I’m writing this to shed light and to hopefully help people make choices and know about expectations.
I had wanted a breast enhancement since I was young, but I was afraid to cut open my body and add something foreign to a perfectly healthy system.
I researched and researched over the years and had many friends go through the surgery.
As I aged, my breast tissue actually got less and less. For many it’s the opposite, but for me I stayed in shape and became leaner and leaner. I started surfing at the age of 55, and went nearly every single day. This was when my upper body became so lean that I began to look like a 12 year old boy. That was when I decided I had to finally get breast augmentation.
I wanted bras to fit, I wanted tops to not be baggy in the breast area, I wanted to just feel more feminine.
I researched doctors and decided on Dr. Sattler at Sound Plastic Surgery. They specialize in breast enhancement and the quality of their photos and their outcomes was what helped me decide. I just wanted someone really competent and skilled.
The office is super nice and the staff are all friendly and professional, but I always felt really rushed during my visits. I felt a bit intimidated as well. It’s just really uncomfortable being photographed and undressing and showing your upper half naked body as a mature woman especially, and I think that also made me feel a bit timid when it came to asking questions and getting all the information I needed. They were super professional about all of this, but it's a very vulnerable place to be. I needed to feel like there was a bit more space and time to process all the information. I also thought the sizing would be a bit more fun and intimate but there really isn't that many choices. We started what felt HUGE to me and got me down to where I wanted to be.
I wanted something small and natural and ended up with I think 120cc. “Bilateral Breast Augmentation With Silicone Gel Filled Smooth Round Implants” The smallest implant he had ever done. It couldn’t be smaller because the size/width of my chest, in other words you need the size of the implant to fit nicely in your chest or breast pocket so it fills the area, otherwise I may have gone even smaller. I’m only 100 pounds, 5’4”, petit and never had much breast tissue so I did not want to look like I had totally gotten a ‘boob job’. As it was I was nervous about the size of 120cc but everyone at the office assured me it wasn’t too big and would look natural. In the end this was the best choice for me. To this day I do not wish I was any larger, and love the small, perky, natural feeling breasts.
Surgery day was pretty scary, I woke up with a migraine out of sheer terror I think. Everyone was super nice, and the operating room was sparkling bright and clean. I don’t remember anything about the actual surgery. When I woke up from surgery I was feeling sore but not overly terrible.
Right away I noticed one breast was higher than the other, but was told that would change over the course of the next year and not to worry.
My breasts continued to be somewhat lopsided. The surgeon told me one side bled a lot and that was unusual and he had a hard time with it. I imagine that’s part of what happened with the lopsidedness. Perhaps my age as well. Also, over the coming weeks, I bruised all the way down the front of my body and into my groin. It was scary looking. No one told me that was a possibility and it was wild. I kept having to send photos of my breasts and the bruising to the office to be examined. I was told it was not normal but also not dangerous. The pain was pretty bad initially but it went away quickly, within a week or so. Just the crazy bruising and the initial cartoonesque sort of action figure high and mighty breasts, though they did say they would not look how I wanted initially, and continued to stress not to be alarmed and to be patient.
They were mainly concerned about the implant staying in the pocket and not sagging beneath the natural line under the breast. The surgery slits under my breast were tiny and healed really well, and they breasts did not drop into this undesirable position.
The breasts sat really high at first and then started to settle. I healed really fast after the initial bruising and had no issues really except that one breast sat higher, was firmer and had more scar tissue.
At about 3 months in, honestly, I was thrilled even though they were uneven. I wore the post-surgery bra as instructed and did the compression across the top of the breasts for the time I was told. I didn’t surf for about 8 weeks and then went back in the water with no issues. I had no issues with any capsular contraction and still do not though it has been 2-years. All in all they look really natural, even though I am thin, and older. They feel supple and look healthy.
My only complaint is they are still lopsided. I was told I could have another surgery to fix this so I am assuming this is something that happens. No one told me this could happen though it’s probably in the fine print. I wonder the why of it. When I look back on my original photos the breasts healed similar to how they looked after surgery. The difference is the one that sits lower (and actually looks more natural, as it did from day 1) also is off to the side just slightly so the breast tissue in the middle is a little deflated and flat. It is a tiny bit weird but I try not to be too bummed out about it. I won’t do another surgery because that seems overly obsessive and unhealthy and I’m not trying to impress anyone, just feel good in my own body. Other thoughts are: seatbelts pushing on the tissue, cross body bags, and surfing because of the overly developed chest muscles possibly pushing on the breast implant. But I have no idea and nothing was offered by the surgeon in terms of why.
All that being said, I still LOVE my new breasts. I love the size, shape and the way I feel so much more comfortable in all my clothes and swimsuits. I have no regrets and after 2 years my energy is great, no side effects, no issues other than the breasts being slightly uneven. I wish for my $7,490 I had perfect breasts, but I have 90% beautiful breasts than what I had and for that I am grateful.
I read a lot about people wanting to go small when I started this journey and there was not a lot posted about going as small as I did. I just want to reiterate how happy I am about my choice of size. They are perfect for my body, my lifestyle and the look I was trying to achieve. Because I wore padded bras all the time, it feels like no one even noticed! I also hear a lot about people wishing they went bigger; not me. I am completely thrilled that I didn't go any larger. I also think because of the small size it fit in my body better and made healing easier and faster.
I hope this helps someone make a decision about their breast augmentation and expected outcome. It's a very personal and intense journey and no matter that thousands of woman have done it, it is still dangerous and scary to undertake surgery when it doesn't need to be done. All in all I'm 90% happy with my results and that's enough for me!