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
56 Years Old – Almost 30 Years of Under-the-muscle Silicone Breast Implants, Opted for Explant W/o Replacement or Lift.
Thank you to everyone who posted on Real-Self because this was a HUGE help to me while making the decision to remove my breast implants and researching the available options. Nobody can guarantee what the breasts will look like after explant w/o replacement or lift but the information on Real Self was invaluable so I decided to share my story and photos with the hopes of helping someone else in their journey.
Growing up, I had always been uber-skinny, athletic and flat chested and lived with all the comments about it, which made me even more self-conscious about my figure. All I wanted was to fill out strapless dresses and other outfits while also looking more sexy and curvy than the boyish stick-figure I had at the time.
I had two different BA surgeries going from A to B to full C. Both procedures involved under-the-muscle silicone implants with the first being in 1989 when I was 27 years old and again in 2004 at 42 years of age, after having babies in 2002 and 2003. Since the first set of implants was 15 years old, I wanted to replace them and decided to go up in size from a B to a C. My husband actually tried to talk me out of going up to the C size because of my small frame. I didn’t listen to the advice and I went up in size and regretted that decision because they were too large for my small frame. However, it was good to remove the first set because the PS discovered during the surgery that one implant had ruptured but was contained without any symptoms. With the larger C cup, I was very self-conscious that I could no longer wear some of the cute outfits as when I had A and B cup sizes. I felt like all that you could see in photos were my boobs and they visually added at least 10 pounds on me as well as made me look more matronly (older!) or in some cases just made me look trashy. I’m a mom and I don’t want to portray a sleazy image either! There is a fine line between sexy and sleazy and I had to choose my outfits carefully.
After having the second set of implants for over 14 years, I finally investigated having them removed and had to make a decision about whether to explant with or without smaller implant replacement. I really did not want to maintain implants anymore but had no idea what I would look like w/o implants at all since I had them for almost 30 years!!! That was also a scary thought…
I met with Dr. Friedman (who had performed an abdominoplasty on me in 2009) and we discussed the options, pros, cons, etc. After lots of discussion and research, I opted for explant without a replacement or a lift. The surgery was performed last week on October 16, 2018. Dr. Friedman put a drainage tube in each breast to prevent fluid build-up in the empty pockets and which helps with recovery. Those stayed in for 6 days so it was kind of hard to shower and dress for a while. I was so nervous about removing the gauze the day after surgery to take a peek at my new, small chest but I am sooooooooo happy with the results!! I cried happy tears!!! I think my boobs look like they probably would be if I had never had implants at all!!! I’m back to an A cup and back to being my YOUNGER ME!! I don’t regret getting implants because that was just a point in my life at the time but I am so happy with the results of having them removed! I’m actually more excited about having them removed than I was anticipating having implants put in 30 years ago!
Unexpected bonus: Prior to the surgery, I had been suffering from low back pain (mostly my left hip) for years and thought it began during my pregnancies, the strain on my back at the time and that the stress never really went away. The hip pain eventually sometimes led to plantar fasciitis and sciatica, which is super frustrating to someone who is athletic and active because it can be debilitating and I don’t sit still very long! I met with orthopedic surgeons off and on, had MRI’s to make sure I was ok structurally and ended up having physical therapy to work through the painful times. I had massages frequently - not for guilty pleasure but for therapy and pain relief! The week before my breast surgery, I tweaked my back and was in so much pain that I could hardly walk. It was also painful to stretch but my hip flexor muscles locked up when I didn’t stretch so I was concerned about being sedentary during my recovery. Massages with me face down weren’t going to be an option just after surgery! I did everything I could to avoid rescheduling my surgery so I had deep tissue massages every day, acupuncture, cupping and saw a chiropractor just to get some relief so I didn’t limp into the hospital on surgery day. All that therapy did provide some relief to get me to the big day. Fast forward to the surgery and recovery: when I woke up from anesthesia, I had no more hip pain and have been pain free for a week. I can’t prove it but the heavy breasts on my small frame may have been putting too much stress on my back, causing the pain I had for years, especially getting the larger implants after having babies so I never got the connection that the breast implants could be related to my lower back issues. If this is the case, then the surgery has not only made me feel better aesthetically but has been life changing on many levels and I’ll be happy to not have that back pain anymore!!
