I had an explant & lift done by Dr. Feng just over 20 years ago, and I am thrilled to report that my breasts look the exact same now as they did after the surgery. Every time I get an annual breast exam, the doctor always comments about how well-done my scars are. They are hardly noticeable, despite me being worried about getting a lollipop scar at a young age. I am so glad I traveled to Dr. Feng!
I had Dr Feng remove my implants 5 years ago after being bed ridden with Lyme. Once my implants were removed I was left with one breast much smaller than the other. From breast feeding one implant rubbed the fat causing the breast to be much smaller. Updated on 25 Nov 2021: I am feeling better every day, HBOT is really helping but the recovery is slow and painful. Bruising is minimal there is not much trauma but the constant pain is tiresome. Today I was able to take off the tagaderm tape.
Dr. Feng saved my life. She is absolutely the best explant surgeon. She is an angel and is so intelligent. Taking the time to explain everything in great detail. If I could give her 10 starts I would. The moment you walk into the clinic it feels like a red carpet has been rolled out for you. The clinic itself is beautiful, very tranquil setting that puts your pre-op nerves at ease. Everything is kept very tidy and clean and Covid-19 protocols are strictly followed . The team/ staff is also amazing. The nurses (lona and michelle) make you feel like family, Linda is super knowledgeable and professional, and Gary is very welcoming and accommodating. The restaurant offers delicious and super healthy whole food and the spa is a heavenly oasis. From the first phone call i received to the care and surgery and post Ops care... everything was marvelous. Congratulations Dr. Feng and staff for being such an angel and saving my life.
I had silicone breast implant under the muscle since 2006. For the past 5 years i felt tired, weak, no energy to exercise, joint pain and memory loss. After my third child was born and I was done with breastfeeding I decided to take my implants out. After reading many reviews I decided to go with Dr. Feng and I'm so happy I did It. She was honest and told me I have enough breast tissue so no lift is needed. Even I had 3 pregnancies and one breast was lower that the other she told its going to look just fine. I had my surgery on the end of July 2020. My breast looks better than they looked before and I feel great and young again. Thank you Dr. Feng and stuff!
This review has been a long time in coming however I wanted to write this long-overdue review and provide photographs showing the long term results of my breast implant removal surgery with capsulectomy and a lollipop mastopexy that was performed by Dr. Lu-Jean Feng in the year 2000. When I arrived at The Feng Clinic 20 years ago I was a very ill 33-year-old woman. I began having health problems less than one year after receiving textured saline implants. Anyone suffering from B.I.A knows all too well the baffling myriad of symptoms, the frustration of not having mainstream doctors taking your issues seriously and the havoc it wreaks on every aspect of your life. I had always dreamed of getting breast implants as I was not even an A cup and I'd nursed 3 children. Also, one of my breasts was tubular. So once my family was complete and our businesses successful it was finally time for me to do something for me to boost my self-confidence and make that dream of mine come true. I had no concern about the possibility of illness. It was never even mentioned. Little did I know it would end up being one of the biggest mistakes of my life. When I started having a lot of strange symptoms, I began going from doctor to doctor searching for an answer. My husband and I owned numerous restaurants at the time and I had 3 children aged 15, 13 and 3. Between managing the restaurants, running my home and raising my children getting sick was catastrophic. Because we were self-employed we didn't have traditional insurance and paid cash for all the tests, physician and specialist appointments. I went from one specialist to the next and had over $75,000 worth of testing done. Many of my labs were off the charts abnormal but every doctor gave a different opinion as to what the problem was. I was diagnosed with everything from Epstein Barr to Fibromyalgia to Multiple Sclerosis yet nothing was pinpointed as to what exactly was wrong with me. It was all a guessing game of sorts. I mentioned to many of the doctors that I wondered if perhaps my implants could be making me sick but they all told me that was not possible. However, the more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that my implants were indeed responsible. I decided to consult with Dr. Frank Vasey who wrote the book "The Breast Implant Controversy" He was highly knowledgeable on the subject and well revered in his field. It took me a year to get an appointment and I continued to deteriorate. By this point I was bedridden. I couldn't take care of my children, my businesses or even myself. I'd become a shell of the woman I once was. My children had to take care of me and work was an impossibility. I truly felt that I was dying and no one could tell me why. My marriage suffered because even my husband was doubting me. He told me that I should listen to what a few of the doctors had suggested and undergo a psychiatric evaluation. It was even more of a slap in the face coming from him than it was from them. These problems were not psychiatric in nature. I'd wished they were. At least then I'd have a definitive answer and there would be a treatment and the hope of getting well. That would be far more preferable