I had a lipoma removal on my back. Kaiser would not touch it, claiming it was purely cosmetic. Dr. Downey legitimately had her concerns and recommended removal. She thoroughly, compassionately explained the procedure. The whole process was painless. My scar is barely visible. She is very courteous, professional, and calming. I highly recommend her and will definitely seek her services for other procedures.
I was very concerned about having cosmetic surgery . Especially as a man I was worried about looking "different " . However I felt my heavy upper eyelids made me look tired. Dr. Susan Downey put me at ease . Surgery went great - I look refreshed and not "done". No more tired look and I still look like myself only better. Very happy! Updated on 10 Aug 2016: I cannot believe it has been six months since my surgery . Went back for a follow up and I could not be happier !! I look great ! Recovery was minimal/ no pain only the slightest bruising which went away quickly. I cannot find my scars. Dr. Downey is the best/would do the surgery again in a heartbeat.
All my life I struggled with covering this horrible birthmark on my face. Dr. Downey removed it and brought confidence to my self image. I no longer have to spend huge amounts of money every year to attempt to cover it. I can go to the beach and not worry about people staring at me. I can now go anywhere without heavy makeup and without feeling that people are staring at me. My boyfriend loves seeing me without makeup too! I have so much more self confidence thanks to Dr. Susan Downey.
July 15, 2012 Today marks exactly 4 weeks before my surgery... and I have yet to decide if I actually want a reduction or not! The boobs will definitely be lifted, and Dr. Downey has decided on a lollipop lift with a small, 2cm incision at the base. Granted, I am 24 and a 32DD... but I have heard reports that once the breast is reshaped and lifted it will actually look much smaller anyway. So I am still unsure about the reduction part! Thoughts? In other news, I am tripping balls that my surgery is FOUR WEEKS AWAY. At least I have the most supportive and wonderful boyfriend ever. He says he loves my breasts now and he will love them post-op because they are on me ;) Last night, I leaned over and smacked him in the face with one of my saggy boobs and said "you see that?! that will NOT be possible in 4 weeks!!" heehee Updated on 18 Jul 2012: July 18, 2012 Went for the pre-culture for my IUD at the gyno today... he is supposed to be putting it in in 10 days. That may seem unrelated, but I am actually nervous about pain from adjusting to the IUD combined with pain from surgery recovery in a few weeks. Does anyone have the IUD that can comment on that? I am terrified. At the same time, I guess I'm kind of happy to be getting everything out of the way in one swoop ;) Updated on 23 Jul 2012: So I was a little too freaked out and decided against the IUD for now. I just don't want to put myself in a situation where I am doing way too much and in severe pain. I also posted some pictures in Ask a Doctor and the replies made me feel a lot more comfortable about the procedure I decided on (lollipop lift). I still scheduled an additional consultation with Dr. Downey though to show her some pictures and see if I will be able to get the results I want. Will post next after that appointment in a few days. Happy Monday people :) Updated on 26 Jul 2012: I am nervous that after my lift my girls wont feel like "mine". I might sound crazy saying that... can anyone share their personal experiences on adjusting to a new look and taking ownership post-op? It's not that I don't want them lifted.. I really really do... just scared about not feeling like "me"! Also an exercise question: I am really in to thai boxing, I do it at the gym basically every day, in your opinion how long would you say I should wait to go back to doing kick pad drills, punching drills, pushups, jump rope etc post op? Thanks again everyone for supporting me :) Updated on 27 Jul 2012: Just had my third consultation with Dr. Downey (yes, I said third lol.. I'm a little crazy and nervous) and I am extremely pleased!! She is such a nice person and so knowledgeable and patient... she sat there for an hour answering every question from "is it ok to take allegra-D the week leading up to my surgery" to "will I have fullness in my upper pole"? When she walked in I had a billion things spread all over the table, prescriptions I am taking, my laptop with pictures of boobs on it, scar tape I bought at CVS, and we went through and talked about every item I brought in!! She even left the room to get a camera and showed me personally some different angles while I was lying on the table, and what she can do from her perspective. Everything makes so much sense now, and I am feeling much more calm! I am so happy I found a surgeon that I trust and now I am looking forward to just getting this over with and starting the healing process. PS I've been working out like CRAZY and eating very well for months now because I've heard being in the best health possible helps with the healing process. I think I might actually be in the best shape of my life! I am healthy, not skinny but healthy and a little muscular. I had a dream last night I kicked a robber in the face... must be a side effect of too much kick boxing ;) Updated on 2 Aug 2012: Decided not to get a reduction! Thought about it for a long time. I would rather not burn any bridges and see what I think after they are lifted. I've lost 8 pounds and am down 5% body fat... I'm so ready to get this over with! Scar strips: check Scar cream: check Multi vitamin: check Get healthy: check Post op bra: