Breast Implant Removal: Stories

Hello All,

This web site is a true blessing to me. I have contemplated for many years 17 +...to take out my Breast Implants as I have almost always felt in my heart they are not me, and I never really liked them. So here I am telling my story wiht the hope of helping someone else the way your posts and experiences have helped me so very much! and for that...I cannot thank you all enough. it is 1989 and I allow my young self to be influenced by friends to get a BA..so I did 375 Silicone under muscle. Year 1999- Silcone implant on left ruptures and I get them replaced with Silicone again NOT even thinking that removing them was an option for me. Until 2007, My Silicone implant gets hard and encapsulated and I'm thinking I'm done with these implants and want them out! I go into my PS and he tells talks me out of it , says it will not look good and most of the women who get theirs out come back later to put them back in, they do not like the result. So at this point I trusted him , and I still needed to have the HARD implant replaced , so we decided to put in the smallest 175 Saline Implants , I was thinking maybe if they were teeny tiny this would leave me with at least some shape and the peace of mind with Saline. BIG BIG MISTAKE. Not only was I on a Implant surgery #3 ,( and about $14,000 in costs with all 3 surgerys- OUCH) but these little implants felt hard, not soft like the Silicone ...I felt like I had rocks on my chest regardless of the size ...I hated them even more because of this, they were indeed smaller and looked natural because they were so small, but they STILL did not feel right and still do not!

They are on my mind everyday and I cannot tell you how this forum has given me the courage, especially after seeing all your after pic's ....thank you so much!!... you all look so perfect! and the way God made us to be. it has been a long 23 years and I can no longer be influenced by society and its vision of how women should look.
Yay! I cannot wait to be me...I had my 1st consultation today and I plan on getting these things out for good by the end of March. My second consultation is Wednesday. i am so excited about FINALLY getting these out. i have had neck pain, Back Pain and have spent years at the chiropractors...even with the tiny saline, i did get some relief and I am so excited to see how I feel when they are GONE. I will post pictures soon of my befores.

What I have learned in my journey is that you do not need to put something in your body
to create a false sense of self. Everything you are and continue to become... comes from inside you and NOTHING can replace that .

My Explant is scheduled for March 22. i think this will be the longest 6 weeks of my life! Due to my husbands and my work schedule and all our pre arranged plans out of town ...this was the only weekend that worked for us. I am so very excited! and it has been a long time coming. I booked with my original PS from 1989 and feel this is the right decision for me. He spent alot of time discussing Capsulectomy or not...I believe afetr reading all these posts and going on 3 consults..it is an option or not depending upon each woman's history and the thickness or thinness of the capsule. I am confident he will choose the right path for me when he actually goes in...he is well known for breast reconstruction and works also with breast cancer surviors reconstruction process and has a lot of experience.. 33 years in PS. This helped me to make my decision.

My Explant is scheduled for March 22nd! It will be a long 3 weeks, as I cannot wait to these implants out of me. I have a grade 2 CC on my left side and it may require explant of scar tissue, the right side can be a straight explant but The Plastic surgeon will not know until he gets in there. I am having anthesia, no drains, and wrapped up tight to avoid seroma, this is how I will get past not having drains in. If the capsule is thin on the right, he will leave it in, as for the left it will be a casulectomy (remove capsule, due to the capsule being thicker) I cannot wait to join the explant group, all of you ladies have been very helpful and I wish you all my best!!

7 more days to go until explant...it has been so difficult waiting! it's almost here. I am on the real self site almost everyday cheering on and supportingthe ladies here that are before me...the results have been promising! I think most ladies look better after explant , amazing how we think we need something to look better, and if we just opened our eyes, we would see we are just perfect, the way god intended. This is our lesson in life and ourt own journeys to be had, I believe each and everyone of us went thru this process of thinking we needed something else....and then to listen or igonore what is really best for us....it was all a process for our greater good. This forum is such a great support for us all.

Hello Beautiful Ladies!!

