having my implants removed

lauralu

Hi everyone,

I have not posted here for a while. I have finally made the decision to have my implant removed.

It has been a long 4 years. I have had my implants since May1 2007..

The tightness and pain has been terrible. I am hoping to get some relief when these are removed.

I guess I would have wondered if I had never had it done. I just wish I had gone with my first instinct and just went bilateral no reconstruction...Now here I am 4 years later.

Don't know when it will be done.. Waiting for my Dr to contact a plastic surgeon.

Scared to death as I have no idea what to expect?????

Laura

Erica3681

I'm sorry you've had to deal with pain and tightness for so long. Hopefully, when your implants are removed you'll feel immediate relief. If you read through the threads on this forum, you'll find a lot of ladies who are very happy living without reconstruction. Also, I have a non-profit website, BreastFree.org, that's intended to inform women about what to expect when choosing not to have reconstruction. There are also Personal Stories, two of which (Susan's Story and Joan's Story) are by women like you, who had implants removed.

Best of luck with the removal surgery. Please let us know how it goes.

Barbara

lauralu

Thanks Barbara,

I have been to the Breast Free Web site and find the info there very helpful

Laura

thenewme

Hi Lauralu,

Sorry you're having such a bad time!  This stinks, doesn't it - when you feel like you should be past this point and moving on, but instead the setbacks keep coming?  I had one of my implants removed recently, for different reasons than yours, but the actual process/surgery was physically much easier than the others.  Is that what you're asking?  The surgery was easy but the mental and emotional effects for me have been really difficult.  In your situation,where you're getting rid of them because you've been struggling with them for a long time, I imagine that you'll feel a great deal of relief, both physically and mentally! I can't imagine living with that kind of misery for 4 years! Yikes - I bet you'll be SO glad to be rid of them!

I'm struggling with a seemingly never-ending seroma (fluid accumulation) since my explant surgery, so you may want to ask your surgeon if there is anything  you can do to help prevent it, and definitely don't be too anxious to get your drain out. 

I've been to the Breast Free site too, and it's a really great source of information.  Are you considering another form of reconstruction, or have you decided on being "free?"  I flip flop back and forth, so I suppose that means I'm not quite ready to commit either way.  

Anyway, I feel your pain.  Feel free to PM if there's anything I can answer about the explant surgery or anything.  Best of luck to you!

lauralu

Thanks for the support and the advice..Do not want to get any further complications that is for sure. I am not considering any other forms of reconstruction. Just want to get on with my life. I know it will not be a pretty picture. I will have to deal with that later I guess. So much to think about and definately could use any advice as far as surgery and recovery goes.

Laura

nagem

Re "I know it will not be a pretty picture": You may be surprised. I do not think my chest is "unpretty." It's not like anyone else's, but it looks just fine.

Anonymous

Laura, I'm having my implants removed this Tuesday, Apr 5 with no intention of further reconstruction. I had a painful expansion and have been in pain for over two years since the implants were placed. I have capsular contracture and lymphedema. I'm worried about how I will look, but at this point I care more about my health and well-being. My plan is to take things one step at a time and not think ahead too much so I don't start worrying about all kinds of things. I will be glad to report back about how I am feeling once my implants are out.

I had consultations with three surgeons, and they varied in what they would do. I actually found having several sets of eyes check me out to be quite helpful, as each doctor had different comments. I went in with a bunch of questions from the get go, but each appt. gave me more info and new questions to ask the next surgeon. I have truncal lymphedema so I had questions about how the surgery would impact this, too.

I would find out whether your PS "released" your pectoral muscle at the inframmary fold and if you have alloderm. Some PS will remove implants and may do capsulectomy based on the texture/thickness of the capsule (esp in case of capsular contracture). The capsule is basically collagen and if left in place will eventually will be reabsorbed by the body. Obviously, it is less invasive to leave the capsule in place. Other PS's believe the capsule should be removed, as well as repairing muscle that has been displaced. Even if the pectoral muscle wasn't "released", some of the muscles are "relaxed" to create the pocket for an implant. Again, it may depend on the surgeon as to whether repair to the muscle is needed or not. Some may want to tack the muscle back against the chest wall with a permanent suture. 

I thought I was a well-informed patient when it came to choosing to reconstruct with implants - considering how stressful my life was at that time. However, I have learned much more about the process in my attempt to undo what has been done to me. Some insurance plans consider anything beyond removing the implants and capsules to be verging on cosmetic and may not authorize/pay for these portions of the surgery. My insurance co. has been quite difficult in this respect, and I will be interested to see if a "doctor to doctor review" results in any changes to their authorization.

Good luck with your decision, and I hope you are eventually pain-free once your implants are removed.

Thenewme, do you know anything about your original procedure? Any idea of what your PS did when he removed your implants? It sounds like the pain wasn't too bad after the procedure. You are so right about drains being a good thing. I'm sorry you are having this seroma problem. Hope everything resolves soon and you are able to start the process of healing emotionally. I go in and out of being strong and then being a wreck just in the time leading up to surgery. I'm sure I'll be a basket case for a while after. It definitely will be a big adjustment.

