Gavin Sandercoe, MBBS, FRACS

Dr Sandercoe was efficient, friendly and clearly a very clever man who is passionate about what he does. I was a 10H and getting super depressed by my growing breast size (despite having lost weight). I was suffering chronic back and neck pain and generally miserable at having to wear 2 bras each day. Dr Sandercoe is a reconstructive surgeon too, and I had been given recommendations from everyone from my sons childcare teacher to my hairdresser - and even the nurses at the local hospital. They were well placed because I am thrilled with the results. Highly recommend.

My entire experience with Dr Sandercoe and his team, from beginning to end, has been outstanding. The initial consultation was thorough and I appreciated the time Dr Sandercoe took to answer all my questions. I felt that I was given all the information I needed to make an informed decision from the beginning and I was also given very realistic expectations of results and the recovery process. His administrative team has been nothing but helpful and efficient with surgery bookings and other requests for assistance. Surgery was perfectly fine. Dr Sandercoe visited regularly immediately post-surgery while I was in hospital to closely monitor my progress and was happy to answer further questions about my recovery during this time. Prior to surgery, Dr Griffiths the Anaesthetist, made contact to discuss any concerns and was also the only Anaesthetist I have ever had to date who has visited me in hospital post-surgery. I had good pain management and was also given direct contact details if needed. Julie who is Dr Sandercoe's practice nurse was wonderful also in monitoring my progress after I was discharged from the hospital. Julie was very gentle, caring and gave excellent advice which helped to improve my comfort levels and physical recovery in the days after leaving the hospital. She also provided the context I needed to understand, as a person without a medical background, what normal recovery looked like and that I was recovering very well. All elements of post-operative care were also included in the pricing which made the entire process less stressful so that I could focus solely on recovering. In addition to all of the above, it has been validating to know that every medical professional who has seen my surgical scar has been very impressed with how it looks. It is clear that Dr Sandercoe himself is highly experienced. He has a very caring and professional approach to all aspects of patient interaction and provides exceptional medical care. It is also clear that he has carefully hand picked his team to ensure his patients receive only the best experience and results. I would highly recommend Dr Sandercoe and his team without reservations.

As a teenager, I experienced severe bouts of anorexia/bulimia and by the time I recovered was left with 34 AA breasts. I was so depressed and full of self-loathing, and to me it felt like a matter of life or death to have breasts- any breasts at all! I wore see-through shirts sometimes, and still looked like a boy and attracted some really mortifying comments.
At 21 I couldn’t stand it anymore, and had my BA. I honestly just wanted to blend in, and the thought of huge knockers was furthest from my mind. I had 180cc silicone overs, which took me to a 34B, and I have to say they were just beautiful . For the first time I felt “normal”, whatever that means!
Looking back, I can’t believe how insecure and desperate I was. Much as I hated those fake boobs later in life, at the time it seemed like a miracle.
Will tell my explant story soon ????

Updated on 1 Nov 2017:
I lived with these strange objects for 4 decades, and successfully breastfed my four children, the shortest time for 6 months and the longest was for 2 1/2 years (well, he was the baby of the family!). No problems with milk supply, but I did have painful engorgement when the milk came in where my breasts swelled from 34B to 34DD. I had very mild capsular contracture where my breasts felt a little firm, but nothing major. I was one of the lucky ones in that regard. After having kids, my weight increased and I was wearing 36B bras- not too unmanageable!

In 2016, I fell down a flight of stairs and landed full on my left breast on the concrete- the pain was excruciating on both breasts but especially the left. A few weeks later I noticed some firm lumps under that boob- painless but about the size of chestnuts. I was terrified! Of course we think the worst when we feel a breast lump. My doctor sent me for a mammogram and ultrasound- no cancer, yay! But they found extracapsular silicone and that was the beginning of the end for the fake boobies.
I hope this pic turns out ok- this is from the mammogram and you can see the rupture xx

Updated on 1 Nov 2017:
The hospital was 2hrs drive from home, and I arrived at 7am- second on the list for surgery that day. Due to some complications with the lady who went first, I spent 3hrs in the prepping area (starving, haha!) before being transferred to the operating table. Was given the Ahh! Meds and enjoyed the floating sensation for around 10 seconds then was knocked out. Best sleep ever, and in Recovery I just didn’t want to wake up- so restful!
I eventually woke to find drains inserted and a very tight binder- my surgeon recommends tight compression for the first 6 weeks, to enable the tissue to adhere properly and to avoid seroma.
Dr Sandercoe is an amazing surgeon, and although the binder was uncomfortable I’m so glad he insists on patients wearing one.

