Reviews you can trust, from real people like you.
How it works
- Our highly-trained Review Moderation team evaluates all reviews before they're published to ensure they're written by people like you and not a member of a doctor's office.
- This multi-step process takes up to 24 hours from review submission to publication.
- Doctors can't pay to have reviews removed or hidden.
- Reviews are only removed at the reviewer's request or if they violate our Terms of Service.
If you have questions or believe we should re-evaluate a published review, let us know.
Sort by:
*Treatment results may vary
Hello there! Firstly, I just wanted to actually...
Hello there!
Firstly, I just wanted to actually make a start on this as I keep posting all over other comment threads and was asked by admin to start a page of my own. Makes sense really, as it would save me constantly repeating myself! Plus, I've learnt so much while doing my research, that I'd really like to be able to help others who may be as anxious as I was at the start of this dreadful experience.
I am just going to be a little lazy and copy-paste some of my previous utterings as I am quite busy at the mo and preparing for my surgery five days time - argh! Will write back here and there as I find the time to add to this and will, of course, keep you all posted on the final results of my surgery and (hopefully) the end of my journey!
Thanks for reading and good luck yourselves!
Firstly, I just wanted to actually make a start on this as I keep posting all over other comment threads and was asked by admin to start a page of my own. Makes sense really, as it would save me constantly repeating myself! Plus, I've learnt so much while doing my research, that I'd really like to be able to help others who may be as anxious as I was at the start of this dreadful experience.
I am just going to be a little lazy and copy-paste some of my previous utterings as I am quite busy at the mo and preparing for my surgery five days time - argh! Will write back here and there as I find the time to add to this and will, of course, keep you all posted on the final results of my surgery and (hopefully) the end of my journey!
Thanks for reading and good luck yourselves!
Ruptured PIP implants
OK, so here goes, from the start - I'll try to be brief while I get up to date! Back in '06 I had implants through Harley's Dublin clinic. I chose the company as they seemed to be one of the most reputable at the time. Some months after surgery I became increasingly concerned with the asymmetry which remained within the two breasts. I had other issues with the way in which my case was handled, namely that I felt I was not given appropriate attention in the initial 'choosing’ bit of my consultation. I eventually wrote to the clinic and clarified all of the issues I felt had contributed towards this asymmetry and also that the implants did not seem to fill out my frame well enough. The clinic grumbled about this and that but agreed to do a revision and twelve months on from my initial surgery I was operated on again, at my request, by a different surgeon. This time the asymmetry was evened out as well as possible with two slightly different sized implants and I went up approx 100cc. These seemed to fit my frame nicely and over the years they relaxed into what was quite a nice natural shape. Most people were surprised that when they found out they were not authentic. My scars healed almost invisibly also, so i was finally, pleased.
Jump forward seven years and in winter 2012 when the news broke about PIP implants, I decided to contact the clinic as I realised that I fell between the time frame which had the high likelihood for my implants to be PIP. Unfortunately I heard back that this was indeed the case. I was sent for an ultrasound via the NHS and advised that the implants were still intact and, for now, to leave them alone unless I felt any changes. I wasn't really sure how I felt about all of this and so I think I probably put it to the back of my mind for the most part.
In October 2015, on my 40th birthday no less, I was in the shower and suddenly felt a large protruding lump near the bottom of my armpit/ poking out of my left breast. Obviously i was alarmed by this and made an appointment to see the GP who immediately referred me to the one stop breast clinic. Within a fortnight I was seen and thoroughly examined with both mammogram and ultrasound. I was advised there and then that my implants “needed to come out” as soon as possible. There wasn’t a lot else the consultant gave me to go by other than “look on the internet’ and i felt quite selfish sitting there crying when there were other women awaiting far worse news than myself.
I was offered removal on the NHS but I felt horrified at having nothing left other than two empty sacks of skin. I am aware there are plenty of women who chose to have the implants removed, but this just doesn’t feel like something i could live with as they have become such a part of “ME”. I then went away and spent several weeks scouring the internet, fretting and getting more and more anxious at some of the horror stories I was reading. Yeah great advice from the consultant to “look on the internet”! It was worsened once I received my full report which stated all the details of my PIPs.
In brief: right implant was leaking and there were silicone laden lymph nodes and on the left there was extensive extra-capsular rupture, with considerable silicone laden lymph nodes. This is the side where the enlarged node initially alerted me that something was wrong.
Some of the worst horror stories I happened upon which related to my report, suggested that I might be left ‘mutilated’ (possibly the worst word you’d want to happen across!) and that I wouldn’t be able to have new implants fitted at the same time as the explant.
With only the internet to go by, I was getting more and more anxious. I booked myself in with three different surgeons and then waited a couple of weeks to see them. I tried to ban myself from reading the internet but it didn’t always work!
Anyway, I will sign off for now and write again soon with the results of my consultations and surgery, which was completed a few days ago.
Not sure if I need to write that as a separate review so I’ll try and figure this out! Maybe I’ve started this the wrong way! Thanks for everyone’s kind messages and comments by the way :)
Jump forward seven years and in winter 2012 when the news broke about PIP implants, I decided to contact the clinic as I realised that I fell between the time frame which had the high likelihood for my implants to be PIP. Unfortunately I heard back that this was indeed the case. I was sent for an ultrasound via the NHS and advised that the implants were still intact and, for now, to leave them alone unless I felt any changes. I wasn't really sure how I felt about all of this and so I think I probably put it to the back of my mind for the most part.
In October 2015, on my 40th birthday no less, I was in the shower and suddenly felt a large protruding lump near the bottom of my armpit/ poking out of my left breast. Obviously i was alarmed by this and made an appointment to see the GP who immediately referred me to the one stop breast clinic. Within a fortnight I was seen and thoroughly examined with both mammogram and ultrasound. I was advised there and then that my implants “needed to come out” as soon as possible. There wasn’t a lot else the consultant gave me to go by other than “look on the internet’ and i felt quite selfish sitting there crying when there were other women awaiting far worse news than myself.
I was offered removal on the NHS but I felt horrified at having nothing left other than two empty sacks of skin. I am aware there are plenty of women who chose to have the implants removed, but this just doesn’t feel like something i could live with as they have become such a part of “ME”. I then went away and spent several weeks scouring the internet, fretting and getting more and more anxious at some of the horror stories I was reading. Yeah great advice from the consultant to “look on the internet”! It was worsened once I received my full report which stated all the details of my PIPs.
In brief: right implant was leaking and there were silicone laden lymph nodes and on the left there was extensive extra-capsular rupture, with considerable silicone laden lymph nodes. This is the side where the enlarged node initially alerted me that something was wrong.
Some of the worst horror stories I happened upon which related to my report, suggested that I might be left ‘mutilated’ (possibly the worst word you’d want to happen across!) and that I wouldn’t be able to have new implants fitted at the same time as the explant.
With only the internet to go by, I was getting more and more anxious. I booked myself in with three different surgeons and then waited a couple of weeks to see them. I tried to ban myself from reading the internet but it didn’t always work!
Anyway, I will sign off for now and write again soon with the results of my consultations and surgery, which was completed a few days ago.
Not sure if I need to write that as a separate review so I’ll try and figure this out! Maybe I’ve started this the wrong way! Thanks for everyone’s kind messages and comments by the way :)
Pics from 2006 - in my natural state!
Before three breast ops - sounds weird saying that. Never expected this to be so bloody complicated!!
Provider Review
Harley Medical Group
Terrible attention from the doctor in my consultation, the nurse was late coming in. As a result i needed revision surgery. Those implants then turned out to be PIP and badly ruptured. Second augmentation looked great though.