still need to get one Getting my house cleaned: check Getting my cat cleaned: check (she needs to be sterile too! lol) Mom flying in: check Fill post op prescription: still need to do it Am I missing anything?? Updated on 6 Aug 2012: Went for my pre-op physical today! I did blood work, a chest x-ray, an EKG and all the other normal physical stuff. I have been super moody over the past couple days. Been arguing with basically everyone and not getting a lot of sleep (plus the AC has been out in the building all month so sleeping hasn't been comfortable). My mom says if it is too hot around surgery time and the AC isn't fixed we are just going to get a hotel room so I can sleep. I don't know, I thought I was past the point of anxiety now but it seems like its all coming back! I am just nervous and AHHHH and want to get as much done as possible before this happens! In other news I am ordering this bra because it has great reviews (the three reasons one) http://www.titlenine.com/category/sports-bras-and-undies/medium-high-impact-sports-bras.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=1 I am also getting this stuff called "Injurotox", it is a holistic dropper that you put under your tongue once a day I think, it has arnica in it and I have heard good things! Updated on 6 Aug 2012: UPDATE: Bet you can't hold a pair of sunglasses AND a full 2012 day planner under your boobs!!!!! no hands! Updated on 13 Aug 2012: Had my final pre-op appointment on Friday! I've been anxious ever since. Cant believe this is really happening in 48 hours... omg. I also had my physical/ got my blood drawn/ an EKG etc. So far so good. Everything is paid for as well, now just counting down the hours and trying not to freak out! Just praying for serenity, piece of mind, happiness and a smooth, long-lasting healing process. Updated on 15 Aug 2012: Hey ladies I am alive and well but super drugged and going in and out of sleep. I Updated on 16 Aug 2012: So I read my review from yesterday (the day of my surgery) and laughed and laughed this morning. Seems that I fell asleep mid sentence. hahahaha. Well that should pretty much tell you I was really, really out of it. So here is basically what happened: I got to the hospital at 5:15am, checked in and was super panicked, cried like 4 times. Went into preop with my mom and boyfriend where they put warm blankets on me and did my vitals. Then went into the anesthesia room where that doctor went over my answers to the sheet they provided me at the beginning. Then came probably the scariest part for me. I finally saw my surgeon and as she walked into the room I almost passed out... TWICE! I got completely pale and yellowish and very hot and had to lay down and almost threw up on her while she was trying to mark me up. I was sooooo scared and nervous I think my body just reacted to it. She was able to get through the marking and next thing I knew I was saying bye to my mom (in a less panicked state) and getting wheeled into another room. Those little tricksters didn't even tell me they started the anesthesia... lol. I saw the big table where they were going to put me and all that and next thing I knew I was waking up to another random nurse! Saying "oh she's waking up". I was like duh lady. haha.. but she was nice :) So then I think I passed out for a while longer and woke up in the same room I did pre-op in with the same blankets to my mom and boyfriend. After I was stable enough they wheeled me to the car. Then we went to the hotel, which I am currently in now, because the AC in my building is out and it is like Satan's lair in there during this heat wave. So yesterday was me basically in and out of sleep, I got maybe 8 bites of oatmeal down, almost threw it up twice, and then finally at the end of the day was able to get some plain pasta down no problem. The other weird thing that happened is I tried to kind of peak at my nipple and I pulled up the cotton a little and MY NIPPLE looked like it was starting to peel off with the cotton!! I freaked out! It created a little hole and gross stuff started coming out so I quickly kind of pressed my nipple back on and never looked down there again. I really want to but ummmm no way haha. I am all wrapped up and cant take pictures but after my post op tomorrow hopefully I can! xoxoxo Updated on 17 Aug 2012: Today is day 2 post op and my pain has gone way down. I am pretty constipated though.. lol. Didn't need any vikodin today and went for my first post op! This is the first time I've gotten to see anything! I have gotten my appetite back, too :) My boobs are looking really scary but I am not concerned, the incisions have a lot of healing to do and I'm sure they will do well and the swelling will go way down in the next couple weeks. This is still very surreal... cant believe these are my boobs! They are so perky its crazy... I am loving Dr. Downey! She has been amazingly helpful with aftercare so far. Today I went and got some camis that sit comfortably over my boobs from LuluLemon ;) Will update with more pics soon... next post op is on Friday, 1 week from today! Updated on 18 Aug 2012: I am in love with my new yellow top from Lululemon! #braless baby! Updated on 21 Aug 2012: Just wanted to give ya'll lovely ladies a quick update. Tomorrow marks one week since my surgery and I feel great! It's amazing how quickly the body recovers from a big surgery. I still have crazy looking boobs with big incisions but they pretty much stay wrapped up in these soft bras I got from Target most of the day. The bras from Target are amaaazing by the way, they have just enough support but are loose and soft enough at the bottom that they don't "cut into you" where the