than not knowing what was happening to me. By the time my appointment with Dr. Vasey came around we'd spent over $100,000 on medical bills. I had been to some of the finest physicians in the country yet not one of them would even entertain the thought that my breast implants might be the cause..Until Dr. Vasey that is. After sharing with him the long list of symptoms I was experiencing (swollen lymph nodes, hair loss, extreme fatigue, numbness and tingling in my extremities, achy muscles and joint pain, panic attacks that came out of nowhere, memory loss, vision loss, gastrointestinal issues, heart palpitations, vertigo, clumsiness, chronic infections and others that fortunately I don't remember anymore. It took Dr. Vasey all of 5 minutes to confirm that I was being slowly poisoned by my breast implants and that my only hope to recover was to have them removed immediately. I didn't care about my boobs anymore. My life is more meaningful than a big set of boobs that in all honesty, I never really liked. They looked fake and felt fake. They got in the way of hugging my Children, sleeping on my stomach and just my overall comfort. Dr. Vasey kindly put me in contact with Dr. Feng whom he said was the best in the world at what I needed to have done. Implant removal with capsulectomy. I was on my way to Pepper Pike, Ohio the following day! Keep in mind this was 20 years ago during the early years of the practice. Hope is an amazing thing. Dr. Vasey assured me that my health would indeed improve once I removed the source of all my problems. I had hope that day and it just magnified the moment I met Dr. Feng. I was in awe of this brilliant woman who knew and understood exactly what I'd been going through. At that moment I knew with complete certainty that I wasn't crazy. It wasn't all in my head like numerous Doctors had stated and like even my own husband had stated. One of the most terrifying aspects of all of this is that I had actually begun to question myself. I knew I wasn't imagining all of the things that were happening to me but after a while, I did begin to question my sanity and that is something I will never forget. I also knew that I was in the best hands possible with Dr. Feng. The Feng clinic was state of the art. It was obvious that everyone knew precisely what they were doing. From Linda in the front to Dr. Feng's skill and artistry in the O.R to the nurses and anesthesiologists. These were top-notch professionals. Each one the best in their field of expertise. I wasn't even nervous like I had always been before any prior surgical procedure. I was relaxed and relieved. Like I said, hope is an amazing thing. I was finally where I needed to be. Dr. Feng is a beautiful woman but her beauty isn't just skin deep. Her beauty radiates from within. It was clear that she was brilliant and she genuinely cared about me and my health and well being. She made sure that every step of the way I was informed and enlightened on various measures that I could take in addition to the surgery to return to optimal health. She is very knowledgable about breast implant illness and the various natural and homeopathic remedies to supercharge our weakened and withering immune systems. I wasn't just getting surgery, I was receiving an education on how to get well. The surgery itself was an absolute breeze. I know this might sound a little crazy but when I awoke from the operation I already felt better than I had in a very long time. It was like the brain fog was just gone. I was clear-headed and my vision which had been waning was sharper, crisper and clearer. Even the whites of my eyes were whiter. You can't imagine how happy I was at that moment and the many moments that followed. I had zero pain following my surgery. I don't know if it was due to her gentleness and precision or what but I didn't even need to take prescription pain medication. 2 Ibuprofen and I was good. Better than good really because getting these toxic bags of poison out of me was miraculous in naturally allowing my body to quickly heal and recover. Not just from the surgery itself but from the breast implant illness. Every day was a brand new day and life began to return to my mind, body, and soul. It was like a great big weight had been lifted off my shoulders which in reality..it had. Now, are you ready for the second-best part? It was something that in all honesty wasn't that important to me at the time but that I ended up appreciating later. My breasts were and still are (20 years later) beautiful! Far more beautiful than they were before implants, far more lovely than they were with implants and for the first time in my life I was completely happy with my breasts. It still to this day blows my mind that I could go through all that I did with getting the implants and having my skin all stretched out and then having them removed and end up with the breasts of my dreams but that is indeed what happened. The mastopexy is an amazing procedure and Dr. Feng has mastered it in a way that's almost hard to believe. You can't even see my scars at all. You would need a magnifying glass and superhuman vision to even find them. The shape of my breasts is that perfect teardrop that the really lucky girls are born with and my nipples are cute as a button..even 20 years later and I had nursed 3 children with these breasts and had 2 major surgeries on them. She even corrected my tubular breast and made it match perfectly with the other. How she does what she does is simply mind-boggling but the proof is in the pictures. Depicted are before surgery pics, then immediately following the removal, 10 years later and then 20 years later. They still have not