implant removal

Hi all, it’s been nearly 3 years since my explant operation and I thought I should do a quick final update, hopefully it might be helpful to a few of you who are considering getting rid of your implants and are trying to gain information.
I don’t think my breasts have changed a great deal from maybe a month after the removal but they have firmed up a bit and I have ended up on a bra size 34C or 32D however there is definitely more underarm side boob which I didn’t have when the implants were in. I think perhaps the implants must have stretched the skin over the years (13 years) also, they were placed OVER the muscle.
General healthwise, I cannot honestly say that overall I can see big improvements now the implants are out, I had a lump in my left breast last November which needed hospital investigation but luckily it was a cyst and on the plus side, I’m not sure I would’ve felt it had the implants still been in.
I’m still plagued with fibroids/endometriosis and have undergone a few operations over the last 3 years but this is more likely to do with my age, it’s all going downhill as I head towards the menopause!
However I do feel more confident and no longer embarrassed by having such a big chest, it’s lovely to hug friends & family properly without feeling self conscious!
Lastly, to end on an important observation that I wish I’d known years ago-your body is a wonderful thing, it changes over years to adapt as you age. Some changes we could well do without & others are unexpected. In my case, I have put on 1.5 stone since I had my first implants and my breasts are now consequently much larger than they were when I was a young Mum with 2 small children, I wasn’t eating enough & was too skinny, perhaps if I’d waited, I would have been happy with my body as it changed instead of trying to create what I thought was the perfect body, plus the fact that ‘fashion’ changes and now, everyone seems to want smaller more natural looking breasts..we just can’t keep up so perhaps should try to make the most of what we have been given!?
That is the message I’ve taught my girls, wait and see how your body changes throughout your life you might end up being pleasantly surprised!
This will be my last update, so I’ll take the opportunity to wish all of you considering a breast implant removal the very best of luck, find a surgeon who is understanding and experienced and will talk you through the whole procedure to give you confidence.
In the long run I’m convinced you are making the right decision! XX

Hi again, it's been a busy time so I haven't posted for a while but I've finally got round to taking a few pictures now that it's 10 weeks since the implants were removed.
I haven't noticed much change in the appearance of my breasts but they definitely feel firmer and the skin has toned up a bit & doesn't feel as loose and baggy as it did in the initial weeks.
I have tried on various bras but have found it far more difficult than I'd thought it would be to decide which size suits my new shape the most. I had imagined I would be either an A or at a push a B in a 32 size but I ended up buying a couple of 34C bras non-underwired which seemed to contain them and minimise the dreaded underarm boob overspill which I never had before with the implants in.
Before removal I was measured & wearing either a 30E or a 32DD but now I find the 32D too tight with the boob spilling out of the sides, one side is worse than the other, so the 34C was the better bet.
It's definitely a case of trial and error and I would recommend taking a few sizes into the changing room so you can find the best one for you.
Prior to having implants I was a 32A so I did expect to be this or even flatter and my original P.S had said this would be the case and in addition I would most likely suffer from some deformity when the implants were removed after so many years. My implants were in front of the muscle.
I opted for a new different surgeon who told me that I wouldn't be deformed and he felt that the size would be more likely a B or C cup. He was right.
I'm guessing that along with the fact that my body and boobs have changed over the years, the implants which were sitting on top of the muscle might have stretched my skin and flesh over 14 years too consequently they are much larger than before. That's my unproven theory anyway!
I'm hoping that the underarm boobage firms up a bit over time!
I'm not eating a bra to sleep in at night & admittedly it is still a bit painful when you turn over in the night or sit up first thing in the am, maybe the healing process and the nerves have a way to go yet.
On the whole, I have found the recovery fairly straightforward especially once the first couple of weeks were out of the way.
I can't say that I have honestly felt any real difference in my health since removal, but I remain optimistic over this and maybe, for me, it will be slow slight changes over time and I'll look back on this in a year or so and realise that overall, my ongoing health issues aren't so bad! Fingers crossed as that would be the fantastic.
I'm really really happy that I went ahead with the explant, I feel much more at home and comfortable with my body now and I also feel it's helped my overall body confidence as I used to feel self-conscious and a bit of a fraud!
I have absolutely no problem with ladies having implants however, it's a very personal choice and I think you must do whatever is best for you, it just wasn't right for me in the end.
I'm posting a few photos which mark 10wks post removal, I wish all you ladies facing a difficult decision to explant or those of you who have had a removal and are recovering all the very best.

Hi again
It's just over 2 weeks since my explant & the healing process is hopefully turning a corner. I had to wait 2 weeks before taking a proper shower and removed the dressings and steri strips when wet, it didn't hurt too much but it was quite uncomfortable as they were really stuck hard to the scars.
The scars (under the breasts) have dissolvable stitches & look ok but they are itchy and being irritated by the tight band on the sports bras so that is why they look red in the photos. It's hard to find decent compression comfortable bras.
I am not sure how much I can/should be able to do now with regards to lifting/reaching up/carrying and because I'm not in any pain, it's easy to forget and throw yourself back into everyday life, I hope I'm not doing myself a mischief!
I have been driving again after 8 days but not overdoing it there.
The main issue is it has surprised me how tired I've felt, usually I'm bright in the mornings but by mid afternoon I'm really done in and my energy has been at low ebb, people have said it could be the after effects of the general anaesthetic, apparently it can effect your system for up to 6 weeks afterwards.
My boobs seem to be a bit firmer, I don't think they are swollen anymore but I will say that the photos, for some reason, make them look larger and heavier than they actually are in real life, I don't understand! It seems that 'the camera does in fact lie'!
Sleeping is becoming easier, I'm back onto one pillow but turning onto my side still feels strange & I do it carefully and position my arms so as not to pull or drag the stitches. Can't wait to sleep with abandon again, arms thrown above my head!
I don't see my surgeon until 3 October and that will be the first post-op appointment with him so I will be interested to hear what he thinks of the healing and also more about the operation, capsules and implants etc as I didn't take it all in properly when he came to see me in the hours after the operation.
I'm very happy I made the decision to explant I have zero regrets, I'm amazed that my boobs weren't a total disaster zone after so long with the implants and I believe the body and skin is a wonderful thing which is constantly changing.
Take care all.