No Longer Concerned About Explanted Look After 24 Years-Still Looking Good! - Virginia, VA

I have been reading the posts on this site for about a six weeks since I found it. The stories have been helpful and encouraging. The pictures have been very helpful. Most look great post op. I am hoping they are a good sampling of post implant looks, and not just the best case sennarioes.

I got my first set of implants at approximately age 31. That was 24 years ago. Soon after they did develop "scar" tissue that my PS did a closed compression of the breasts to reduce the scar. They continued to develop, what I later learned, capsular contractions. (This was all before internet capabilities!) I knew the breasts were not "normal" looking but always thought that was "normal" for implants. Five to six years ago I developed basal cell carcinoma on my breast, which my dermatologist sent me to my PS to remove. I think secretly she sent me to him as she knew I needed looked at. He immediately knew I had implants which he recommended I change out. He felt I would not be happy with permanent removal. So I did. And I have had three capsulotomies and one capsulectomy since. Now the right one is contracting again and it just makes me mad. It will not get better. I know that. And I do not want another procedure to release it in a few months only to have it recur again in a year. I am tired of it. And I am tired of hugging my adult children and feeling a firm ball there, as well as bouncing when the golf cart goes over roots, etc., etc., etc.

I met with my plastic surgeon a couple weeks ago and the first thing he said was "so you want to be flat and flabby". Does anyone WANT to be flat and flabby? He is not very supportive. I think he is accustomed to making women look better through PS, not possibly worse.

My husband is very supportive. He knows I have been thinking about this for years. He is also a physician and has seen many, many breasts of many shapes and sizes.

I was a barely 32-A pre-implants. I have gained 20-25 lbs through the years and I am 55 yrs old. I am so hoping I don't look horrible afterwards.Many women on this site are 20's to early 40. Not as old as me. I am having capsulectomy as well. He did not recommend a lift at the same time as blood supply could be compromised due to capsules needing removed. I want mammograms to be as accurate as possible, and I don't think they have been with implants and capsulular contractions.

I have been shopping for bras and am hopeful that something will fit me and actually make me look fuller than I may become. My children do not know I have these. They went in when they were 5 and 6 years old.
So, Thursday is my day, and I can't wait to get it over with! I may not look at them for days. Tempted to cover all mirrors. And I may not let my husband see for a while. Can't wait to stop feeling self conscious about these implants. Guess I will be changing direction and feeling self conscious about my new small size for a while. Seems all I do is hide my chest!! :)
Will attempt to post pictures. Thanks to all previous posters for your helpful information.

I have been looking for pictures for weeks and am having difficulty finding where everyone's implants were placed in relation to how they look explanted. So as an FYI: mine are above the muscle. So we will see!

Hi All. Thanks for all the well wishes. Surgery was today and all went well. He did not remove capsules after all. Said they were thin and didn't need to come out. I actually had thicker capsules removed 5 yrs ago when I had the original pair changed out. I do have drains which will come out Tuesday. I feel fine, no pain. Not even sleepy. Been watching tv all day with my husband. Perhaps not sleepy b/c we went to Starbucks to get me a pumpkin latte? My treat for me! Hugs to all and best wishes to my fellow explanters who have surgeries coming up tomorrow and in a couple of weeks.

Thank you everyone for your well wishes. Still, so far so good. Only problem is the left drain is a bit uncomfortable and I have a LOT of difficulty sleeping on my back. First night I didn't sleep hardly at all. Yesterday, my husband picked up some Tylenol PM for me and I slept like a baby. Will be glad to get back to sleeping on my side! I, like Relieved, have probably been doing too much. So, think I will try to take it a bit easier in hopes of preventing complications. I am also happy to hear from other 50 somethings. When I first went on this site, it seemed most women were 20's to early 40's with implants in much less than me. Now at least I have a peer group to share experiences with and follow each other's progresses. I am hoping and praying we all do well. Will wait until drains come out to post more pics. Thanks again to all.

I have posted more pictures as I think the picture gallery is very helpful to those researching explanting. Also, it is very therapeutic, Seems my breasts look pretty good in the pictures, which is very uplifting (literally and figuratively)! Drains came out on Tuesday and my next appt. is in 2 weeks. Still do not know why I had them as the original plan was to do capsulectomies w/drains but decision was made intra-op to leave them. May have been riskier to remove them than to leave them I suspect. My appt. for drain removal was very disappointing from the aspect that he didn't spend any time with me regarding how long to wear or what kind of sport bra to wear, the physiology of healing (I really don't know what exactly is happening in there now that the implants are out), etc. So, this site has been helpful in that way. So, I have a question for you ladies who are wearing the sport bras. What kind do you like best? I have a slightly padded Champion on today but it is the racer back and puts a lot of pressure on the shoulders. I think I am a bit long from shoulder to bust area. But I must say, I think I look pretty good! I have on a top I have had for years, which is form fitting, and I don't really think the "bridge group" ladies would notice I have a bit of a reformation going on! And I must say this too, and many of you may agree, I had forgotten how SOFT breasts really are! This is great! So, providing I continue to heal without a problem, all is good! At least until this February when we go to the Dominican Republic and I have trouble with my swim suits fitting :(. But I will worry about that in January, after a few months of healing! Oh, and BTW: I got a huge refund since he didn't remove the capsules!

It has been six weeks since my explant, so I wanted to post more pictures as that is what helped get me through the decision to explant the most. I am VERY happy with my decision. I FEEL thinner, even if I am not. I like the look in my bras, as well as clothes. No one has "noticed" or if they have, they at least have the sense to keep quiet. I even like my look naked! The shape continues to evolve, but just a bit. I think there may have been a bit more swelling present than I realized as my right breast is less full (which is fine) and its shape is more like the left breast. I still haven't tried on all the swim suits I bought last summer before my explant decision, and we have a trip scheduled in six weeks. Still going to wait to do that. But all in all, this was a great decision for me. I think I had a good result. Everyone's results are different and I think it remains a mystery how we all turn out after the removal. I think, unfortunately, it is just a chance we have to take if we want to be "normal" again. So good luck to all you future explanters. I do know one thing, It does not seem to usually be as bad afterwards as some of the surgeons would like us to believe!
!

It has been about 5 months since my explant, so I thought I should post one last set of pictures. They really do not look much different than the last pictures. I think they are as settled in as they are going to get, and I am quite pleased. To anyone who has a plastic surgeon who is skeptical that your result will not be what you hope, my only advice is you won't know until you try. Everyone is different. Our breast shapes are all different. I believe that has a lot to do with what the post implant removal result will be. I was never very big in the first place, but I think I am actually a little bigger now. Age and weight gain! Any way, I am comfortable with my result, like the way I feel and look, and can now happily hug my family and friends without feeling a ball against my chest. Priceless! So, good luck to all you future explanting women. If you are unhappy with your implants, you will probably be extremely happy with your body and self after you get them out! Go for it!

It has been 10 months since my explant, and I want to say to all you ladies contemplating removal, that I am still very, very happy with my decision to remove the implants as well as the results. I feel AUTHENTIC

It has been 10 months since my explant and I want to say to all you ladies contemplating removal, that I am still very, very happy with my decision to remove the implants as well as the results. I feel AUTHENTIC again. Sometimes I don't know why I was so afraid to get them out, but it all worked out for me. I wish all you future explanters as good of results as I had!