drooped and in my opinion, do not look like the breasts of a now 53-year-old woman and certainly not the breasts of a 53-year-old woman who put them to the test with breastfeeding, implants, implant removal and two decades of time and gravity. So in wrapping up this long-overdue review..I need to thank Dr. Feng for so much. She not only gave me my life back. She gave me the breasts of my dreams and with no foreign objects or substances. Just incredible skill, talent, and artistry. I recovered completely from what I know was a near-death experience. I honestly believe I would have died had I not had the implants removed. My marriage ended up being the only casualty that was not able to recover from the whole experience but we're still friends and happy for each other. His not believing me when I was so extremely ill was not something either of us could truly move past. If you are ill and need to have your implants removed, all I can tell you is what was told to me by the foremost expert in Breast Implant Illness. He said "In order to get better you need to have those implants removed as soon as possible and the best surgeon in the world to do it is Dr. Lu Jean Feng." and "You will get better!" I went from being completely bedridden to skiing the slopes of Maine within 6 months. Thank you, Dr. Feng. and Dr. Vasey. You, two extraordinary people, saved my life. I thank you and my children and family thank you. Breast implant illness is very real. It is life-altering and insidious in nature. Thankfully it's finally being recognized and acknowledged. 20 years ago I was the crazy lady claiming my implants were making me sick. Dr. Feng and Dr. Vasey were the only medical professionals that believed me and helped me. They are both heroes in my eyes. Sincerely, Lisa E. Gordon
I feel extremely blessed to have come across Dr. Feng's information regarding explantation. As anyone who is having symptoms of BII and the fear and uncertainty rolled up and around it knows this is not a decision you make lightly. It's scary to think about what goes into explanting properly and what the result will be, both physically and emotionally. Dr. Feng and ALL of her staff make you feel like you are the only client they are working with at the time you are dealing with them. I never felt rushed or dismissed. I felt more positivity and love from Dr. Feng and her staff than I have ever felt from any doctor. Dr. Feng gives strict pre-op guidelines to encourage your body to start building its own ability to heal fast and properly. You must follow these guidelines to have the health-related results you want and to get your drains out quickly and get on with your life. My experience with Dr. Feng was extremely positive, from the people in Cleveland to the office of Dr. Feng to my actual results so far. If you are having a difficult time getting through, please keep trying. Be the squeaky wheel. And when you do get through and schedule the surgery, follow the pre-op instructions completely. Listen and take notes during your meetings with Dr. Feng and staff and follow her suggestions closely. You can do this on your own, but I would not recommend it. If your only option is doing it on your own vs. bringing someone who will make your life more difficult (Husband/family member who doesn't know how to do anything for you), come alone. You don't need to babysit anybody while going through this. You need to keep the focus on yourself for once and have the most positive people in your corner. Updated on 9 Jan 2020: 50 Year old 5'9 1/2" 135lbs at the time of implant removal just before going into surgery. 125 lbs in my 30's with implants. I think I may have been about 120-122 before implants...I hardly ever weigh myself. Only know weight because of medical notes. 14-year-old silicone smooth 270cc and 240cc Mcghann implants Started out as a 34A, before implants. 34B with implants Don't know yet what I am after explant. It's exactly 2 weeks post-op. The right breast had capsular contracture and had a ruptured implant encased entirely inside the capsule. Was symptomatically diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2010. I thought I was dying, no exaggeration. I've been dealing with extreme headaches, nausea, memory loss (short term and long term), painful joints, serious adversity to loud noises, eye strain, really bad teeth clenching (had all my mercury fillings removed properly), allergies, fatigue, random weight gain, skin rashes, sleep problems from day one with implants, extremely low tolerance for nonsense, light sensitivity and problems reading and comprehending if the words aren't broken down into small paragraph blocks. The list could go on and on. After the explant, I still have problems sleeping, but it is getting better. I can get to sleep, but cannot stay asleep for more than a couple of hours, but the hours I am sleeping are much deeper than with the implants. Teeth clenching has gotten less dramatic. I am calmer for sure. The big thing is my memory and ability to have a conversation has changed for the better. I could not stop bringing up old stories, in detail, to my childhood friend who I was not able to recall things just before surgery. I kept stopping and saying, "OH MY GOD!!!! I cannot believe I remember all this stuff now!". My reading and comprehension are now on hyperspeed. It's like I became a power reader overnight and I can remember what I read and numbers without having to check back a million times to make sure I got it right, which before explanting, I usually had it wrong. This is the most exciting part of this. I feel smarter and more valuable if that makes sense. I know I am intelligent, but the