Updated on 2 Nov 2017:
How annoying are they?!! Finally got them out 6 days po, and that first real shower was heavenly. The drain removal was painless and quick, and only stung when the nurse clipped the stitch on one side.
Unfortunately, the dressing she used afterwards gave me an allergic reaction- blisters, swollen skin, intense itching etc. When I eventually tried to change the dressing all the blisters broke open and the pain was immense- had to wear a sterile pad and antibiotic ointment over the area for 3weeks under the compression garment, which was depressing! All good now, but still have discolouration where the adhesive was.
I was really surprised at how much Breast tissue I actually had- thanks Menopause, you were good for something, haha! I’m still swollen in these pics, so am sure to shrink a bit, but I’m so happy to be real again!

Updated on 4 Nov 2017:
Just looking at the aftermath of implants makes me feel ill- no wonder I’ve been so sick over the years. Debilitating fatigue, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, arthritis, brain fog, depression... the sad and scary thing is that none of these symptoms have gone away yet, though I’m starting to feel a little more energetic. My fault for keeping these stupid things in for 40 years.
In the 70’s, no one told us that implants have a limited lifespan- they were promoted as permanent devices, completely safe, plonk ‘em in and that was it. Now of course there are caveats on durability, despite supposed improvements in manufacture and technology. It makes you wonder what will be discovered in the future about the effects of implants.
Here’s some pics of my explanted mess. Believe me, nothing is worth doing this to your body.

Updated on 5 Nov 2017:
I’m just wondering how you ladies feel about having extra procedures after/during explant surgery?
My surgeon said I don’t need a lift (amazingly, I thought I’d really be flopping around!) and prefers to wait at least 6 months before attempting further surgery to allow the breasts to settle and weight to stabilise. The thought of liposuction scares the heck out of me, though there’s plenty of fat to choose from, haha!
I have a dent in my lower left breast from the explant surgery- there was a lot of extracapsular silicone to scrape out, so it’s not surprising. Has anyone else experienced this, and what did you do about it, if anything?
I know that fat transfer can lead to problems, and that not all the fat will “take”. I’m really happy with these old boobies in every other respect, so should maybe just leave well enough alone? Any thoughts welcome!

Updated on 8 Nov 2017:
Here’s what my boobs looked like just before surgery. You can see that the left one has distortion and creases from implant rupture (both had extracapsular silicone but it shows more on the left) and there’s some contracture on both sides. This was my “normal”. Amazing what we put up with, and what we put our bodies through!
I’m so thankful for the ruptures though, as they prompted me to make a positive change in my health and self-esteem.
So yay for all of us brave ladies!

Updated on 28 Nov 2017:


Updated on 29 Nov 2017:
Here’s some pics of my poor old lefty at almost 3 months po. Lumpy, dented, much smaller than the right boob. :-(
There was so much damage on the left side that I’m amazed my surgeon did as well as he did, but it makes me sad to look at it. I’d love to have some remedial work done, and despite my doctor’s assertion that I don’t need a lift I’m thinking it might help to even things up and remove the scar tissue. Oh well!
Still no regrets though. I’ll try to post some pictures of how I look in a bra- and it’s actually not so bad.

Updated on 30 Nov 2017:
Hi All,
I’m sorry if I haven’t responded to your wonderful comments, but I’m having trouble accessing notifications and profiles- not sure if it’s a fault on the site or just my phone.
I will try to respond, but in the meantime am sending huge hugs to Maria, Lisa, Dog Mama, Patty and Silicone Sister for your beautiful encouragement and wisdom- I do appreciate it! [RS bleep]

Updated on 1 Dec 2017:
These are a couple I’ve tried over the last month or so.
The grey is a Genie type I think- just over the head, no underwire or fastenings. (KMart, $20 for two)
The black floral bra is a Berlei “Barely There” ( on special at Myer for $22), very comfy but it does have underwire.
The “chicken fillets” were also from Myer, $39:99. The last pic is of the Berlei bra with the fillets- a bit of overkill, I think!

