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Explant
So, I went ahead and explanted Friday Oct 2nd. I had round, hard, sore boobs. Plastic surgeon confirmed stage IV capsular contracture in both breasts preop. In addition to the capsular contracture symptoms, I feel that I may have had some mile "Breast Implant Illness" symptoms, such as foggy head. Lastly, the breast implants I had were the only kind ever implicated in a rare type of lymphoma. So, for many reasons, I chose to explant.
I used Dr. Finkle in Omaha, NE to explant, then transfer fat from abdomen, back, and flanks to fill in breasts at the same time. Dr. Finkle saved the implants for me, and they are very misshapen and hard. They were supposed to be textured silicone round, but I don't see any texturing on them. I'm wondering if the implants were defective and whether I should actually take any legal action against the company.
I was pretty "over it" so I didn't take any preop photos. Dr. Finkle did plenty with measurements that I will get copies of and will upload when I do my 3 month follow up. At some point I might upload a pic of the explanted implants.
As for the fat transfer- I'm very happy so far. Dr. Finkle explanted "en bloc." Each implant was 435cc and I think he transferred a little more than 300cc of fat to each breast.
I'm currently on POD 3. POD 1 I felt good as the lidocaine from the liposuction fluid was still in effect. POD 2 was rough and probably the most painful. POD 3 I feel like I'm over that hump and am just bloated, mildly sore. I used pain medicine pretty much every 4 hours the first 2 days. Today, POD 3, I was allowed to use 2 Aleve and and only needed 1 pain pill in addition to the Aleve. I've been getting up and moving a lot and I think that is what really helps with the healing and to get some of the swelling down. My surgeon has given me a compression garment to wear 24/7 for the first week, then 12 hours on/12 hours off for an additional several weeks. I also am using thigh high TED hose and some slightly compressive bike shorts. This way everything below my boobs is compressed lol. My surgeon also gave me a post op bra that is not too compressive, but it is front closing and supportive. No underwire or padding. I am wearing a "wife beater" shirt over my bra and under the compressive garment to help pad. I also have extra padding around my explant incision (under my boob crease, where the initial incision was to put them in) and in my cleavage.
I did take some POD 1 (with dressing change) and POD 3 (with shower) photos. I was lucky and did not drain too much, but I was prepared in case I did with disposable shower curtains on my car seat for the ride home, my bed, and my couch were I sat postop.
I used Dr. Finkle in Omaha, NE to explant, then transfer fat from abdomen, back, and flanks to fill in breasts at the same time. Dr. Finkle saved the implants for me, and they are very misshapen and hard. They were supposed to be textured silicone round, but I don't see any texturing on them. I'm wondering if the implants were defective and whether I should actually take any legal action against the company.
I was pretty "over it" so I didn't take any preop photos. Dr. Finkle did plenty with measurements that I will get copies of and will upload when I do my 3 month follow up. At some point I might upload a pic of the explanted implants.
As for the fat transfer- I'm very happy so far. Dr. Finkle explanted "en bloc." Each implant was 435cc and I think he transferred a little more than 300cc of fat to each breast.
I'm currently on POD 3. POD 1 I felt good as the lidocaine from the liposuction fluid was still in effect. POD 2 was rough and probably the most painful. POD 3 I feel like I'm over that hump and am just bloated, mildly sore. I used pain medicine pretty much every 4 hours the first 2 days. Today, POD 3, I was allowed to use 2 Aleve and and only needed 1 pain pill in addition to the Aleve. I've been getting up and moving a lot and I think that is what really helps with the healing and to get some of the swelling down. My surgeon has given me a compression garment to wear 24/7 for the first week, then 12 hours on/12 hours off for an additional several weeks. I also am using thigh high TED hose and some slightly compressive bike shorts. This way everything below my boobs is compressed lol. My surgeon also gave me a post op bra that is not too compressive, but it is front closing and supportive. No underwire or padding. I am wearing a "wife beater" shirt over my bra and under the compressive garment to help pad. I also have extra padding around my explant incision (under my boob crease, where the initial incision was to put them in) and in my cleavage.