I feel connected to you all, your personal stories and pics have helped me in so many ways I cannot thank you enough! I would like to share some interesting information with you all. I am a Makeup Artist working with many models , actors , TV and movies. The "makeup" chair is kind of like going to the Hair dressers and you "talk" about all kinds of things-right? I work sometimes with the same models and actresses for days, sometimes weeks on a production, we get close. There is a HUGE movement going on with the women in the industry and those who have implants are taking them out! this last 12 months I have met several.and I mean lots!!..I am hoping this forum can educate the women considering implants and the Issues that will ...at some point in time" come along with them. I have no doubt we are all doing the right thing for our bodies, mind and spirit! Love to you all

Hello ladies! I did it!
I have to say that for me , it's been a little rough. A little bit about the lat few days. Surgery was scheduled for 8 am.....I took a Valium at 7am , the doc gave it to me the night before to take the edge off....going under scares me. They put compression stockings on my legs...for blood clotting...they kept me warm as I was so cold after waking up. The surgery was 2 hours, as my doc suspected the left side had a lot of thick scar tissue that had be be removed. The right side was a straight explant ...left tissue paper thin capsule in on that side. I'm unfortunate to say it has been a rough 2 or so days, the pain on my left side really bothers me and I can barley move...I've been in bed for 2 days , took Tylenol with codeine for pain..2 yesterday. I am weak as I believe it is from the anesthia , it takes awhile to get out of your system. I am wrapped up very tightly...no drains, the compression will prevent this fluid and that is why I am keeping still , as to not build up fluid. I cannot see anything until Monday morn when I go back in..I will take pics and post then. Cannot wait to see how I faired. The first thing I noticed is that I can BREATH! It feels so good, less weight on my chest...bit I still am very sore n left a nd trying not to use my arms. My husband has been taking very good care of me...so sweet. So happy to be past this point! My doc sent flowers today and called my husband to tell him to keep me not moving alot..due to the left side had more thick scar tissue removed. I can tell I am swollen ....feel
The pressure and cannot wait to get into another sports bra...this zip up the front one kinda bothers me, I brought it in...I also have the genie bras which I will have them switch too tomorrow . Will post pics next week! Thank you all for your support

Hello Lovely Ladies! Every day I wake up (except the last 3 of course) and log on to my work email to read a DailyOm messages I set up to start my day with....I looked at my work email address for the first time in a few days..and I couldn't believe the "Daily Om" message that was there, waiting for me to receive...as this explant journey is also been a part of closure for me and I'm sure for many of you as well. We are ALL wiser because of it. Now we can not worry anymore!! and i just had to copy and paste to share it with you all...it really hit HOME....so here it is (if you like it...go to "DailyOm.com" to receive your daily reads.


Just as new beginnings are important, so is honoring the experience of closure.
Life is a collage of beginnings and endings that run together like still-wet paint. Yet before we can begin any new phase in life, we must sometimes first achieve closure to the current stage we are in. That’s because many of life’s experiences call for closure. Often, we cannot see the significance of an event or importance of a lesson until we have reached closure. Or, we may have completed a certain phase in life or path of learning and want to honor that ending. It is this sense of completion that frees us to open the door to new beginnings. Closure serves to tie up or sever loose ends, quiets the mind even when questions have been left unanswered, signifies the end of an experience, and acknowledges that a change has taken place.

The period of completion, rather than being just an act of finality, is also one of transition. When we seek closure, what we really want is an understanding of what has happened and an opportunity to derive what lessons we can from an experience. Without closure, there is no resolution and we are left to grieve, relive old memories to the point of frustration, or remain forever connected to people from our past. A sense of completion regarding a situation may also result when we accept that we have done our best. If you can’t officially achieve closure with someone, you can create completion by participating in a closure ritual. Write a farewell letter to that person and then burn your note during a ceremony. This ritual allows you to consciously honor and appreciate what has taken place between you and release the experience so you can move forward.

Closure can help you let go of feelings of anger or uncertainty regarding your past even as you honor your experience – whether good or bad - as a necessary step on your life’s path. Closure allows you to emotionally lay to rest issues and feelings that may be weighing down your spirit. When you create closure, you affirm that you have done what was needed, are wiser because of your experience, and are ready for whatever life wants to bring you next.