incisions are. Anyway I stopped taking pain meds almost 2 days ago! Not even advil! And I'm through with the prescribed anti-biotic the doctor gave me. I had a small sore pain under my right boob for a while but that is completely gone now. Now I am more itchy than anything. This is all still so surreal... having completely different boobs. I am not even bruising too much yet and am able to shower every day. Just waiting on those crazy looking yellow bruises to come around :) I am not going to go too crazy but I'm tired of sitting in the house so I think going on a short walk every day will be nice. I feel more than capable of doing it, just been paranoid lol. Besides that I feel back to my old self! Oh also sleeping is interesting... I am very much a stomach sleeper so even though I try to start out on my back I end up rolling around. Usually I make it through the night, but if my body starts feeling too much pressure it will wake me up and I will just flip back on to my back. So its all good :) Anyway post op on Friday, will update more pics then bc I look basically the same just a little less red and a little more crusty! Gross I know! Updated on 5 Sep 2012: Today marks 3 weeks post op! I was doing completely fine until an incident I had last Friday. I went in for my 2 week post op and Dr. Downey applied some surgical tape (basically just sticky tape that helps hold the incisions together while they are healing). Unfortunately I had a bad allergic reaction to the tape! My breasts started itching so badly and I got a rash underneath them. It was over the holiday weekend and I panicked about taking the tape off (I didn't know whether or not I was supposed to). The itching became unbearable that night to the point I just had to take the tape off! When I took it off a bunch of gunk came off with it (mostly surgical glue) but I also opened up a few small holes and saw some fluid oozing out (clear and green). I freaked out that entire night until morning and the holes already seemed to be healing over. I ended up calling Dr. Downey in tears in the morning (still kind of embarrassed about that one) and her answering service transferred me directly to her. She picked up right away! She told me I did the right thing and everything was completely fine. She fit me in right away, looked at my breasts and prescribed me a steroid cream that will help calm the allergic reaction (took a picture of it for you all). I only started it yesterday and so far I think it is working, I am still itchy but definitely not as bad as before. I have a followup with her on Friday. She says my scars are healing well so there is no need to put on tape and we can go over some other options on Friday. As far as my boobs I am still very pleased! They are starting to round out at the bottom (as you can see, still a little squarish, but much better than before). Dr. Downey says this process can take 6-8 weeks. I adore my perky shape and cant wait until the tenderness goes away so I can start wearing anything I want!! I am going stir crazy and cant wait to get back to my normal routine! I am doing stuff like running errands but trying to keep my anxiety level low. There is so much going on in my life and I don't want to get stressed out for my own sake. I am not in any pain but still sleeping on my back because while the pain is gone I am still very tender. The redness you see around the incisions is from the allergic reaction I had, by the way! Updated on 2 Oct 2012: Healing is going well! I think finally everything has basically closed up. There was a little crustiness under one until a few days ago. Every time I go back to Dr. Downey she pulls out a stitch (they are technically dissolvable but some work their way to the surface. Once she pulls it up the area heals up nicely. I would say underneath definitely heals slower than the rest! She also says that since I'm young the scars will take longer to mature, so they will look reddish a while longer but I don't mind. Started working out a bit too, she says I can do whatever I want now! Still wearing sports bras even though I don't need to anymore, they are so comfy!
I had poland syndrome. Which I didn't know what it was or what it was called until she educated me about it and went through all these processes with me. She told me the cons and the pros. Which lead me to do reconstruction.
I am three days post op. I can honestly say I have experienced very little pain. I have taken 4 pills since coming off anesthesia and mainly because I thought I should take the meds and not because I was in pain. My breasts were a DD and are now a B. I am glad to have foreign objects out of my body. My belly is flat. It's too early to give a comment regarding a final result but I have had procedures before and you must not get depressed or unhappy as it will take 6 months for you to be looking at a fairly final result. And until then, while healing, you sometimes look worse. Do not freak out.
I had very large breasts. It took me years to make my decision of getting a breast reduction. The weight and back aches are gone, my clothes fit better but I am not happy with the final result! After surgery my breasts are different sizes. Not only did the incision continue to leak with nothing being done about it, but the incision on my right breast is way too high, not under my breast. 8 months since my surgery, I continue to have discomfort and swelling on my right breast. Always told that it would be okay, that they would turn out fine. After healed, and seeing that my breasts were indeed different, I was told I could have surgery again to make them the same but she would charge me again!!!! Charge me to do that AGAIN?
