12 Year Old 550cc Saline Implants Removed 10-19-16! - New Orleans, LA

I had saline implants placed under the muscle in 2004. I was told they would be 480cc, but apparently I have had 550 cc implants all this time. I have been experiencing shooting pains on the left side of my chest since my mammogram 1.5 years ago, and it's become increasingly bothersome. In addition I have almost daily tension headaches as well as chronic neck and shoulder pain. Knowing I'd need to have my saline implants removed or replaced at some point, and leaning towards eventual removal, I made the decision to remove them now while I still have some skin elasticity. I've never cared for bras and didn't want to risk ending up with saggy skin if at all possible, especially given that I had very, very little breast tissue to begin with. I went for two consults on 9-26 - one surgeon had never removed textured implants under local anesthesia, which I prefer to general, while the other was confident he could do the removal with no issues with only local anesthesia. I called the next morning to schedule my procedure. Dr. Jules Walters recommended deflating the implants first to give time for the pockets to close up and the skin to retract a bit, just to make sure I didn't decide on fat grafts, etc before the removal. I am confident I want no additional surgeries/procedures, but I agreed to allow him to drain the implants 2 weeks prior to removal. I had them drained on October 4th, and the removal is scheduled for October 19th.

Having the implants drained was quick and painless. A shot of lidocaine on the side of each breast and maybe 5 minutes to drain each side. 550 ccs of saline removed from the right, 540 from the left. Dr. Walters was very gentle while doing this - I have read stories about surgeons kneading the breasts to remove the saline and I was a bit nervous - but it was fine. Very little discomfort during or after.

Photos were taken the night before deflation, the day of, and 2 days after. The oddness in shape is due to the implants sitting in different spots under the skin/muscle. By day 2 part of the implant was noticeably protruding just left of center on my chest, and it's quite uncomfortable. I'll be happy to get these things out.

I have read the controversy around removing the capsules versus leaving them in - and I am very comfortable with my decision to have the implants removed under local, with very small incisions, and leave the capsules. I think many women are scared into having much more invasive surgery than they need, and I'm not buying into the hysteria. I'm posting this in an effort to show women that there are other ways to go about removing implants - you don't necessarily need an $8,000 en bloc procedure which will result in more trauma, less breast tissue, and larger scars. Do your research and figure out what is best for you - it's a decision only you and your doctor can make.

I will post again after my procedure. Happy to answer any questions, but I am not interested in debating my decision to skip the en bloc surgery. Thank you.

Not much to update other than a new photo. I'm eagerly awaiting my appointment to get these implant shells out.

It's 2 days after my surgery and I'm feeling pretty good. I have almost no pain at all on my right side, and my left side has some throbbing and burning which is driving me a bit nuts. The asymmetry which I had prior to my implants seems like it is still an issue, which I expected, but I imagine I'll get a bit more fullness over time. Post-op is in 4 days, and I'll get my stitches out then.