53, Silicone Implant Removal After 11 Years, No Lift, No Capsulectomy, 2 Previous Lifts and Saline Implants - Seattle, WA

I am embarrassed to post my pictures, but I have relied on so many brave women sharing their stories that it seems only fair I do the same.
I am two weeks post-op. My surgery was a breeze, about 1 hour under general. I was up and walking within a few hours and only took Tylenol for minor pain. Unfortunately, within 2 days I developed a horrible reaction to the surgical adhesive, which was the worst part of my ordeal. Initially I contacted my doctor's office and asked about the itching and redness. I was told to remove the tape and I would be fine. Not so. The rash became so inflamed, burning and itching so much, that I had to put ice on my breasts so I could sleep. After the doctor saw my photos the next day ( I live 1.5 hours away and it was hard to get to Seattle) she prescribed a steroid cream and Benadryl. The Benadryl helped with the itching, but the cream didn't help with the pain and I finally had to take pain pills. I also started using emu oil within a couple days because the steroid cream made no difference. The emu oil helped immediately and the redness, itching and burning subsided. After two weeks I finally feel pain free and I can see improvement in the rash.

Not so with my breasts. I can't see much improvement as far as shape and firmness. They basically look like they did pre-implant, only flatter on top. Yikes, what a lot of excess skin. Nevertheless, I am still happy to have them out, and I feel smaller and more proportionate on top and my clothes fit better.
My biggest regret is that I had these implants in the first place. 11 years ago I sought out a skilled PS, Marshall Partington, to correct a previous BA, done by Helen James in my late 20s. First she tried saline implants. The implants made me look enormous, she put them over the muscle and essentially tried to fill up the excess space with saline. I hated them and had them taken out within a few months and opted for a necessary lift. Unfortunately, I was left with excess skin, noticeable scars, and uneven areolas... no real change at all. Huge disappointment, and a waste of $7K. Fast forward, Dr. Partington tells me that I can have perky breasts, but I need implants due to lack of breast tissue. I am 5'8, slender, with an athletic build, with a large chest cavity. Dr. Partington assures me my perky silicone filled breasts will outlive me. In retrospect, since I had already had two failed surgeries he should never have suggested implants because they almost assure another surgery or replacement, putting me at increased risk. After my previous botched BA and lift, I trusted the doctor to recommend the best procedure for the optimal outcome (very dumb on my part). To be fair, he had wonderful bedside manner, he made me feel like he had all the time in the world for me, and he was very kind. I had another lift and sub-muscular silicone implants size 350-375. I asked for a full B and I woke up to a full D. He said I had a statuesque build, and would regret not going bigger. Within 3 months they started bottoming out due to the weight. He sent me to another doctor for a second opinion and the doctor concurred. After the swelling subsided I could see the excess skin still remaining after my lift, and I was so sad and disappointed. I asked about removing them and he told me I would look horrible and really hate them even more. I was so discouraged and disgusted I just lived with them for 11 years. They were always a sad reminder of what $10K dollars to Dr. Partington didn't do for me .

Now that I have my implants out, my breasts look about the same as they did before he did the lift. They are still very saggy with excess skin, except my areolas are better positioned. It appears all Dr. Partington did was move my nipples up, correct the scars, and stuff large implants in to fill in the gaps. I would accept some skin stretching due to the implants, but basically they have always looked like the pictures from month 3, saggy with excess skin. My weight has stayed roughly the same.

I started researching implant removal about six months ago and I stumbled on this website. I spent hours reading story after story and looking at hundreds of pictures. Thank you so much, all you brave women. This site provided me the confidence and courage I needed to get my implants out. The results, while not pretty, are better than I expected ( I may have looked at too many stories). I may consider another lift in the future, but given the terrible outcomes thus far, I may just call this good enough. Saggy, flat breasts appear to be my lot in life.