POSTED UNDER En Bloc Capsulectomy Reviews
En Bloc Breast Implant Removal with Anchor Lift
ORIGINAL POST
En Bloc Breast Implant Removal with Anchor Lift
WORTH IT
My breast implants were beautiful looking, but were making me very sick. I had implants for 28 years (4 sets in that time with two ruptures) and developed two autoimmune diseases after a ruptured silicone implant in 2012. At the time I wasn't aware of BII and had the implants replaced with the implants recommended by my surgeon at the time (Allergan 410 anatomical).
In mid 2022 I discovered that the implants I had in my body had been recalled due to an increased risk for a specific type of cancer called BIA_ALCL. This led me down a research rabbit hole. The more I read, the more I understood how the implants might be affecting my own health and I couldn't wait to get them out of my body, despite the understanding that this surgery would leave me looking worse, not better.
The surgeon that performed the last implant surgery couldn't guarantee that he would remove all of the scar capsule, which is important with BII. I ended up choosing Dr. Wright because he does a lot of en bloc surgeries, has a micro-surgery certification, and I thought that his gallery of breast lifts was impressive.
I flew from Seattle to Little Rock and stayed about a week and a half. Dr. Wright is very personable with a great bedside manner. The surgery, which is performed in a hospital rather than an in office surgical suite, went smoothly without complications. I had a nurse stay with me for the first three days, and after that it was totally fine taking care of myself.
Dr. Wright returned my implants, provided photographs of the en bloc capsule, and sent the capsule tissue to pathology as standard office protocol. A lot of doctors don't or won't do this, and it was greatly appreciated. It gives me great peace of mind to see that everything was indeed removed, and to have a pathologist examine the tissue. I was negative for BIA-ALCL but there was evidence of chronic inflammation which can trigger autoimmunity.
I have more breast tissue than expected, I think he did an excellent job removing the capsule without removing unnecessary tissue, and so far no adhesions. I've been massaging a lot and using silicone sheeting on the scars.
I am not 100% pleased with the shape of the right (left in photos) breast and am speaking with Dr. Wright in February about a slight revision to correct this.
In mid 2022 I discovered that the implants I had in my body had been recalled due to an increased risk for a specific type of cancer called BIA_ALCL. This led me down a research rabbit hole. The more I read, the more I understood how the implants might be affecting my own health and I couldn't wait to get them out of my body, despite the understanding that this surgery would leave me looking worse, not better.
The surgeon that performed the last implant surgery couldn't guarantee that he would remove all of the scar capsule, which is important with BII. I ended up choosing Dr. Wright because he does a lot of en bloc surgeries, has a micro-surgery certification, and I thought that his gallery of breast lifts was impressive.
I flew from Seattle to Little Rock and stayed about a week and a half. Dr. Wright is very personable with a great bedside manner. The surgery, which is performed in a hospital rather than an in office surgical suite, went smoothly without complications. I had a nurse stay with me for the first three days, and after that it was totally fine taking care of myself.
Dr. Wright returned my implants, provided photographs of the en bloc capsule, and sent the capsule tissue to pathology as standard office protocol. A lot of doctors don't or won't do this, and it was greatly appreciated. It gives me great peace of mind to see that everything was indeed removed, and to have a pathologist examine the tissue. I was negative for BIA-ALCL but there was evidence of chronic inflammation which can trigger autoimmunity.
I have more breast tissue than expected, I think he did an excellent job removing the capsule without removing unnecessary tissue, and so far no adhesions. I've been massaging a lot and using silicone sheeting on the scars.
I am not 100% pleased with the shape of the right (left in photos) breast and am speaking with Dr. Wright in February about a slight revision to correct this.
PrincessAndThePea's provider
Replies (5)
February 16, 2023
Thank you. This is so informative and helpful. That must have been a nice surprise to find that you were no longer an A cup after the removal!
Do you mind sharing which Dr’s you were considering in Cali? I live in the SF Bay Area and would prefer not to travel out of state if possible. And I definitely do not need a lift cause there is nothing to lift up in my case. I couldn’t even fill out an A cup before!
I do hope that with time, your body heals itself from the autoimmune disorders caused by the implants.
Do you mind sharing which Dr’s you were considering in Cali? I live in the SF Bay Area and would prefer not to travel out of state if possible. And I definitely do not need a lift cause there is nothing to lift up in my case. I couldn’t even fill out an A cup before!
I do hope that with time, your body heals itself from the autoimmune disorders caused by the implants.
February 24, 2023
Thank you for sharing!! You look amazing. I've had so many consults and I've never heard of a hospital stay as even an option (I wish it was the standard!!) So definitely will be considering this. I guess you didn't need any follow up appointments? That's another concern of mine for traveling out of state. Congrats on your healing journey!!
I was working off of the list of explant surgeons published by breastimplantillness (dot com) (Real Self doesn't allow outside links), and Dr. Wright's training, experience, gallery, and lack of serious negative reviews stood out to me. This is a great site with a wealth of information for anyone considering explant. There are also several Facebook groups that are worth joining. If you search BII or Breast Implant Illness in Facebook, they should come up.
If I had to do it over again I would wait on the lift. You never know, your tissue might shrink back enough that you don't need one. At the time I didn't want to live with the loose skin for a year, but if you go forward with a lift, you'll be living with the scarring for that long before the incisions turn white so it’s a long road to healing either way. It's a decision that needs to be weighed carefully, and definitely comes down to personal choice!
You can fly home sooner but you will need to have a plan for drain removal. I flew home after a week with my drains still in as they weren’t ready to be pulled. Removal is pretty basic, there are YouTube videos that demonstrate the procedure so you can get an idea of what’s involved. One or two stitches are snipped (requiring nitrile gloves and a sterile suture removal kit) and the tubes are pulled out. That’s it. You can arrange for a local nurse or doctor to help, or have a friend or family member do it for you. If you can sew a button, you can remove a drain.
As far as the “ample bosom” (lol), I was a small A cup when I had my original breast augmentation at age 20 so the amount of breast tissue that I have now was quite a surprise. You might have the same experience if you got implants at a young age. A surgeon can usually get an idea what you’ll be left with during a breast exam, I remember being told that I’d likely end up a B cup and I did not believe it until after surgery!