word recall problem and inability to form a complete thought before the explant made me feel like I came across kinda ditsy and it made me feel very nervous and go blank when someone asked me anything. This is getting better every day. I'm sure I'm missing some things, but that's the skinny so far. Updated on 12 Jan 2020: I did forget to mention that starting a few years before I had these implants removed, I had a really toxic smell to me. I would wake up in the middle of the night covered in sweat that smelled like a rotting pool float or the inside of a bass boat that has been covered for a decade to rot in the sun. This may be an exaggeration, but you get the idea. My armpits were at a fairly constant toxic smell all the time, esp right after I got out of the shower. I was reminded by this because I just tried to wash a tank top that I wore right before my surgery that I do remember wearing to sleep in. I pulled it out of the dryer and it still smelled really bad. Dr Feng actually gives you a little bottle of extra-strength detergent in her care package. I thought it was unusual until now. I see I am probably not the only one who has had this symptom from breast implants. When I would work out, it felt like I had pumped poison through my veins and felt very nauseated. This was a real problem because I love to work out. I got certified as a spin instructor and a yoga teacher because I loved it so much. For the past few years, I was unable to work out because it made me so sick. I will not know the progress of this part of my healing for another month. I am only 2 weeks out from the explant. I can now start a little bit of movement and lower body exercise, but I am looking forward to being able to work out like I want to. I know it will be a slow process, but hopefully, it won't make me sick like it used to. I have had on the bandage/gauze wrap over sterile dressings for 2 weeks now and no smell so far. I've slept with all the dressings on and have had nights where I sweat quite a bit from the drastic weather changes we are having here in the northeast. There is no dirty smell at all. If anything, I smell pretty sweet. I've stuck to a fairly clean diet to promote fast and strong healing, juicing a lot of carrots and kale and granny smith apples and some ginger to stave off the flu that is going around here. I smell like the sweet smell of apples, honey, and cinnamon, for some reason. My little boobies are adorable and look so much better than I imagined they would. I did have a healthy expectation about this though. My biggest fear was having severe distortion in at least one of them. So far, there is a small indention right under the nipple (right breast), but it's only been a little over 2 weeks. This was also already there sorta. The original plastic surgeon left a spot right under my nipple where you could see the silicone bag pressing through. Dr. Feng said she fixed it and it would fill out with time. She showed me photos of women who had it much worse than mine who, within a couple of weeks, looked totally normal and had the cutest breasts.
Words can't describe how grateful I am for Dr. Feng and the Feng Clinic. I got an explant on 12/21/2018 and know I wouldn't have gotten the results I have if it hadn't been for her. I am a research fiend and did a lot of research beforehand to pick the perfect and skilled surgeon for my explant. Dr. Feng was the clear winner, by far. Not only is Dr. Feng the most skilled, but she has integrity, is a perfectionist, and her and her staff has the biggest heart. Dr. Feng spent hours with me in the consultation room to ensure I felt comfortable with everything. She did not upsell me on anything, and despite me asking about additional procedures, she gave me her honest opinion and only recommended what was absolutely necessary. I didn't feel rushed in any way, and was more and more confident about the surgery as you can tell how intelligent she is, how well-researched she is, and how much she cares about her patient. She quoted to me that her father once told her that "if you don't charge your worth, you are a fool, but if you charge a penny more, you are a thief." Her prices are truly reasonable, considering everything that you get, and is actually a great deal if you consider everything her clinic provides. When I say Dr. Feng is a perfectionist from start to finish, this is an understatement! She truly cares about all her patients and will go the extra mile to make sure the job is done thoroughly and right. My original surgery was estimated to be about 1.5-2 hours. A surprise came when she and her team saw that previous implant was stuck to my ribcage and I had some muscular atrophy that from my previous implant surgeon who had cut open the chest muscle without repair. Instead rushing through the allotted time to make it to her next surgery, she pushed the other surgery back. Her and her team ended up spending 4.5 hours to make sure they took their time, corrected all deformities, removed all parts of the capsules, and sewed the incisions with precision and care. I am certain other surgeons wouldn't have taken the time to do that as they will schedule multiple surgeries back-to-back in one day like a factory. Dr. Feng intentionally only has 2 surgeries per day so she has the time available to improvise and ensure a perfect result. Moreover, she and her assistant are sharp-eyed, petite, results-driven women with small graceful fingers. I think that makes all the difference when it comes to sewing stitches, as I and the former patients I spoke with all attested to the fact that the scars are almost invisible just after 9 months of surgery. They have a magic