58 Year Old to Remove Without Replacement, Silicone Breast Implants, After 35 Years of Multiple Revisions - West Hartford, CT

It's been over two years since my implant removal. And dealing with the damaged remains of my breasts has been somewhat depressing, to say the least. At first I gained weight (too many milkshakes). But then I realized I'd better stop spiraling downward, & prepare my health for surgery, since it only gets riskier, when you're older. So, I went on a low fat vegan diet & lost about 50 pounds in the last year. My self esteem certainly improved from that, but still I couldn't get past the surgical damage, without some surgical intervention. After many months of research into the best way to salvage my breasts after years of implant disasters, I finally decided upon Fat Transfer. To fix my partial symmastia in the usual manner, would have involved tunneling underneath my already healed down breasts, & stitching in strattice. This began to seem seemed excessively costly, invasive, & unrealistic. Especially, when I did not wish to restore implants. I was told by Dr. Cohen's office that strattice is routinely used (which is very expensive), & he felt that combining that with fat transfer, was way too complex. In other words, he predominantly works with implants. I also explored the Diep Flap procedure for refilling tissue loss. But if cancer is not the cause of your tissue loss, insurance will not cover the costs (which are astronomical). And with a hospital stay involved, it can run into the $100,000 range. So it all boiled down to, how could I best improve the shape, & volume of my breasts, in the most cost effective way? Fat transfer seemed the only logical way. Next, was to find the right doctor. I have been reluctant to travel too far away from home for surgery in the past. But this time I researched online, various doctors all over the country who specialize in Fat Transfer. Many of them prefer, &/or require, the use of the BRAVA system. At first it seemed possibly helpful, but when I discovered it costs about $2000. - just for the device! And I would also have to wrestle with it for up to a month before the procedure, as well as for some extended period afterward, it started to seem like overkill. Many doctors also stated that asymmetry would most likely require more than one treatment to fix, so that was also a bit disheartening. Those who don't use BRAVA argued, that it mostly has benefits for women with tight skin, who are seeking to avoid scars. So it seemed that in my case (deflation after implants, & already indented scarring), perhaps BRAVA was not necessary. Then, there was the issue of consults. Would I have to fly somewhere, to merely speak with various doctors? The nearest people to me who performed this procedure, required either a long formidable drive on a major highway (the kind with four lanes, & high speed trucks, that sometimes wind up in long traffic jams that last for hours). Or, I could take a 3 hour bus trip (one way) pay a $100. consult fee, & either endure a 3 hour bus trip home that same day, or a $200. overnight hotel stay, plus dinner. This is where the streamlined preparedness of Dr. Bednar, & his team began to really shine. The only thing a bit formidable about him was the medical questionaire. But that is quite typical with any doctor, & at least I could fill it all out in the comfort & privacy of my home, online. Then, I had to take a few photos to upload up for him, so he could assess my needs. Shortly after that, Sylvia (his patient co-ordinator) arranged for a phone consult where he answered all of my questions. He said he thought that stem cells in transferred fat might perhaps stimulate my cleavage skin to re-grow. (Scar tissue had already done it somewhat). And while he could loosen the tethered scar, & the lower pole somewhat with the injections, it was not completely possible to predict if it might hold open over time. A second procedure could still be necessary to completely repair my asymmetry, & tuberous left breast shape. But he felt that he could at least offer some improvement, to what I was presently dealing with. Since he was the first doctor I could so easily talk to about the whole process, & the others had been so inaccessible, it was beginning to shape up as a no-brainer to work with him. Also, since lots of women on Real Self had documented, & expressed many happy experiences working with him, & this procedure; that added to my confidence, that he was the best choice. A direct flight to Charlotte, NC was actually much easier, & more luxurious, than a bus trip to Boston, or a combo with trains, to New York. And a new hotel with a kitchenette had just opened up near them (with a Whole Foods nearby), so that made the whole recovery experience quite comfortable. He, & his entire staff were all wonderful. While any surgery is difficult, especially away from home, I felt like this was about the easiest option I could have taken. I would have posted about my procedure plans beforehand as is customary, but my computer suddenly put me through a series of long updates, right before I had to leave. So this is being posted shortly after my return home. The After photos were taken 72 hours after surgery, when my breast bandage first came off, along with a quick peek under the lower body garment. I still have a long way to heal.

