive!
also bear in mind you have only had your implants a few years, and you havent had children, so you would pop back perfectly i imagine. i am sooooo glad i have the implanst out and my old figure back; which is ironic as i hated my chest years ago!! i feel so shallow somethimes! when i had the implants i suppose i was just wishing that i was born with boobs. i wanted to create a natural look but it seems that implants dont really look 100% natural (unless theyre very small implants? - although on here most ladies end up with two cup sizes larger than they wanted anyway).
well i'm babbling on now. lots of luck for the 27th; if nothing else, the pains, rippling and health implications at such a short time after the implants should be enough to make your surgeon take you more seriously!!! be strong with your decison!!
good luck and keep us updated!! xx
ps - you sound very wise :-)
please dont be scared!! also know that this is a completely normal reaction. you have had your implants 8 years and so to not have them is a psychological shock!! also you have had a general yesterday, so thats enough to send the emotions flying! give yourself time to adjust; its early days - think of those gorgeous pretty delicate bras you can buy!! :-)
You have been an enormous help to me, thanks so much. If I hadn't seen your results and the other ladies and read your stories I'm not sure I would have been able to go through with it.
How are you now? x
i feel great to be honest. best decision if have made!! theyre not perfect (but they werent before) and the scars arent a pretty sight - but i know that this will improve as its early days - and now i am finally in some nice bras, they look so much nicer and delicate. i ironically feel more feminine if that makes sense!!
i went to the gym yesterday and saw a girl with massive fake boobs completely on display. instead of thinking 'wow she looks great' i actually thought 'thank god its not me anymore!!' i almost felt sorry for her! (i'm sure she was very proud of them though!)
the stories on here were amazing! i also love the fact that we explanters can support each other and stick together!! small boobs rock! ...although they dont feel like rocks ;-)
xx
I don't mind having small boobs at all. I suppose it helps a bit that the bras I wear have a bit of padding too so I dont feel terribly flat chested.
Did you have any odd sensations in your breasts? 3 weeks post op now I have a sore left nipple! It's not a big deal, but a bit irritating.
And when did you start going to the gym? I got told I can run again this week, but only taking it easy. I'd like to join the gym but I dont want to do any damage. xx
Your story has simarities to mine. I was a 34a pre implant and had cohesive gel implants in 1999. I wanted to be "normal" and look proportioned in a dress. I defo had confidence issues, it felt my lack of boobs were the butt if every joke so after a split from my partner I treated myself! I have loved having them but recently my left boob became swollen and rock hard, not to mention deformed! I went to my GP and was referred for a scan which I had 2 weeks ago. My left implant has ruptured and removal recommended. I'm going on holiday in July so my surgeon suggested we leave it till I come back which I agreed with. My problem now is that the hardness and pain have gone and my boobs look and feel great again. I have a little devil on each shoulder, one saying there's nothing wrong, keep them and see how it goes, while the other devil is telling me to get on with the inevitable. I'm terrified of how I will look after explant. I don't want to go back to having self confidence issues again.
This site is great and is helping me sort things out in my head as I don't really have anyone to talk to about this. All the photos and comments are really encouraging and I'm coming round to thinking it might not be that bad after all.
for me it was an easy decision, as they were pip implants. i was very upset when i found out that i had them and just wanted them out. i didnt find out until march/april this year anyway, and i knew that because i had had the implants 12 years this year, they would have to be replaced anyway.
i kept putting replacement off as it would've been 4k+, so really, in a strange way, it was a god send that they were pips, as i had a free removal (was also offered free replacement), but i think the fact that i had a foreign object in my body just didnt sit very well with me anymore. i have changed lots since having them done 12 years ago. i can honestly say that having them out is one of the best decisions i have ever made - but i didnt like the look of my implants anyway.
so what has the devil decided to do? please dont be worried about what they would look like. there are so many pics on here - and do any of them look dreadful? i personally think every woman on here looks improved, but thats just my opinion. if you want to discuss anything further, then i am very happy to chat with you, on here or on the phone. just private message me.
Ha ha, the devil has lost I'm afraid. After much soul searching I've decided on removal. I'm not looking forward to it, just more resigned to the hard facts. Its encouraging to see and hear that the body/skin is so forgiving, I hope I am as lucky. I've decided to share my story in the hope that it helps others facing the same predicament and hope that people like yourself, Joyful and Andi22 among others contine to follow my progress and give me support as you have been amazing so far. Please have a look at my story. So glad to hear your recovery is going well. Thanks again. X
Ellen
not long to go now for you! how exciting. i know its a very emotional and scary time, but it'll be great! honestly.
thanks for the compliment. they have definately changed since the explant. i think they were probably swollen from the surgery, so they are smaller now, but saying that they are changing all of the time.
i am still wearing my compression and sports bras and so cant wait to go and buy some nice feminine padded ones. i imagine that i will be a 34b, which is what i was before - think it was wishful thinking to think that i would increase a few cupsizes from 12 years ago!!! even though theyre smaller, i am still so pleased that i had it done. 100%.
lots of luck, it comes around so fast, and also the time goes so fast. i love the fact that i am all me. i went swimming yesterday with my children and for the first time in 12 years i felt comfortable with my swimming suit on. i said to my hubby that i would sooner people look at me and think 'she has small boobs' than 'she has fake plastic boobs'. its funny because he turned round and said, 'do you really think people think like that? theyre too busy thinking about their love handles, flabby bellies, veiny legs, hairy backs' etc (as well as mundane things like what to eat for dinner, or going back to work on a monday morning!!) - actually its probably true!!! nevertheless, to reiterate, i felt more comfortable than i have in years :-)
lots of luck. thinking of you!! be brave!! x
Jen