In summary, I am so happy with how my breasts look post-op!! It’s liberating to be free of implants! Thank you Dr. Friedman and staff!! Also, thanks to my hubs for supporting me in this decision!
(Photos include day before, day after and week after surgery)
Growing up, I had always been uber-skinny, athletic and flat chested and lived with all the comments about it, which made me even more self-conscious about my figure. All I wanted was to fill out strapless dresses and other outfits while also looking more sexy and curvy than the boyish stick-figure I had at the time.
I had two different BA surgeries going from A to B to full C. Both procedures involved under-the-muscle silicone implants with the first being in 1989 when I was 27 years old and again in 2004 at 42 years of age, after having babies in 2002 and 2003. Since the first set of implants was 15 years old, I wanted to replace them and decided to go up in size from a B to a C. My husband actually tried to talk me out of going up to the C size because of my small frame. I didn’t listen to the advice and I went up in size and regretted that decision because they were too large for my small frame. However, it was good to remove the first set because the PS discovered during the surgery that one implant had ruptured but was contained without any symptoms. With the larger C cup, I was very self-conscious that I could no longer wear some of the cute outfits as when I had A and B cup sizes. I felt like all that you could see in photos were my boobs and they visually added at least 10 pounds on me as well as made me look more matronly (older!) or in some cases just made me look trashy. I’m a mom and I don’t want to portray a sleazy image either! There is a fine line between sexy and sleazy and I had to choose my outfits carefully.
After having the second set of implants for over 14 years, I finally investigated having them removed and had to make a decision about whether to explant with or without smaller implant replacement. I really did not want to maintain implants anymore but had no idea what I would look like w/o implants at all since I had them for almost 30 years!!! That was also a scary thought…
I met with Dr. Friedman (who had performed an abdominoplasty on me in 2009) and we discussed the options, pros, cons, etc. After lots of discussion and research, I opted for explant without a replacement or a lift. The surgery was performed last week on October 16, 2018. Dr. Friedman put a drainage tube in each breast to prevent fluid build-up in the empty pockets and which helps with recovery. Those stayed in for 6 days so it was kind of hard to shower and dress for a while. I was so nervous about removing the gauze the day after surgery to take a peek at my new, small chest but I am sooooooooo happy with the results!! I cried happy tears!!! I think my boobs look like they probably would be if I had never had implants at all!!! I’m back to an A cup and back to being my YOUNGER ME!! I don’t regret getting implants because that was just a point in my life at the time but I am so happy with the results of having them removed! I’m actually more excited about having them removed than I was anticipating having implants put in 30 years ago!
Unexpected bonus: Prior to the surgery, I had been suffering from low back pain (mostly my left hip) for years and thought it began during my pregnancies, the strain on my back at the time and that the stress never really went away. The hip pain eventually sometimes led to plantar fasciitis and sciatica, which is super frustrating to someone who is athletic and active because it can be debilitating and I don’t sit still very long! I met with orthopedic surgeons off and on, had MRI’s to make sure I was ok structurally and ended up having physical therapy to work through the painful times. I had massages frequently - not for guilty pleasure but for therapy and pain relief! The week before my breast surgery, I tweaked my back and was in so much pain that I could hardly walk. It was also painful to stretch but my hip flexor muscles locked up when I didn’t stretch so I was concerned about being sedentary during my recovery. Massages with me face down weren’t going to be an option just after surgery! I did everything I could to avoid rescheduling my surgery so I had deep tissue massages every day, acupuncture, cupping and saw a chiropractor just to get some relief so I didn’t limp into the hospital on surgery day. All that therapy did provide some relief to get me to the big day. Fast forward to the surgery and recovery: when I woke up from anesthesia, I had no more hip pain and have been pain free for a week. I can’t prove it but the heavy breasts on my small frame may have been putting too much stress on my back, causing the pain I had for years, especially getting the larger implants after having babies so I never got the connection that the breast implants could be related to my lower back issues. If this is the case, then the surgery has not only made me feel better aesthetically but has been life changing on many levels and I’ll be happy to not have that back pain anymore!!
In summary, I am so happy with how my breasts look post-op!! It’s liberating to be free of implants! Thank you Dr. Friedman and staff!! Also, thanks to my hubs for supporting me in this decision!
(Photos include day before, day after and week after surgery)
Provider Review