I did take some POD 1 (with dressing change) and POD 3 (with shower) photos. I was lucky and did not drain too much, but I was prepared in case I did with disposable shower curtains on my car seat for the ride home, my bed, and my couch were I sat postop.
Update
So I am almost a year out. Here's what I think:
The Good- I love the way My chest looks naked, in a bra, or in clothes. The scars are hardly noticeable and the stretch marks are vanishing. I think I've got a very natural look. I definitely have more confidence in myself.
The Bad- I still don't have sensation back everywhere. I think my right boob has settled lower than the left, although it's not visibly noticeable, I feel my Right has a weird pulling sensation when I am not wearing a bra and when I lift my R arm up above my head. I can feel the implants with certain arm positions, although I don't think it's noticeable to anyone else. It takes a bit longer to get comfortable when side lying or lying on my tummy.
Neither good nor bad- I find the most comfortable bras are sports bras and rarely wear anything else. I also like to wear a light sports bra to bed. Chiropractor cannot adjust my upper back with me lying face down on the table (he still does my adjustment, but in a different way).
Overall, I would still do it again. In a year, I almost have the surgery paid off as well by working extra. I would be one of the rare people that would say I would have gone SLIGHTLY smaller. But I stand by my textured silicone and over the muscle placement.
The Good- I love the way My chest looks naked, in a bra, or in clothes. The scars are hardly noticeable and the stretch marks are vanishing. I think I've got a very natural look. I definitely have more confidence in myself.
The Bad- I still don't have sensation back everywhere. I think my right boob has settled lower than the left, although it's not visibly noticeable, I feel my Right has a weird pulling sensation when I am not wearing a bra and when I lift my R arm up above my head. I can feel the implants with certain arm positions, although I don't think it's noticeable to anyone else. It takes a bit longer to get comfortable when side lying or lying on my tummy.
Neither good nor bad- I find the most comfortable bras are sports bras and rarely wear anything else. I also like to wear a light sports bra to bed. Chiropractor cannot adjust my upper back with me lying face down on the table (he still does my adjustment, but in a different way).
Overall, I would still do it again. In a year, I almost have the surgery paid off as well by working extra. I would be one of the rare people that would say I would have gone SLIGHTLY smaller. But I stand by my textured silicone and over the muscle placement.
6 months post op, after stretch marks at 2.5 months post op
The time has flown by and yet I feel like these have been mine my whole life. I love how I look in tops and dresses. But I've been a bit reluctant to post updates because I got stretch marks pretty bad. They are starting to fade, and I know that would be super helpful for ladies to see updates on, but it depressed me to s point and I couldn't bring myself to take pictures of them. However, in the spirit of the 6 month review, I've posted pictures from different angles. Apparently stretch marks are super uncommon. I had asked my surgeon preop about coco butter and he said basically no one gets stretch marks, coco butter does nothing for stretch marks, and that I could use the lotion if I cleaned but he didn't see any reason to.
I didn't actually get them til 2 weeks after my last review. I went to my surgeon for my 3month follow up and he was baffled. Said he didn't know how or why I got them and again, didn't recommend using lotions or oils. Just said they'd heal in time. And they have. To be honest, I'm not a fan of anything rubbing on them to begin with, as they're still sensitive and weird. Feels sort of like touching a leg that fell asleep and is starting to get feeling back.
Anyway, I was keeping this review short and sweet.
I didn't actually get them til 2 weeks after my last review. I went to my surgeon for my 3month follow up and he was baffled. Said he didn't know how or why I got them and again, didn't recommend using lotions or oils. Just said they'd heal in time. And they have. To be honest, I'm not a fan of anything rubbing on them to begin with, as they're still sensitive and weird. Feels sort of like touching a leg that fell asleep and is starting to get feeling back.
Anyway, I was keeping this review short and sweet.
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