Today they took off my compression wrap and replaced it with the genie bra. I was amazed when i saw my outcome and very happy! although they do look so much bigger than they are from my camera phone...very swollen still. The incision was thru the aereola, as i di not want another scar on my breast. They are the disolveable kind on the inside as well as the outside, to produce a nice scar. for a few weeks it may appear it pulls a little as the disolveable sutures make there way out. But will heal nicely. Even with the swelling , I have no idea where all this breats tissue came from, as I am the same weight. I was told that women near or in there 50's gain more breast tissue naturally as they age. So this is great for me as I was a 34 A cup and pleasantly surprised!! I know it will only get better from here and will keep all posted. I am still red and marked up a little on my skin from the zip front bra. I do not recommend them. Right now I put an ace bandage around my Genie bra to keep compression on for at least a month to promote healing to chest wall.

15 Days Post op: A lot of change in the last week . Swelling is down and asymetry has improved a bit..it will never be perfect, but much much better than pre expalnt. Cannot wait to take a normal shower after sutures dissolve..1 more week to go. I am very happy and feel great, don't spent to much time thinking about this, However...wish I would have explanted YEARS AGO! ...(thank you all brave ladies for your pics and stories) and very happy now with a new appreciation for natural body. Cannot wait to go clothes shopping for new tops I neverlooked good in before.

Hello beautiful ladies, I wanted to share with you a great bra I will be able to wear in another month or so...it's "The Zee Bra" so comfy and thin pads with no straps.....or hooks, soft soft fabric. I cannot wear it yet, but will take a picture in it soon just to show you or go to www.thezeebra.com also in months to come of healing enough to wear a non support bra...look into any of the Calvin Klein bras at zappos.com...about $45 and so pretty ! I will post a pic of that one too soon.

POST EXPLANT-DAY 23-
Hello Lovely's...A quick update . My sutures are getting removed on Wednesday morn, I cannot wait! it has been 3 weeks. My doc put in disolveable stitches underneath areola, and regular ones on top and closed the Areola incision in "three layers" ( for a very skilled PS!!).....This is KEY to avoiding nipple cave in for most explants that go thru areola. My doc said to me, your nipple will NOT cave in and he was very sure about this and said its a lot about how the incision is closed, incision may get some puckering, but this works itself out over time. The puckering has to do with the stitches pulling and the natural progression of healing. It softens over time and will relax out. Pictures to be updated soon.

Hi Beauties!! Want to share a few things that may be helpful...I am needing to give back, you all helped me so many ways! I cannot thank you enough! Group Hug!!
I have been seeing a holistic doc for 2 years..3 weeks prior to explant and of course after.... she had me on the daily following remedies, now you can have this info for free! I have no doubt this helped me heal my skin and promote healing all over. I had very little swelling and virtually a scar with no redness and skin is healing great- see pics
1.Borage Oil- amaziing - google it! take 2x per day- can opena capsule and use as eye moisturizer. was on dr. OZ the other day as well. great stuff!
2.Cod Liver Oil- heals skin FROM INSIDE OUT- old amazing remedy.
4. Lipotropic- Liver support -helps to rid of toxins in liver
5.Organ Delight- google it
Happy Healthy Healing!

Hi Beautiful Ladies! It has been 8 weeks post explant. I have just now been able to review and post my update! The first thing that comes to mind after having continually read all the posts pre explant and post explant is that....WE ALL WISH WE WOULD HAVE DONE THIS SOONER! ! While I am sure we are all so grateful for the opportunity to have this UN DONE, as many things in life are not able to be "undone" We can now focus on our future with a new mind, body and spirit that only we know how it feels inside going thru this. Cliche to say...I know..but so very true. This forum is outstanding support and I am still Over the Moon with my little ones!! I keep saying to my husband...look look aren't they Cute!! I AM HAVING A BLAST wearing new tops now. I will be 50 in a couple months and feel younger than ever. Working out is such a pleasure now. Will post new pics soon. Hugs to all the brave women! x000