I had my BA in 2000 at 21, 350cc, went from full 34b to full 34d and now am a bit bigger at 34dd! I had always wanted bigger boobs but never really considered getting breast augmentation because of the scars. When I heard you could get them through the belly button, I got really excited, scheduled an appt and after only one consult set up my surgery for 2 weeks later. I was young and naive, and the doctor told me "no visible scars! they last a lifetime!" There was no mention of sizes, he just told me to bring a picture on the day of my surgery. There was no discussion or thought as to the realities of living with implants and I very impulsively jumped in. Everybody around me was getting their boobs done, so it seemed no big deal. My surgery was very uneventful and my breasts looked great, but seemed a little too big. I was left with only partial sensation in my right nipple and complete numbness underneath the same breast. Very hard to get used to. Well, they settled soon after and I look like I have naturally heavy boobs, not full, high ones. The weight of the implants has made my boobs look heavy/ saggy. I regretted my decision 6 months after, but I didn't really think there was much I could do about it. Three years later, I returned to my doctor and told him I wanted them removed. He said I would be left with saggy boobs that needed a lift and would be full of scars (which is absolutely terrifying at 24), and since my result was so great, I should leave them be. So for the past 12.5 years I have lived with them, hating how fat they make me feel and look, telling my husband to take neck up photos only, and finding ways to make them look smaller and hide my cleavage under clothes. I want to get pregnant very soon, and I am thinking now is the right time to remove them. I now know these things have a shelf life and I really don't want to be dealing with boob issues while I am pregnant or dealing with young kids. I am terrified as all of us are at how I will look afterwards. But I must say, everyone seems to look perfectly normal! I won't be having a lift, as pregnancy will stretch them out again. I like to think that I will have "pre-stretched boobs," so I won't be disappointed at them after pregnancy as many women seem to be. Who knows, maybe I'll never lift them and just learn to appreciate my body, saggy boobs and all. My husband is being supportive, but I am wearing him thin with my constant obsessing over this. I have been looking at boobs ALL THE TIME for the last two weeks, and have been reading about all of your experiences, positive and negative, and they have been really helpful, so I thought I should add mine to the list. I had an appt with a PS for removal, and since my capsules are very thin, she will leave them in and not use any drains. She said I'll probably need a lift, and that I should try not to look at them too much for the first 6 weeks after removal!!! I am so worried about getting depressed about flat saggy boobies! But she does think I should be about a B cup after, so at least there will be something there! I really look forward to a smaller size. Hoping my areolas might shrink back some since they went from quarters to silver dollars after implants! I am very, very nervous about surgery and pain in general, and am prone to anxiety/ panic attacks, so this will be a very rough journey for me, but I know once they are out, it will both literally and figuratively have a load off my shoulders! Updated on 13 Sep 2012: Here's some photos to show you how nice and low my implants are sitting...also, just noticed in pictures that my right boob appears to be running away from my left one! weird how i can't see that in the mirror! Updated on 14 Sep 2012: Just had another consult. This surgeon quoted a much better price than the previous, $3500 (vs $5600) for removal and capsulectomy. He said he recommends removing capsules (and placing drains- ugh) as to avoid seromas, but also because leaving scar tissue behind can interfere with mammograms and look suspicious. I am very nervous about this as it's more aggressive than straight removal and I don't want to lose any more sensation in my breasts. He also said my nipple position looks good, so I might feel okay without a lift. He refuses to do lifts upon removal anyways, as he says the tissues contract quite a bit over 6 months to a year, and you get a much better result going in at a later date. The coordinator told me it's a very good idea to wear a sports bra all the time for the first 6 months to keep all the tissue tight against your chest for better contracture. The doctor also brought up fat injections, saying they might be needed in the future so things look normal. While removing fat from my stomach or thighs and pushing it into my chest sounds brilliant in theory (who doesn't think this sounds like a dream?), I don't think I could consider that unless I had a deformity of some kind. This kinda scared me, his mentioning things not looking "normal." My boobs look completely normal now, shouldn't they just end up a deflated saggy normal after removal? Also, he said removable stitches tend to leave prettier scars and that nipples do usually shrink back some after removal, just to let you know! Updated on 1 Oct 2012: Just scheduled my surgery for end of November. Thinking of having my implants deflated a week before, so it will be less traumatic coming out of surgery! I am so nervous I lost about 10 pounds in the last month and a half. I think this might be a bad move because I need all the booby fat I can get to kepp my saggy boobs from looking ilke empty pancakes! I'm not worried about the sag and have no hope like other ladies that they won't be saggy after, as they are now, but I am really hoping I don't have a sunken in chest with sagging skin underneath. I think this is my greatest fear at the moment! Updated on 3 Oct 2012: Okay, so I know I can't hope for great results like a lot of the other girls here, since as I mentioned before, I am already sagging. I am really getting seriously depressed/anxious about this. I have tremendous side boobage as implants were too wide and am sure that I will just have loose skin hanging on my sides. The implants have made me much wider, so my boobs will be flat, wide and saggy. They already flop all over the place and fall underneath my arms just like natural boobs. I have very little upper pole fullness, and most of your implants were riding high, almost up to the neck, but mine start low down and my skin is very stretched underneath. :( I know they will look absolutely terrible. I feel totally disgusted for putting myself in this situation and honestly, I sometimes feel if I am ready to handle the aftermath. I am worried that my husband will find my loose hanging skin