It's been nearly one year since my silicone breast implant removal. And while I have some relief from their absence, I am still suffering somewhat, both physically & aesthetically, from the damage remaining, after years of multiple surgeries, struggling with trying to align them naturally. I still have partial synmastia damage, on both sides where the skin was torn away from my sternum, leaving painful spots, & an uneven cleavage line. In the two front views, the left side (my right breast), was wrongfully excised in the upper region. And on the right (my left breast), the most painful spot is in the lower front patch, where there should be a clean curve. I'm also in perpetual discomfort from needing the parameter expanded, & loosened, so my breast tissue can have more room for circulation, more normal slopes, & natural feel. I asked for pocket loosening before my last implant exchange, but did not receive that. It's been somewhat 'over lifted' for a while, to the point of excess tightness on both sides, now even more so, after the implant removal. The bottom, lower left picture (my right breast) shows the tuberous shape I now endure, due to both lifting & tissue excision, done at the time of explant. Tissue removal was done because of an infection that occurred, when the incision (from implant exchange surgery) was not properly closed all the way. That left me with an oozing hole for quite a while afterward. When a few rounds of antibiotics did not resolve it, Dr. Schreiber finally resutured it. But afterward, it still felt weird & squishy in that whole region, like it never fully healed properly. That breast also developed capsular contracture, due to the infection & a tight pocket. So it was definitely for the best that I got the implants out! He discovered & removed some questionable tissue during the process. It was sent to a lab, & checked for malignancy. None was found. This was aesthetically unfortunate for me though, since that side was already smaller than the other one. So now, it's even more pronounced, & the shape is completely off from the other side. I've totally had it with implants! And I'm now contemplating the possibility of some kind of, fat transfer repair, or perhaps a diem flap, or something. I don't exactly know what's best for my case or possible, with my particular issues. It's also tough to find someone who has the skill to handle my multiple problems. (And I shutter to imagine the cost.) Since I never had cancer, merely botched implant work, with 'unspecified disease' tissue removal, I don't know that insurance would help cover any of this. So for now, I'm posting this just as an informational reference, to help provide insight to the various doctors I may need to confer with. For pictures & descriptions of what I'm dealing with, & my history.

Well, today I unveiled my wrap for the first time (desperately in need of a shower). The dressing tape had created some bloody wounds of their own. My skin is hyper sensitive to bandage tape, & the stuff he used to secure the gauze was thick, & stuck on hard. There was also a lot of break through bleeding at the incision site, & the gauze had hardened, & stuck on that. Then came the ordeal of unraveling, & re-wrapping the ace bandage. What fun this will be, to wrestle with this thing for three weeks. But there's no other way through this process, than just through it. My selfie pictures oddly, don't seem to capture exactly how dramatically flatter I am. Perhaps since my arms can only stretch back so far. But they are definitely only A cups, & quite shriveled, & worse off (as expected, really) from the implant misadventures. But it still feels tremendously good to lay in bed without baseballs sticking up off my chest, & to be able to get up without that horrible implant drag, tugging across my chest. My doctor also released a dent in the right, cleavage curve, which feels & looks better. It may be too subtle for anyone else to notice but me, but every improvement helps.
I'm dreading facing the neighbors though (I live in a building with nearly 500 people), & the grocery store clerks, where all these people know me..... but not really. This is quite a change, & it's going to take some serious mental adjustment, for me, & everyone who regularly sees me. But somehow, I have to gather the courage to overcome my weak ego, because my poor little boobs just can't haul those plastic, trash bags around anymore. Luckily, I usually wear long sleeved, cotton over shirts, & hats to shroud from the sun. I'm determined not to get wrecked by tanning, loose ALL semblance of beauty, & then become victimized again, by facial plastic surgery! The boob job ordeal has been disaster enough for me, thank you.