I Am Now a Member of the "Women Who Choose Smaller Implants" Club- Wahoo! La Jolla, CA

Got them to post!

So now that I am recovering and feeling great, I thought I would take the time to write a review. I am following Doctor’s orders, and I am trying to stay pretty inactive other than daily living activities. I had surgery on Friday, May 16th. This is a long review, but I see so many a little bit older women like me trying to decide on size, or whether or not to get a BA, and I thought it would be helpful to share my experience and perspective.
About me: 49 years old, 5 3”, 116 pounds, petite and athletic body, breastfed two children, and I am very active and into staying in shape via circuit training/whole body workouts. No weight lifting or professional body building though, which is interesting, as you will see later in the review.
Why I finally did it: I had my children very young, and have wanted an enhancement since I was 30! Like many women, I could never bring myself to spend the money – thought it was too selfish. There was always a “better” use of the funds– houses, vacations, cars, paying for college, and the list goes on and on. Over the past year, I really got myself into shape - probably the best I have ever been in since high school. I was never fat, but definitely was not toned . I dropped weight and body fat, built muscle, and my poor “Saggy Sally” boobies got even sadder looking. All of a sudden, I had a great body for my age, for the exception the girls. I was a very empty large A/small B. Being a little older than most who do this, I considered not only the here and now- I did not want my breasts to feel heavy or get in the way, did not want to feel top-heavy, nor to have spillage out of a low-cut top, but I also really considered how I would feel about my breasts 10-15 years from now. Would I want to be carrying around large breasts when I am 60 -65 years old? I did my research, and then scheduled 4 consults, (two male, two female) but I only made it to three of them, as I found my PS on the 3rd consult, and I cancelled the remaining appointment.

What I conveyed at the consult: I was very adamant that I did not want a large enhancement – I really just wanted a “refill” of what my children ate while breastfeeding - which was basically a small C. Did my hubby get a say on the size? – Nope! Did I listen to my girlfriends, some of whom also encouraged me to go larger? -Nope! It was 100% my decision to have a small enhancement and I am so happy I stuck to it. Now that it is done, I do not wish I had gone larger. Clothed, I can make them look big or small depending on what I wear. Without clothes, compared to what I had - Wow! They are a perfect size for my age, body, and lifestyle and I love them! Having said that, had I done this twenty years ago, Yes, I would likely have gone larger then. But I would also be on at least my second if not third set by now, and would probably have had to either stay large, or get a lift.
My Surgeon : I cannot say enough good things about her! She really took the time to listen to me, and most importantly, I felt she really understood my goals, and at the same time she gave me so much confidence that she could achieve them based on my body type. She did not try to convince me to go larger, and agreed with my reasoning. Having said that, I was also realistic in my expectations, had lots of pictures to show her, and accepted that I would not have (and did not want) massive cleavage. As you can see in the before and after pictures (when I can get them to upload?), I have a wide chest, and a space between my breasts. A BA is not going to eliminate that – A larger implant may have minimized it a little more, but it would still be there no matter what, and I would have had breasts that would have been too large for my taste- You cannot put an implant on top of skin and bone in the middle of your chest without it being visible.
What we decided on: She felt 275 – 300cc Mentor moderate + profile, smooth silicone, infra-mammary incision, under the muscle, would give me a nice result based on what I was looking for. She would make the final decision in surgery on size as to what looked the best. At the suggestion of the first PS I consulted with, I also decided to have my gigantic nipples (also a result of breast feeding) reduced! Added a bit in addition to the cost listed above, but in order to wear a non-padded bra, or strapless dress, I needed to do something about those babies!
Pre-Op – Again, because I am on the older side, she required a pre-mammogram, which worked out because I was due anyway, the regular blood & urine tests, plus an EKG. She then re-measures, did her own health checks, gave me pre and post-op instructions and we chatted a bit more.
The week of the surgery, I called the office to confirm all my pre-op test results were good, and asked them to also have 250cc available, just in case! The Dr. called me that night, and assured me all was well with tests, and yes, she would have the 250 available in case they ended up looking best on me. I once again re-iterated that I did not want to be too large, but that I also trusted her 100 % to choose the size implant that looked best on me.
Day of surgery – In a word, Awesome! Scripps La Jolla Surgery Center. I had to be there at 6:00 AM for a 7:00 AM surgery. Entirely female OR team and they were great! All went smoothly, and I was fast asleep at 7:30, and awake again at 9:30 with the new additions, and in minimal pain.
What I got - Here is the important and surprising part, and why I am so very thankful that I chose the surgeon I did, and why it is so critical to choose wisely. I ended up with 250cc, over the muscle (except for the very edge), versus under the muscle as planned. Did we ever discuss going over the muscle? No, but she is truly an artistic and skilled surgeon, and understood what I was trying to achieve. During surgery, she found that my pectoral muscles sat unusually high on my chest, and were very thick and developed like a weight lifter/body builder’s would be. When she tried to place the implants under the muscle, she said it looked very weird, and did not fit my body at all - she knew that I would be unhappy. So instead, she placed the implants in the way that they looked best on me, which ended up being 250 cc overs! BTW - I think when you go under muscle, you lose 25-50cc, so I figure I am the equivalent of 275 under muscle. I cringe when I think what could have happened if I chose a surgeon that put them under the muscle simply because that was what we agreed to, or that was the industry standard placement, so therefore, that’s what he/she was going to do, regardless of how they looked on my body. I could have ended up being a “Boob job” gone wrong! Ladies, choose your surgeon carefully – board certifications, experience, reputation, and examples of past work are very important. Ultimately, as so many have said, it is the skills and confidence of your surgeon, together with making sure they understand and respect your goals that is going to give you a beautiful result that you personally, are happy with!
Recovery - This has been super easy. I am 7 days post surgery, and I feel great. I was off the pain meds by the evening of the 2nd day. The hardest part is taking it easy, even though I feel almost 100% already. I am determined to follow my PS instructions to the letter and not do anything that could jeopardize my end results, or cause any complications So, I am off work for 10 days, no exercise – not even walking yet for cardio, no lifting anything heavy, no repetitive motions, etc… As you can see swelling is almost non-existent, they are already in position – no “dropping” required here, and are beginning to soften up. I had my 1 week post op, and she removed the stitches from my nipples - they are healing nicely too! I am sure sub-glandular position, as well as going with small implants plays a big part, but I also did a lot to try to hasten my recovery along. I am taking the “Heal Me Quick” pre and post surgical vitamin packs, took the Arnica Montana post surgical regime, iced constantly, drank a ton of lemon water, and I also did 5 sessions of HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) which is supposed to cut healing time by as much as 50%. Overboard? Yea, maybe a little, but I did some research, found a good deal with a Groupon, and thought why not? Certainly can’t hurt.
Anyway, I am very happy I finally fixed this part of my body, absolutely love my surgeon, and I am ecstatic about how my new “Perky girls” have turned out.