repulsive. I met him after I was implanted, so this is all he has known. He is not excited about lift scars, so I don't know if that will be an option for me. I am having trouble sleeping at night and seriously worried about depression setting in afterward. I think I will look like I'm 84 years old with 12 children and a 100 lb weight loss. I wish one would rupture just so I will know I won't be a monster. Updated on 4 Oct 2012: I don't know if I can do this, ladies. I am so saggy now and all my implant is in the bottom of my boob. I will have sagging sacks of empty flesh afterwards. Plus, someone wrote a review (brooklynbabe) about how disfigured she was afterwards and how her doctor was all reassuring. I look to see which doctor she used, and it's the same doctor removing mine! I am really, really freaking out bad now! Thinking of cancelling! Updated on 5 Oct 2012: Thank you everyone for your reassurances. I don't know why I'm so scared. I know I will be saggy, but saggy boobs are pretty normal. I just keep thinking I have a sunken in chest wall underneath these things for some reason! I sleep on my stomach and feel like 12 years of pressing these things against my body all night has created a cavity! Arghhhh!!!! Anyways, did not cancel, and my doctor is very well respected and known. As I am having a simple removal, I don't think there's much skill involved anyways, so it probably doesn't matter. Updated on 6 Nov 2012: Hi all, not doing well at all. Realizing how enormous my boobs are, and am losing weight rapidly as anxiety sets in. This is making my breasts "all implant." I can't believe my surgeon pumped me so full, guaranteeing problems down the road. Bottoming out, which I have, necessitating a lift. It is no wonder I lost sensation the first go round. I am lucky to have any feeling at all in my boobs. If I remove them, I will have empty floppy skin, which will probably have to be reimplanted and lifted. I am starting to think mine are overs, since everyone under the muscle seems to have implants that stay high up. I have been looking online, and I am larger than the average [RS bleep] bunny. I am not sure I am doing the right thing in removing them, as the result will be so far from liveable, I will probably go into a deep depression. I feel so stuck, and so sick. I am angry at my surgeon. I hate myself so much, for taking a perfectly lovely, healthy body and deforming it with these huge saline balloons. Oh, and I am starting to have a little nerve pain in the sensation-compromised breast, likely from the pressure of the implant. They have never felt heavier in my life. I am so distraught that I reached out and told my whole family, who never knew I had them. They have been supportive, but I am so shaken with the likely extent of my deformity, that I am not functioning. I keep reminding myself that I am more than breasts, and women have mastectomies and are in a much worse situation than I. This just makes me hate myself all the more, as I did this purely out of vanity and stupidity. I wish I had gone to more than one consultation, or at least done a little research. I would have at the very least ended up with a proper size for my body. I feel like I will always have to have implants, and will continue to lose more and more sensation through lifts and implanting until I no longer care anything about them at all anymore. Or worse, I will have nerve pain or get capsular contracture and suffer in that way as well. My heart is heavy and my head hurts all the time. There is no result from removal that I have seen that I think will be worse than my own. I would take pretty much anything over what I will likely end up with. I am not sure I am strong wnough to deal with the impending results. I think I need psychological help before taking this step. Updated on 24 Nov 2012: i am hurting inside so much. i know it may be hard to believe, but i never would have gotten implants if i knew they had to be replaced. i was told they were lifetime devices. i believed this! i also went through the belly button because i never wanted scars on my lovely boobs. i was not told that repeat surgeries would need to be done by cutting into the breast. now i will have very scarred up breasts that are a lot smaller and way less pretty than had i left my breasts alone. i feel in a different boat than a lot of you. you had implants because you felt your breasts were unnattractive, which i am sure they were not. most of you loved your implants, but decided to get rid of them. you have them out, and walk away with breasts close to what you started with. only some of the older ladies choose lifts, even though they do not really need them. i am young and because of the terrible boob job i was given, i now need a lift even though i absolutely do not want one. my breasts did not sag, my implants did because they were improperly sized and placed. i am not having a lift upon removal because i want to minimize the cutting into of my breasts as,little as possible, and do not want touch up lifts after pregnancies. i realize this sounds like a pity party, and it is, but i have received no joy at all from my implants, have disliked having my breasts touched since i got them, and feel i ruined a large part of my sensuality at the tender age of 21 by having them in. they are my biggest regret in life, and i feel unlucky that i cannot just take them out and walk away happy like so many of you seem to do. i realize this is all my doing and now i need to deal with it. i know some of you have illnesses you are dealing with, and my situation is nil compared to that. i would give almost anything to go back and undo this. after ignoring how i feel about my breast implants i am finally dealing with all this and i am devastated. Updated on 25 Nov 2012: i realise you can see my weight loss in the new pic. too bad i hadn't left my boobs alone. i would look really great right now.nothing sags on me except my saline balloons. too bad i will never look normal in the boob area again. empty skin flaps for me. sigh. Updated on 26 Nov 2012: I know I will need to remove tons of excess skin from around my implants. I am hoping to be able to live with the resulting loose skin mass until after children and hoping I have enough breast tissue to make a decent boobie. I am not sure all the hanging floppy skin will be something I can live with long term, but I really want to limit myself to just one lift instead of touch up lifts after kids. The lifts look amazing, but everyone seems to be struggling so hard to heal from them!!! And because my implants are overs, I understand nipple circulation is an issue. Am I doing the right thing by waiting? I really hope I can just lift my skin and not need another implant. If I am caved in underneath, I don't