I am 46 years old with 15 year old 300 cc saline implants placed under the muscle. I am currently 5' 1" and weigh 112 lbs. Prior to breast augmentation I was a 32 A and post augmentation a 32C. After nursing 2 kids, I am now a 32DD. I never wanted my boobs to be this big and they have become very uncomfortable over the years. I hate them! I am very self conscious about them and do all I can to hide them under clothes.
Over the past few years I have developed upper back and neck pain along with shortness of breath when lying down. Sometimes it feels like I can't take a deep breath. After a very thorough medical workup that was completely negative, I started to think my implants along with their excess weight on my chest might be the cause of my symptoms.
When I got my implants, I never thought about the fact that I would most likely have to get them redone. 15 years later I can say, hindsight is definitely 20/20. I wish I would never have gotten them done.
After my initial appointment with Dr. Novo, I knew she was the one I wanted to remove my implants. I loved that she did not try to talk me into smaller implants. She listened to me and my reasons for wanting them out. She was supportive of my decision and very thorough in her explanation of the surgery, the recovery time and what to expect. She will remove the implants along with a capsulectomy and do a lift via a keyhole incision. Dr. Novo is extremely warm and she and her staff have a wonderful bedside manner. It is no wonder she has such great reviews!
I have read so many brave women's posts on this sight which helped ease my fear of having this surgery. I am so much more comfortable in my own skin at this age. I look forward to wearing little tank tops again and saying goodbye to bras with thick straps and underwire. I am ready to feel like myself again!
My surgery is scheduled for 3/11/19. I am nervous and excited at the same time. I will keep you updated and will post pre and post-op pictures once I can get them to upload.
Updated on 7 Mar 2019:
Updated on 12 Mar 2019:
I am so happy to have those implants out! It turns out that the surgeon who did my implants overfilled the 300cc implants to 400cc without ever telling me. I had my post-op appointment this morning and so far everything is going well! My biggest issue was nausea, but that always happens to me with anesthesia. Dr. Novo used Exparel which is a long acting non-opioid pain medication that is placed to the surgical area and helps with pain relief for up to a few days. I have minor discomfort, but have only needed extra strength Tylenol so far. I took one dose of nausea medicine last night, but haven’t needed any today. I am already up and about and feeling pretty good.
Updated on 12 Mar 2019:
They are swollen and sore, but not painful. The extra lines are from the compression bra which is quite tight. I’m excited to see how they heal over time. I have scoured this sight for years, reading many posts and looking at pictures, working up the courage to explant. Now I want to pay it forward.
Updated on 19 Mar 2019:
It’s hard to believe it’s already been a week since my surgery. I had my one week follow up today with Dr. Novo and everything seems to be healing as it should. The initial upper chest swelling I had has resolved. The lower portion of my breasts are still a little swollen and bruised, but it continues to improve daily. I surprisingly have more breast tissue than I did before my implants. I love how soft they feel!!! Im looking forward to how they will look once they have settled a bit more. Once the glue flakes off, I have been cleared to start using the scar gel. I never needed any of the narcotic pain medication that I was prescribed. The pain has been very minimal and much better than I anticipated only requiring Tylenol. I feel so good that I have to remind myself to take it easy. The best part has been lying down to read my kids a book without getting short of breath from the weight of my implants. I definitely feel like I am ready to go back to work tomorrow. I am so thankful for this site and all the courageous women who have posted their stories. I was so nervous about having this done and now I don’t know why I waited so long. I’m happy to be free of those things and ready to embrace my much smaller boobies. I feel like me again! :) I will post pics later today.
Updated on 19 Mar 2019:
Taking it day by day. Happy with the progress so far.
Updated on 19 Apr 2019:
It’s been almost 6 weeks since my explant and lift and I feel fabulous! It has been a while so I though I would post updated pictures. My neck and upper back pain is so much better and I’ve been working to correct my posture as well. My left breast incision opened a bit at the T, but I never needed antibiotics and it is now almost completely filled in. My surgeon gave me nectar to put on it which has worked wonders. I also started using Silagen scar gel. I was concerned that that open area would leave an ugly scar, but Dr. Novo has assured me that it will look great and I absolutely trust her. She has been accessible to me 24/7 whenever I’ve had any concerns or questions. She plans to laser the area in 2-3 weeks to minimize the scar. I can now wear regular bras during the day, but the post op compression bras at night or another 4 weeks. I can’t wait until next week when I can start working out again!