4th Time Was a Charm - Barrington, IL

Long reviews take too long to read and time is of the essence. Will try to make this as brief and concise as possible. Had my first procedure in 2004. Silicone was still off the market that year so took my saggy-barely there B-cups to 350cc's saline. Less than 1 year later they leaked and deflated.

Went back to same Dr. and had procedure #2. He filled the same implant to 375cc's. Procedure fixed the asymmetry and size difference (because 1 deflated more than the other), but my breasts felt hard and looked like 2 balls glued to my chest. Very unnatural, uncomfortable and certainly not what I desired.

Walked around with these spheres for 5-6 years in hopes they will eventually settle in, or I get used to them. It never happened. So in 2009, went back to the same Dr. (I'm very loyal) and practically cried that 2 procedures later I still do not have the result I was seeking. The Dr. told me this misfortune can be fixed with a silicon implant which at that time became available.

In pursuit of "natural perfection", I signed on the dotted line and few weeks later I had surgery #3 to replace saline implants with silicone. The Dr. placed 425cc silicone implant. I'm not sure why he decided to use a bigger implant. I just wanted a natural look with an implant that wouldn't require to be pumped every few years.

I suppose I should also mention that I was awake during the surgery. I was supposed to have twilight anesthesia, but it must have been very light, or I was resistant to it because I had a conversation with the Dr. as he made the first incision.

We carried on small talk throughout the surgery. At some point he told me I had to lower my right shoulder to the operating table because he's having trouble with the implant pocket. The nurse repositioned my right shoulder several times. It was odd.

I knew something was wrong right away when bandages came off. Whereas the left implant was sitting perfectly, the right implant appeared to be pinched and distorted near my sternum. At my next follow-up and others that followed, the Dr. told me the implant will eventually settle. He told me to massage it, sleep on my stomach, compress... long story short, none of these remedies worked, distortion only got worse and shooting pain became a constant companion for the next few years.

Flash-forward to end of 2014 and I could no longer continue being embarrassed by this distorted, pinched implant. Hiding and dropping my shoulders got old and when I told my husband I refuse to go on winter getaway with friends because I'm ashamed, he said "enough is enough, take care of it once and for all".

This is when I came to see Dr. Chris Pelletiere. After taking the time to listen to my drama and examining me, Dr. Chris very patiently told me that he sees the problem with the "X, Y and Z" and when I'm ready, he can operate and correct these issues.

Out of fear of having another procedure, I just wanted a simple quick fix. I wanted to adjust/release the scar tissue or whatever was pinching the implant in hopes that it will correct the problem and not do anything else that may potentially make things worse.

It's a good thing Dr. Chris didn't approve of my plan. He said my existing implant is too wide for my body (basically wrong size) and in order to correct the problem, the implants will need to be replaced. Dr. Chris said he will only do it the right way, because any other way will not yield satisfactory results.

I relayed the conversation I had with Dr. Chris to my husband. My husband decided that info coming from my lips was not sufficient, so he emailed Dr. Chris. By the way, Dr. Chris encourages as it gives him the time to individually respond to every inquiry and concern. And, despite his commitments and schedule, he very quickly responds to emails.