Updated on 2 Dec 2017:
Hi there lovely ones!
I’m wondering if you have any advice as to the best creams or oils to use after explant? I’ve been alternating every couple of weeks between rosehip, coconut and olive oil, plus a cream I made myself with beeswax, argan oil, Shea butter and hemp oil. None of these ingredients have previously caused any problems, but I still have lots of tiny red bumps on my boobs. Even when I use nothing for a week or more the spots still remain. The rest of my body is fine.
I used to get keratosis pilaris but not for a few years now, and only on my arms. The tiny red dots on the boobs aren’t raised or flaky so I’m thinking it’s not that.
Could it be a leftover from the silicone removal? Could there be silicone in the actual breast tissue that is causing inflammation, despite having had a total capsulectomy? Is anyone here experiencing a similar thing?
I posted a question to the doctors on this site but no reply as yet. :-(

I have been going through breast reconstruction with Dr Sandercoe for over a year after a double mascetomy in 2012. Dr Sandercoe started with breast expanders firstly as I'm a smaller woman then implants have just been done with fat grafting. I feel amazing and most importantly I feel like me again.
Dr Sandercoe if you are reading this, thank you so much for making me feel like a woman again. Thank you for being supportive not only to me but also to my children.

I can only say, that Dr Gavin Sandercoe is the best and I am very happy of the outcome of my surgery. I take my hat off for him and I would recommend him to anyone.

Continue your good work because you were send by God to help those who need to have their life back including me.

Godbless you

Rena Mariri

My experience with Dr Sandercoe has been better than I could have expected. After losing 50kgs I was still unhappy with my body due to the loose skin. Following his recommendations I had a breast augmentation and tummy tuck and am over the moon with my results. A year later I had an arm lift too and am so happy!

Pro's - Fuller Thick Lips ( Think Angelina Jolie lol )
Con's - Swelling , Bruising , temporary pain, firmness, lumps, itching and discolouration.

If you're thinking of getting dermal fillers do shop around and make sure you feel 110% confident with the doctor/nurse. I've had one bad encounter with a nurse and never went again! If you have any question you'd like to know send me a pm :)

Updated on 5 Feb 2015:
Hi everyone. Thought I'd update you all.
I've had 1mL juvederm injected in my lips. Lips are still a little sensitive , and I am gently giving them a massage to remove the lumps. The discoloration only lasted about 4-5 days max ( I just applied lipstick to cover it ) I did however get my lips numbed.

A few years ago I had liposuction on my legs and an inner thigh lift at the same time and it was the best thing I have ever done ! I had larger thighs than the rest of my body and the skin on my legs was loose from gaining and losing weight. Gavin performed the lipo and lift and and got my legs into proportion with the rest of my body. He explained everything very carefully and the whole process went very smoothly and I was extremely happy with the result.

I also had breast implants and a breast lift with Gavin, I had the lift because I didn't want large implants which I may have needed to get the lift I wanted. Again Gavin took into consideration my age and body type and I had many visits with him before I had the procedure, he measured and checked things really carefully and listened to me when I couldn't make up my mind and guided me to the right decision.

In both operations the care I received was second to none, I remember when going into surgery how all the nurses commented how thorough, and was a great surgeon Gavin was and that I was in good hands.

I also have to mention Lauren who was so helpful and organised and an absolute pleasure to deal with.

For anyone contemplating surgery I have no hesitation in recommending Gavin, he is a great surgeon and a very considerate doctor.

I suffered chronic back and neck pain from my large breast as well as confidence issues. My GP referred me and we discussed the surgery which would result in anchor shaped scars. He removed 400 g from each breast under general which took 3 hrs I was in hospital overnight and I spent 2 weeks at home.

I had breast cancer. After i got the all clear from my surgeon, I made a appointment with Dr G Sandercoe. Dr G Sandercoe explained everything about the two (2) procedure's that i would need. That was the breast reconstruction and later breast implants. At that first appointment i had decided that i would preferr Dr G Sandercoe as my surgeon for my procedure's. I can tell you from my experience it was worth it. I'am so happy with my breast's and new shape. Thank You. Jacqui