It's all over Red Rover. (It's an Australian thing)

Up until the last few months, my experience with the implants has been completely problem free. I have love having womanly breasts, although since putting on weight over the years, I now consider that they make me look a bit matronly. I'm only 5ft tall and I suspect Dr Tonks used a little artistic licence with the size of implants. I wanted to be a C. I turned out to be a D and am now a DD, with the left breast a little larger than the right. I was a AA at the time of implants and quite thin. Looking back at photos, they looked just right. That was in 1993, then aged 33. I don't experience any pain or discomfort; my breasts are heavy but I'm not the sporty type so that doesn't concern me either. The problem is capsular contraction, with the left breast beginning to "slip off" the implant (Left side). I can tell the right side is beginning to harden also. 

I am now to have an MRI to determine if there is a rupture, as the ultrasound report indicated there was a 50/50 chance that they had (whatever that means?). I have seen two surgeons so far, Dr Kim Taylor and Dr Natasha Van Zyl. Very different approaches and costs. I won't be going with Dr Taylor for a couple of reasons. While I was waiting for my appointment, one of the reception staff announced that she had a "really annoying patient" on the phone and was asking advice from the other staff. That sort of thing doesn't make one feel valued as a patient. I was kept waiting while Dr Taylor saw another Dr's patient. OK, not feeling warm and fuzzy quite yet. Dr Taylor was pleasant and professional and I explained that I wanted the implants taken out, along with a lift. 

That all seemed straightforward to her and I was then photographed, including photos for their imaging program (Vectra). As it turns out, the photos taken for VECTRA weren't necessary, as they are only used when increasing breasts, not reducing them. I received the quote some days later and hastily put a deposit on the surgery, wanting to just get it over with. I did not feel comfortable, so I withdrew the deposit and sought the advice of another surgeon. It was like chalk and cheese. The second surgeon took a much more serious approach and explained, in great detail, what the procedure could/would entail. She explained various procedures and why she would use a particular one in my case. She would not even consider going ahead until we had at least 2 visits, as there were many issues that needed to be discussed, including risks. Her primary concern was about my satisfaction with the result and she made that very clear. She discussed the challenges for her as a surgeon in relation to the complexities of the surgery and was totally honest with me, so that my expectations are reasonable, with no surprises. 

One concern in particular, which was not mentioned by Dr Taylor, was that of tethering, where the remaining breast tissues adhere to the chest wall during recovery. I have since seen photos on this website of where that has occurred. Another aspect of breast explant surgery that is now clear is this VERY IMPORTANT awareness - taking out a breast implant does not put your body back to it's starting point. During the process of implantation, the pocket that was created still remains. That didn't really become clear to me until after my visit with the 2nd surgeon. I have a much clearer picture now of the realities of breast explant surgery. My current thinking is that I will only get them removed if they are shown to be ruptured on the MRI. In other words, if it ain't broke - don't fix it. Worrying about looking overweight and matronly now is on the same plane as worrying about looking flat chested, as I did before. My only mistake was succumbing to the social pressure in the first place (along with the taunting of family and complete strangers alike). A few years on and alot wiser, I won't be worrying about what anyone thinks of my body, or my decisions about it, ever again. One last word, if you find that your Dr is light hearted, or flippant, or makes surgery seem like a pretty straightforward thing to do - keep looking. Good luck everyone and thanks so much for contributing to this site and to the founders of this site. It's one of a kind. [RS bleep]