touch. Also, during the drainage process, she doesn't cut corners and is strict with drainage numbers before drain removal, which can be annoying for some people that want to leave and not pay extra hotel bills, but it's for your own good and it adds to the superb results. I also like that she's the only plastic surgeon in the office and works for herself. Because of this, she's not rushed by management and can make her own calls as needed. I've seen too many lax plastic surgeons that tries to cut corners because they get lazy or just want a patient out of their hair. Not the case with Dr. Feng. Another big factor in my decision was that she does the surgeries in her own clinic instead of a hospital. This is important because most of the infections a person gets during surgeries is not because of the surgery itself, but because of the cleanliness or diseases floating around in a hospital. The facility she has is beautiful and zen, and has had a 0% infection rate since they opened because again, Dr. Feng is a perfectionist and everything is sparkling clean. The facility also gives patients complimentary bath wipes and hibiclens, so you don't need to shop for these items afterwards and also gives patients detailed instructions and a strict regiment of vitamins, foods, and pre-op/post-op instructions to not leave you second guessing and also contribute to the great results you will have. Dr. Feng and her team is worth the wait and price, and you will not be disappointed! Tips Pre-op prep: - Join the secret unofficial Feng Clinic Facebook group! There you'll find testimonials of real patients as well as a community of Feng patients that will support you on your journey. I was sad to have discovered this group after my surgery! It would've been great to get all the tips I learned from this group beforehand. - Fill prescription after consultation. For those with no insurance and pre-pay like me, go to Rite Aid and tell them that you're self-pay. They’ll give you a discount. I paid about $18 for 5 pills of Xanax and Celebrex and only used the Xanax. Due to the nerve block, I didn't experience much pain after the surgery and didn't need prescription pain killer except for some Tylenol a few days later. I also didn't need antibiotics - which tend to mess up my system, which I was happy about because of the Hibiclens prep and sterilization precautions the clinic takes. I didn't get any infection. - Put an iron board by bedside with laptop and other books before the surgery. Helped to minimize the movement. - Open all waters and juices. I went to Trader Joe’s got the smaller cartons of coconut juice (handy because you’re a bit constipated the first days so I would chug two cartons of coconut juice). I also got a few small bottles of fresh OJ, and four containers of pineapple wedges in the fresh fruit section. (Pineapple has bromelain which helps with preventing bruising and was a nice refreshing treat after surgery). - I got a carton of organic cage free eggs and a package of organic Cremini mushrooms and would make myself mushroom scrambled eggs which tasted much better than the free salty breakfast downstairs. I placed a big order of Fengfit foods (it is cheaper and better as tasting than Whole Foods given the quality that you get) and got some frozen soups and salads to last me through the days. The food is so good, and I still dream about it here on the west coast. - I tied a plastic grocery bag around the handles of the refrigerator and microwave as leverage to open it. - I got cleansing wipes for my face. You won’t be able to shower until your drains come out. - I got a regular King Studio at Homewood Suites. Sweetest staff! I had them take off the metal automatic door closer on the top so it’s not as heavy. It made a big difference. - I put a couch cushion on the bed and put one pillow on top and one pillow angling into the cushion to make a makeshift wedge pillow to keep my chest and head elevated as I sleep. It was much easier to get up this way. I'd swing my legs over, rolled a little to the side and used my body strength to get up.
I explanted with Dr. Lu-Jean Feng on 3/8/2019. Only two weeks out from surgery, I can honestly say, with my entire heart and soul, that Dr. Feng is an absolute angel, and my entire experience with her and her staff was beyond my wildest dreams. I had been so nervous to explant, worried about how my breasts would look afterwards, apprehensive, because of some of the negative reviews I had seen, petrified about going under...but all of my worries dissolved as soon as I had my consult day at the clinic. The entire time I felt cared for, supported, loved, valued, and SAFE. I am absolutely shocked that anyone would say anything negative about Dr. Feng, and I stand by my opinion - that she is absolutely a miracle worker. I am healing beautifully, my breasts look better than I could have ever hoped for (I like them even better now WITHOUT implants), and almost all of my symptoms from Breast Implant Illness are gone. If you have any doubts about Dr. Feng, please dissolve them, she is an unparalleled care-giver, and I highly recommend her on every level. If I could write a 10-star review, I would!
Dr LuJean Feng and her whole staff at her clinic go above and beyond to make you feel welcomed and comfortable. Dr. Feng takes her absolute time in consultation which is unheard of in many plastic surgeons. She actually cares about her patients and her life saving work. I wouldn’t go anywhere else to get an explantation & lift. My results are amazing and whole healing process was way more comfortable than I thought. Her whole facility, clinic and cafe are five stars and super classy.