know if that's possible. I have been reassured that everyone has something to lift, but I saw a really funky looking one in the review sections! I have only one good nipple left and am concerned about losing that one! How many of you still have numb nips????? Updated on 28 Nov 2012: back from surgery! haven't seen boobs yet, but i took a top down peek and there is not much left and they are really low down on my chest. this is so weird as i have not been flat chested since i was 11! ps says skin already contracted quite a bit and i dont seem to be caved in on the top part at least, so maybe it isnt a complete disaster, but she wont let me see them until friday, so i am sure they dont look great. turns out they were under the muscle, just way too big for my frame to handle. duh! feeling pretty great, not in any real pain (yet!). feels more like i got hit in the chest while playing dodgeball.surgery took 1 hour and 20 minutes and i had a capsulectomy with drains. i look so much thinner in my clothes and feel an incredible weight off my chest. when i walked downstairs i didnt have to cup my breasts, which was nice. i am still scared to see all the skin on the bottom of them, though. thank you so much for your support, everyone. you have no idea how much this forum has helped me to prepare. this needed to be done as i have felt a prisoner to those boobs for so many years. my husband says it's strange for him since he is used to me with big boobs! it is weird for,me too. Updated on 28 Nov 2012: heading out to the hospital. feeling very scared as i know it wont be pretty. hope at least the pain is light. it feels a bit like jumping off a cliff..... Updated on 30 Nov 2012: i am going in to have my drains removed today. boobs are rapidly shrinking down! the deformity i thought i had on my right breast is coming from the drain tube poking out sideways. i don't have much pain and i think the discomfort i do have is from the drains. because my other doctor moved my creases and my scars were in my belly button, my new doctor had to make a guess where my boobs would end up. my scars are not in my crease now, but on my actual breast. i was upset about it, but she said it was normal for them to be placed higher than the crease? so underwire bras don't rub and irritate? does that sound right to you guys? also, she did some tissue arranging to make my breasts come out as nice as possible and they look a lot better than i think anyone was expecting. the only thing that has me devastated is that my left breast is now numb from the nipple down as well. the dr assures me this is temporary, but i am really afraid that now i will have two numb breasts. did anyone else have such extensive numbness after removal? this is going to be really devastating if my entire chest is numb. i was hoping for a possible return of sensation and completely unprepared for loss of it. i guess i have to be patient. as i am only 3 days out from surgery..... Updated on 30 Nov 2012: i had the drains removed today. i was given numbing shots and i didn't feel anything. saw boobies without all the taping and drains and i love them! the are smaller and much lower than when i first got them in. i would say i am a b cup, assuming they don't shrink up too much more (which i don't really care about anyways)! they definitely are on the droopy side, but i think they are beautiful and push up bras make everything okay! i am so glad i didn't listen to the doctors telling me i needed an anchor lift. it is AMAZING how skin contracts even after having huge implants for 12+ years. if they lifted my boobs, i probably wouldn't have anything left! now i need to learn to correct my horrible posture after years of slouching. thank you so much to all the women who posted about how awful it was to go through pregnancy with implants, especially hatemyimplantsinor, who posted photos especially for me to show me what pregnancy does to implanted boobies. for the women who are told over muscle implants look much worse than under muscle implants when removed, i can tell you one of my implants (the right) was under muscle, and the left had slipped out from under the muscle years ago, which is why it had gone sideways. it was just hanging in my skin!. but as you can see, when they were removed, they look pretty symmetrical, not to mention that most boobs aren't symmmetrical to begin with. so please, don't let doctors scare you into keeping them in. if you really want them out, have them out and see what remains. you may be very pleasantly surprised. my poor stretched out boobs did me real proud. i got really, really lucky on this one and for this i am extremely grateful. Updated on 3 Dec 2012: she placed the scars above my crease. one is actually high up on my breast and is starting to tether, pulling my breast tissue inward. it looks really deformed! i am not sure how one would even fix this! i am completely devastated! Updated on 3 Dec 2012: i think i am a cautionary tale. i will pay for my foolish mistake with numb breasts and ugliness. i hope i can come out of this without crumbling... Updated on 4 Dec 2012: came back from post op visit. dr says she doesnt think it is tethered. she says that breast has a lot more swelling and bruising, which is making the area look funky. she says worst case scenario in six months she does a revision under local, but that the scar should lay flat and they look exactly how they are supposed to at this point. she also says my stitches last 80 days! i thought it was more like a few weeks! my wounds are fully closed and got the go ahead for light massage around the breast, avoiding scar. she measured the scar and saw she was off, but said she really had to guess where the line should be. she measured me from nipple down rather than crease up, so i guess thats why the scars are so high. i will never be happy with how high that right scar is, but i guess my boobs do look pretty good considering i thought for sure i would be a shapeless floppy monstrosity. i guess an unideal scar is just a bump in the road. i really hope it does heal well like she says it wil, but time will tell. she says she is glad we didnt do a lift as they look very nice and are exactly where they should be. i know they are low and saggy, but i quite like the shape! still havent had much pain, and dont remember much from the original aug either. even with my scar setback, i am still super happy i removed those implants. they felt horrid and all i did was try to hide their size. looking forward to pretty bras that i dont have to mash all that massive side boob into! will post pictures at a later point when i feel there is a change. Updated on 22 Feb 2013: So three months have gone by, and it's been a roller coaster. I am so happy and relieved that I dont "need" implants anymore! I thought by now I would be 100% healed, and I am not in any pain, but my breasts are still very "moody." Sometimes one will be a little sore, or I will get a sharp pain, and I notice as a stomach and side sleeper that some mornings I wake up a little achey in one of them from the pressure. My scars are still sore as well. 12 weeks isn't really that long, after all, and the full healing takes many months, I am sure. Explanting is a very real thing! It is so emotional. I cried quite a few times afterwards. I was tired of the discomfort, of sleeping face-up, really upset about my scar placement and tethering, nervous about the numbness in my "good breast" (which has largely resolved at this point), but never upset about the size or shape of them, strangely. I love having smaller boobs! Not to mention they feel so soft and lovely. I forgot what real boobs felt like, and it is NOTHING like implanted ones. My husband has been amazing and tells me how beautiful my breasts are and how sexy they feel! Also, I got a lot of nipple sensation back in my right breast! Since the augmentation, I only had a little bit of sensation in the top portion of the nipple, but the "sexy" feeling came back! Yay! My scar is still tethered, and I don't think it looks very different. It only seems dented in a small portion of the scar, but when I lift my arm it looks sunken in. I have only just now started really massaging it. Boy, it feels disgusting to do it! That portion of my breast is completely numb from the augmentation so I can't feel anything on the surface, just a dull pain underneath. This breast is slower to heal, apparently. It still feels "bruised" around the scar. My dr is suggesting physical therapy in the form of ultrasound and massaging to help it along. I went to Nordstrom's to get sized. I am apparently a 32DD! I didn't believe it until I was given a stack of bras that fit! I felt the band was tighter than I was comfortable with, and I just refuse to wear anything that says "DD" , so I went with 34D, though I am guessing I am probably a medium C tissue-wise (with no upper fullness, though). I wonder what size I really was with implants. Probably about an E! I really only wore sports bras most of the time because bras for large breasts are usually pretty ugly and very full coverage. My fave bra is the Natori Feathers Plunge bra, which has been mentioned on this site many times. It's very comfortable. It doesn't have any padding, but has molded cups that lift nicely and give a great shape! Thank you so much for the continued support from all the brave and beautiful ladies here. I wish you all the best of luck and may you have beautiful results and love your natural self! Updated on 21 Mar 2013: I have updated my pics to tell more of a complete story, which I am hoping might also help someone out there contemplating implants. Be careful what you wish for! I thought fuller breasts would be 'fun,' but they were anything but! I have been seeing a physical therapist for the last 3 weeks for my scar issue. My PS wrote a prescription for this therapy, which means my insurance covers it! I am getting 1) infrared laser 2) ultrasound and 3) massage. It has been determined that my scar tissue is now only a small lump under part of the incision and is not attached to the muscle. I do feel it has softened after treatment, and I am hoping to avoid revision by continuing the therapy for another few weeks. I will update (hopefully with good news!) when the therapy is finished. On another note, when I joined this community in Sept '12, there were about 200 reviews, and maybe only 40 had photos. This number has now doubled in only 6 months- amazing! I think we are seeing a trend, ladies! I am so excited to see women of all different ages and implant sizes posting stories with before and after pics! Know that by doing so you are helping other women in the same situation- I can't tell you how much hope the ladies who posted before my explant gave me! Updated on 29 May 2013: Wow, I have just read an article which reports that an analysis of various studies on women who have breast cancer shows that women who have cosmetic (meaning not placed for reconstruction purposes) implants had a 38% higher risk of dying from breast cancer than other women with the same disease and that women with implants are diagnosed at a later stage due to issues with detection. Very scary indeed! Just one more benefit to having them out! http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/01/breast-implants-cancer-study Also, I am still loving my squishy, floppy boobies at almost 7 months post-op. My scar is improving. I have felt some lumpiness under/ near my incision which will be examined. Pretty sure it's a resolving hematoma or some scar tissue, but lumps in breasts are never to be taken lightly! I will be posting a proper update with photos soon. Thanks for all your continued inspiration, ladies!! And the explant trend continues...... Updated on 20 Jun 2013: This will be the third time I am trying to update! Fingers crossed!! I'm just shy of 7 months post explant! I have essentially forgotten what it was like to have implants. I feel like I have always been the size I am now. Pretty amazing how the mind can adjust! My husband said the same- he can't remember my 'before' boobs! There isn't anything I miss about the implants, honestly. They never gave me the confidence boost that I assumed they would and their size was forever getting in the way. I have not once been tempted to use a padded bra. After years of having BIG boobs, I am so happy to be small again and not to have cleavage pouring out of my tops and boob spilling out beneath my armpits! And I can wear dresses straight off the rack! :-D Will follow this update with scar pics... Updated on 20 Jun 2013: I still have the tethered scar. It's mostly noticeable when I raise my arm, although there is a bit of a dent/ contour defect even when my arm is at my side. It has definitely improved and softened over time. My husband has taken to calling me the Statue of Liberty because I kept lifting my arm to see the indentation. Point made! I guess I'll stop lifting that arm! I'm not sure I'll try any revisions on that scar because I'm not planning on posing for [RS bleep] (and even if I was, they do a LOT of airbrushing!)! I do still have my bad moments when I see it because I feel my issue was preventable. I don't think the closure was done properly and as you'll see in the photos, it looks like she sewed the bottom part of the skin inside- it was dented from the very start. If the scar was near the crease, I wouldn't see it and it wouldn't bother me half as much as it does. But I don't think about it as much, and I still think I have better boobs than some ladies WITH implants. ;-) Now to work on my midriff which has gone soft...should have sucked it in for the photos! lol. Updated on 20 Jun 2013:
When I finally made the decision to have my implants removed completely,I could never have imagined the horror story that I went thru. I had had 14 years of not a single problem,and then BAM!, one disaster after another,4 more exchange & capsular contraction implant surgeries, and I was DONE! ( I thought!) I went to see a few Docs who told me " Do NOT remove them.you'll be VERY disappointed with the results!" NOT what I wanted to hear. So,I looked at ALL the "after" photos,went to a highly recommended Doctor,who assured me that I had enough breast tissue left post explanation..and off I went into the nightmare of Breast Implant Removal. I looked like I had had a mastectomy! I was depressed, disfigured,& left with NO tissue for a completely successful re-implantation. My breasts were basically butchered,I had puckers & nipples that looked like snoopy noses ( drooping down) After a few years,& many consults with plastic surgeons on what POSSIBLY could be done to regain my former breast implant shape, I found a genius of a PS. All the other Dr's I consulted with either said " you need to have expander s,& full breast reconstruction,or,scratched their heads not knowing WHAT to do & referred me to another specialist,or wanted to do strata from cadeavors,or pigs to do an internal bra,plus add more tissue to support a new implant.vplus THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!! Like over $ 21,000 -$35,000!!! YEARS & months went by & I was disfigured & depressed! Finally,Dr.Mark Berman,was referred to me by a friend who had a similar difficult situation. It was a simple surgery,I didn't have to go on welfare after paying for it & my breasts are back to lovely. Not PERFECT! ( No fault if his! he didnt have a who,e lot to work with!!) But a whole lot better than I was living with!! He has an invention called a "pocket protector". It helps hold the implant,& hopefully will prevent capsular contraction. It's been over 2 years & all is well!!! Be careful about the Docs who tell you..it's a breeze, you're gonna be SO happy with them out! Maybe I'm just crazy or too vain,but as long as I'm a woman..I'd like to have my breasts look pretty...FOR ME! Updated on 18 Oct 2012: I am SO inspired by all your stories & detailed account & photos before & after explant! I only wish I had found you BEFORE I proceeded with mine. I've learned SO much from y'all. Now that I was reimplanted successfully & the skin, nipples , & indented scar were revised beautifully, I can once again consider explant. There was NOTHING any Dr. could do before. THIS time, I'll know what to ask & what to expect. Thanks to ALL of you! You are all so brave & honest.. & SO considerate of each other! Blows me away!!! Trying to upload my photos of before & after Updated on 2 Nov 2012: So many of you have been brave enough to post your photos before & after explant, you've given ME the inspiration & courage to post mine. I was sooo devastated post explant,I had a reconstruction done 2 years later.Was I happy about that.? ..NO.. But,I just could NOT deal with the terrible depression that I was dealing with.I applaud ALL of you sharing your very personal stories on this Forum,so we might all be able to help each other along our journeys. Knowledge IS power. I had so many complications pre & post explant,I,too,like MANY of you wish I had NEVER implanted. But I did,& one day,I will explant again. But THIS time,I will have so much more information,& all your recommendations. I am thrilled with Dr. Berman,& his pocket protectors & his reconstruction of what I was left with post explant.But,I,like you,would like them OUT..& back to my natural breasts. Bravo to ALL you wonderful,supportive women on this forum!
Most patients can return to work at about two weeks after a breast reduction. That of course depends on the type of work that one does. A flight attendant or ER nurse who have more physically demanding jobs may require additional time off. Three days sounds very quick. You will be very tired since your body will be putting energy into healing. If you rush back to work you might increase the risk of wound healing issues and it willnot be worth it.
Breast redcution patients are some of the happiest patients that plastic surgeons see. The most common comment that I hear after breast redcution is " I wish I had done this sooner"! Before your reduction your doctor will require you to get medical clearance ( a physical exam by your primary care doctor , labwork including a chest Xray and EKG as well as a mammogram). In healthy patients this is a very succesful surgery and the improvement in neck and shoulder pain is almost immediate.
In some circumstances some insurance companies will cover the removal of ruptured implants - either saline or silicone. Removal of intact implants is not usulally covered. If a breast is painful and distorted due to extensive calcification around an implant (and especially around a broken implant) insurance companies will sometimes cover removal of the implants and the capsule. In no augmentation (cosmetic) case will the insurance company pay for a lift or for new implants. If the implants are less than ten years of age and broken there is a possibility that the implant company will replace them ( both even if only one is broken). Every insurance policy varies so you must check with your insurance company.
There is a federal law mandating that surgery for breast reconstruction after cancer be covered. Since you have had cancer the removal of your implants should be covered. This law also covers the opposite breast - that is if one breast is removed due to cancer the other breast can be modified ( lifted, augmented or reduced) to match the reconstructed breast. This law was signed into effect by Bill Clinton. Despite this law having been in place for many years sometimes the insurance companies still need to be reminded of its existence. As far as the safety of your implants the FDA has reviewed the safety issues regarding silicone implants and deemed them safe. That is why they were put back on the market. I would discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon and then make a decision as to removal . There are also options for breast reconstruction utilizing only your own tissue that you might want to consider.
Certainly no one wants to add additional scars to their breasts just for the removal of implants. If implants were placed thru a periaerolar scar or thru an inframammary incision then these scars can be again used to remove the implants. You would not have a new scar - the scar you have would be used to access the implants and remove them.