I am in my early 30's. I had saline implants under the muscle for almost 11 years. About 3-4 years ago I started experiencing chest pain, hair loss, cold hands and feet, numbness in extremities, swollen lymph nodes in neck and arm pits, brain fog, food intolerances, my skin seemed dull and grayish, extreme fatigue, and I was constantly getting sick. I ended up spending around $5,000 on MRIs, CAT scans, ultrasounds, and countless doctor visits of them telling me I am young and healthy (29 when started going to doctors). I finally decided to start listening to my gut and began conducting my own research. During this time I found tons of research conducted by Dr. Feng and other physicians citing Dr. Feng's work explaining breast implant illness. Implants are linked to all of my symptoms mentioned above and many more. Implants are also linked to autoimmune diseases, thyroid disease (I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism this past August), adrenal fatigue, and problems with your lymphatic system. This past May I finally decided to make my appointment to explant. I have young kids so I had to do this on my own. My family helped watch my kids while I was gone. If you are in a similar situation, I just want to let you know it is so doable. I will share my tips I have found through other reviews, nurses at the clinic, and through trial and error. I stayed at the recommended Homewood Suites. It is just a couple miles from her office in a nice area close to shops, pharmacy, and grocery stores. I would highly recommend this hotel as the staff is super accommodating and nice. The hotel provides a shuttle service, they also will take the hinge off your door so you can get in and out after surgery (highly recommend requesting so you can at least walk the halls), they will take you grocery shopping or get groceries for you, and they will even come to your room and open something up for you that you are having trouble with. Dr. Feng recommends this hotel which is why I went with it and I am glad I did. The only thing you need to be aware of is if you are flying in to Cleveland the hotel shuttle does not go to the airport (25 mins away). They will call a taxi for you or you can use Uber. The night before my surgery I went to the grocery store and prepped my room. You need to put everything you will need for the rest of your stay at arm level as they will want you to keep your arms to your side like T-rex while you recover. I put the ironing board on one side of my bed and kept my laptop and phone on it along with many small water bottles. There are outlets on the bed side lights so you can keep everything plugged in and your phone and computer will still reach. I requested extra pillows and a blanket ahead of time although that is not necessary. You can call the front desk and tell them you are a patient of Dr. Feng and the housekeeping staff will let themselves in to deliver whatever you need if you forget something. Put your luggage or suitcase on the stand that is in your closet so you have easy access to your clothes and get all your toiletries out and put on the sink counter. I put saran wrap around the microwave, fridge, and freezer handles like a towel to grip and pull to help open them. The microwave was the only one I was having trouble opening by myself, but the less you use and move your arms the quicker your drainage amount will do down so I would recommend doing something similar so you are minimizing the use of your pecs. Your drainage amount has to be below 30 for each side. I had surgery on Wednesday and wasn't released till Monday. My right side caused me to have to stay over the weekend, but that is also the side my implant was adhered to my rib cage which I will elaborate more on a little later in this post. I definitely recommend flying in and out if you do not have someone who can pick you up and drive you home. Also, save your Whole Food bags so you can use as trash bags because you will have a lot of trash over the next few days with water bottles and food containers. While grocery shopping keep in mind that you want to buy smaller containers of things so you are not engaging your pecs lifting. You will have to pay a little more but get the smaller water bottles not the Liter size. Make sure you open all bottles including your prescription bottles before surgery and leave open or screw back on lightly because it really is challenging to do that the first week out of surgery plus you don't want to increase your drainage amount by using pecs more than you have to. If you buy a carton of anything I would recommend buying cups so you can distribute the drink into before surgery so you don't have to lift the carton. I used saran wrap to cover the tops. I bought a plant based probiotic drink that I used this method for. Also, buy plates and bowls light weight throw away kind so you can scoop out just what you are eating. Do not buy anything high in sodium. You will want to try and eliminate as much sodium as possible during your recovery as it increases your drainage amount. Try to eat as clean as possible. FengFit Foods is amazing and you get 10% off for being a patient. I recommend placing an order the day of your surgery and the nurse will bring it back to your room for you and put in your fridge. The salads are huge. They end up actually being cheaper than Whole Foods because of the size and they taste so much better. I got the Super Sweet Kale and Harvest Apple and Pecan. You will be sent home with the Signature Salad. All three are excellent. You will also be sent home with the Confetti soup which is very good as well. I bought the White Bean and Kale soup and it was great. My favorite thing from FengFit which I am actually having a craving for right now is the Veggie Burger. I am not a vegetarian and would much rather have a real hamburger. However, I was really focused on eating clean so I could get released as soon as possible and the Veggie Burger is AMAZING!! I had it twice while I was there and would highly recommend trying it. I would recommend trying to make a friend with one of the other patients. I would guess Dr. Feng does a min. of 2 explants on each surgery day. I met another patient in the waiting room and she was by herself as well. We were both staying at the same hotel so we were able to visit and give each other emotional support through this process. We both had surgery on the same day as well. Both of us did great and I look forward to keeping in touch with her as well. I would also highly recommend taking a pain pill or tylenol or both before getting your drains out. I did not take a pain pill or tylenol after the 1st day post op because I did not need it, but I wish I would have taken a pain pill and tylenol before having my drains out. My right side did not hurt at all, but my left side was uncomfortable. It is a super weird feeling. I would not describe it as pain, but just uncomfortable. I am almost 1 week post op and I am already seeing improvements in my symptoms. My hands are not cold or numb anymore. My feet still are, but I am hoping that resolves it self with time. I have a "sparkle" in my face as I have been told. I think besides the fact that I am feeling better I have color to my skin again. It isn't a pale grayish tone anymore. My chest, neck, shoulder, and back pain all on left side is gone. I noticed a decrease in size to one of the swollen lymph nodes on the left side of my neck. I am hoping with time and lymphatic massage this will resolve itself as well. I am most excited about seeing my blood work for my thyroid at my next appointment with my ENT. My last appointment he said that he was going to have to up my medication because my body wasn't absorbing it like it should. If you are having thyroid symptoms or have already been diagnosed with Hypo, Hyper, or Hashimotos I highly recommend reading Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause By Dr. Izabella Wentz and her 90 day guide. I just finished the first one and am getting ready to start the 90 day guide in a couple weeks. It covers everything, even the testing you need to request your doctor to perform. I was going to the same ENT specialist for 3 years and all he was testing was TSH. You should be tested for TSH, TPO antibodies, Thyroglobulin antibodies, Free T4, Free T3, and if you are experiencing hair loss reverse T3. If I would have known this I would have probably not lost a 1/3 of my hair (fingers crossed it comes back with these changes I am making) and probably would have been diagnosed alot sooner than this past August than just waiting till my TSH number was high enough for them to prescribe medication. Unfortunately, my thyroid has cysts and nodules on it now. I highly recommend Dr. Feng. She has explanted the most breast implants of any doctor in the country by a land slide. Yolanda Foster and Crystal Hefner are some of the celebrities who have come to her to restore their health and you can google their stories. This helped put me at ease about making my decision to explant and to explant with Dr. Feng. Dr. Feng is also still trying to fight the vast majority in the plastic surgery world who believe implants do not affect your health. She is currently conducting a study with her patients on how implants affect your breathing. When you inhale and exhale your rib cage should expand and contract, however, when your implant adheres to the rib cage (like my right side) it doesn't allow for that movement affecting the way your breathe and the amount of oxygen you take in. The reason I chose Dr. Feng was her holistic approach to regaining your health. I used to think supplements, essential oils, and foot detox baths were all a hoax and didn't work. I have seen first hand how supplements make a huge difference. I had a chin implant that had to be removed too. I was very concerned about the bruising and swelling. I had absolutely no bruising on my chin or breasts and very minimal swelling due to the supplements provided by her clinic and Dr. Feng's expertise. Essential oils have cured my oldest's allergies. The clinic has 0% infection rate. You will be asked to shower with a Hepa cleanse a few times before surgery. I don't understand why this is not mandatory with all surgeons and hospitals. I had surgery a decade ago and got a staph infection. Knowing what I know now if I have any future surgeries I will be showering with it a few times on that location before surgery. Apparently you can purchase it at pharmacies like CVS. The clinic provided it for me. Dr. Feng and her team have really thought of everything when it comes to explanting and they really put your nerves at ease once you get there. I will post an update here in 3 months or so with some pictures and will most likely be back to the clinic in a year and will share my fat transfer experience. Although I am trying to get myself to be okay with my small breasts again. This is another reason why I really like Dr. Feng. She didn't try to sell me on anything. I had to ask her a couple different times about the fat transfer. She was really nice and would answer the specific question and then would say lets wait a year and see what you think. Obviously, I have an insecurity which is why I implanted and she really tried to build my self-esteem up. I was asking her about my face now without my chin implant and she said, "Well, I happen to really like your face." She had so many opportunities to sell me on something else and she wouldn't do it. She was only focused on educating me on my diet so I can regain my health and building up my self-esteem. I can't thank Dr. Feng and her team enough for what they did for me and for not giving up on educating people about breast implant illness so they don't end up making the same mistake as I did. Good news is you can restore your health. Get an enbloc (capsules have to come out), change your diet (Paleo or Vegan), test for your deficiencies and take supplements for them, and give your body a year or two to heal. So many plastic surgeons will try to scare you into not getting them out because you will be disfigured. If you go to a skilled explant specialist you will be fine you will just obviously have small boobs again. I think mine are a little bigger than before I got implants, maybe due to additional breast tissue from having kids- idk. Side notes: Forgot to mention to get the scar peptide cream. I have been using it on a different part of my body because you can't put anything on your incisions for 6 weeks and the cream has made a huge improvement in just a little under a week on fairly new scars. I am going to order another one and have them ship to me so I can get the 10% discount on that too. You will have to fill your prescriptions before surgery. There is a CVS and Rite Aid on way back to hotel from her office. The Rite Aid has a drive thru if you want to drop it off and then get groceries. Santo Salon Spa is right next door to the clinic. I recommend getting your hair washed there a couple days after your surgery. It will make you feel better. I didn't have anything nasty in my hair from surgery it just got really tangled from laying on it. I would recommend putting your hair in a bun on top of your head for surgery so it is out of their way. It will also be out of your way once you get back to the hotel and then the salon can take it out for you and wash and style your hair. It isn't weird going there as they have the same lady wash and style all of Feng's patients hair and she is super nice. I was a little self-conscious going, but it was a great experience. Also, if you have already had a fat transfer with a good or bad experience please email me about it or email me your link to your review. My breast look great they are just small and although I am going to try and come to terms with them I would like to hear from everyone who had a fat transfer good or bad to help me make that decision. Happy healing to all!! Updated on 31 Aug 2018: Hi, I am back and wanted to share some more info with you, especially if you are one struggling with health issues. I wish I would have known more about vitamin deficiencies and leaky gut before making the decision to get an Enbloc vs. a Capsulectomy. If I could go back in time I would have found someone experienced in Capsulectomy and who could repair the muscle (saline under muscle). I think Dr. Feng and her staff are wonderful and I am not sure I would have been able to talk her into getting a Capsulectomy since most of her research relies on testing the tissue. She is an awesome choice if you can talk her into doing just a Capsulectomy or if you were a B cup or bigger before getting implants then you will be left with tissue to work with. However, if you were an A cup or smaller before implants please prep yourself if choosing to get an Enbloc because you will most likely be left with nothing. If you are planning to do a Fat transfer after expect to only to be an A after because you are starting from nothing. Although, I saw a lot of improvements in my health shortly after the surgery and for the next few months, I think a lot of it had to do with correcting the leaky gut and vitamin deficiencies (especially if your hair is falling out) which I had started about 3 months before my surgery. If you are NOT bed ridden and are experiencing Thyroid and Autoimmune symptoms I would urge you to do your own research and give your body 6 months to rebound with supplements to see where your health really is before making the decision. Finding a nurse practitioner or someone who will do more blood work than just the standard CBC panel is key to finding all your deficiencies that need corrected. Make sure you do the elimination diet to see what is affecting you. To be on the safe side eliminate all gluten, sugar, dairy, alcohol and give it at least 3 months before making your decision. Your body really does have the ability to heal itself and I feel knowing what I know now that an Enbloc is over kill. I personal feel if you aren't bed ridden, you just need to get the Capsule out especially if you just had saline implants. Feel free to message me if you have any questions. I wish more people on here would have responded to my messages while I was navigating this difficult stage in my life. Good luck healing!! 1. Start Elimination Diet 2. Fix your leaky Gut with GLUTAMINE FORTÉ (I used Integrative Health) Don't eat Gluten at all to give your gut time to health. Always consult your doctor before taking a supplement in case it interferes with a medication you are on or health issue. Also, check for parasites. You can find tons of online companies to send it to. 3. Find a Good Nurse Practitioner who will do more blood work than a CBC panel (I had a hard time finding doctors to run any test, I found an independent nurse practitioner and she actually worked with me and what I was research and reading to fix the problem.) 4. Read! There are so many doctors who have converted to functional medicine who have books and website about Thyroid, Lyme, Autoimmune, Chronic Fatigue, IBS, etc. and they all are pretty much saying the same thing with one having an important tip another may have left out and vice versa so I read them all. But it works!! I just wish this information came into my hands earlier and I had more patience to see the results. There is hope on the other side of the tunnel.
You are still healing three weeks after Asian blepharoplasty. There will be swelling above and below the new crease at 3 weeks after surgery. It takes 4-6 months before the final result. At this point, it is hard to judge the final result. I am sure your result will be more natural with time. Please be patient and let the natural healing process take place.
The capsule does not get absorbed by the body. In fact, Nancy Hardt's research in Plastic and Reconstructive actually disproves this theory.
The capsule (scar tissue) is your body's response to your implants and begins to develop very early on after augmentation. The capsule may contain silicone gel, silicone shell fragments, bacteria, calcification, and inflammatory cells which have been mobilized by your immune system to react to different components of the implant.
In addition, if you have pain around the implants, it is usually due to the pulling effect of the scar tissue on surrounding muscle and tissue. If you have health problems that could be from the presence of the implants, removal of the capsule is critical in improving your health. I hope this helps.
In addition, if you have pain around the implants, it is usually due to the pulling effect of the scar tissue on surrounding muscle and tissue. If you have health problems that could be from the presence of the implants, removal of the capsule is critical in improving your health.
I do not think it is a good idea to overfill overfilled implants. You will weaken the implants faster and stretch out and thin your breast tissue more over time.
As part of our standard protocol we must send anything that is removed from the body, including implants, capsules, any suspicious cysts or tumors found in the breast tissue or any cells which appear to be pre-cancerous to pathology to be evaluated. To not do so would be negligence on our part and certainly not looking out in the best interest of the patient. We need to know whether there is any strange bacteria or fungus that the patient should be treated for, or if there is cancer present.
Once this material is thoroughly checked, then the patient may have the implants/tissue released. Please remember that once the implants are removed from the body, they are classified as hazardous material and special precautions must be made. Unrequested specimens are disposed of after a period of time by our pathology lab, according to federal and state standards. Unless there is a specific request from the patient, we do not request specimens back to be returned to implant manufacturers. I hope this helps.