Tina 

lauralu

Tina.I am so thankful that you have been able to do some research and see more than one PS

When I had my Mastectomy and had the exppanders placed I had very little pain. My PS was not volunteering any information about my surgery. It was important to me to know how long the implants would last etc.  I was told that my gummys would last for ever ...Not a good sign now that I know more.  I was just plain scared. I did not have much access to a computer then. I thought my surgeons were concerned about my health. After it was all said and done the problems I expressed were all but ignored. I was so upset when my PS surgeon wanted to proceed with the nipples have no idea where he intended to put and them skin was so tight. That has been my major complaint is tightness , pressure, back and neck problems. It is hard for me to do any upper body chores including exercise b/c I end up so tight in the chest area and my back gets so painful. I also have abdominal lymphedema which has contributed to the problems as well..

I will definitely check back to see how you are doing

. I wish you all the best with your surgery this coming week.

 (((Hugs))

Laura

thenewme

Hi Tina and Laura,

I'm thinking that your surgeries will likely have a better cosmetic outcome than mine, since yours are planned surgeries.  Especially if you've already decided on no reconstruction, I bet they can do a lot to smooth out the area, remove any excess skin or tissue if needed, and do a nice "clean" and "pretty" incision like it sounds like maybe Nagem had.

In my case, it was an emergency surgery with no time to consider future options, so the goal was just to get the implant out and sew up the hole.  As you can imagine, mine isn't pretty at all and,at this point it looks like I'll pretty much need at least one more surgery to clean up the mess, or if I do decide on the DIEP procedure - that involves several more surgeries.  ugh. I suppose I could leave it as is, but honestly I'm not even sure how a prosthesis would fit! Yikes.

Anyway, as for the explant surgery itself, it was easy compared to the mastectomy and even compared to the exchange surgery.  Seriously - there is so little trauma - they make an incision (maybe in the same place as the previous one if the skin is good - mine wasn't, so it was a new incision), and then just slide the implant out and sew up.  There's none of the cutting and pulling and rearranging and alloderm and all that extra trauma that the other surgeries had, so it really was easy.  For me, the drain was the biggest pain and nuisance, especially since the breast skin has so little sensation left anyway, I honestly had no pain from the incision or breast itself.  I didn't have any capsule or other tissue removal, so that may change things a bit if they do that, but I'd still guess that it's still way less traumatic than MX/TE/exchange.  

Be sure to discuss with your surgeon your future plans, and whether your choices now will affect any of your future options.  Ask if they expect this to be the final surgery or whether they expect you to need further "tweaking" or other surgeries.  You've both mentioned LE, and that's a great thing to discuss beforehand!  Interesting (and disturbing!) about the insurance concerns - one more thing I guess we need to confirm ahead of time!  Do you have a camisole to wear after surgery?  I didn't need one, but found it much easier because it holds the drain and also has the fluff pocket so I felt more comfortable in public.  

Oh, ask whether they would suggest you wrap your chest to help prevent seroma formation.  It wasn't mentioned to me, but after I started to get the seromas, I had to wrap tightly in an attempt to help it go away, so I wonder if it could have been prevented in the first place.  

That's all I can think of now, but feel free to ask any other specifics!  I'll be thinking about you!  I really think you'll feel such a relief since you've been struggling with issues and looking forward to having them out.  It's such a rollercoaster, isn't it? 

Best to you both, and keep us posted!

lauralu

I have an appointment with the PS end of April. My Dr more or less told me that They would just open the pocket an remove the implant. He didn't think they would do any thing else except sew me up.  I hope hope that he is wrong as it sounds like a patch job to me. I have bee so frustrated for so long and have so many emotions right now. I went to see a fitter today. She told me they charge $350 for the prophesies I need two I sure hope insurance will cover that amount.

Haven't been able to work so finances are slim. I hope that the removal will give me some relief.I have what I think could be nerve damage under my arms. I do not know what happened.am feeling totally in the dark about all that happened during my.breast reconstruction. Non the less it is a disaster and I am in pain. Seems like my would body has been effected.

Don't know what to think???

thanks for the info it is very helpful I will try to follow through with the advice.

Laura

GointoCarolina

Bless all of you for posting.I had a prophylactic mastectomy two weeks ago(original uni 9/2008) and tissue expanders on both sides.My recon was to be microfat grafting.I have never been in so much pain in my life.It feels like a metal band lined with sandpaper around me and balloons under my arms.I have Alloderm. I saw the surgeon yesterday to schedule surgery to remove the expanders.It will be done in two weeks and it can't come soon enough.He tried to talk me out of it,saying I had gone through the worst part. I think I made him understand I just plain do not have time for this,if it was to save my life,I would continue.I am ready for a new me,no more mammograms and bras only if I choose to wear one!!!I really cannot wait to be FREE...............Barbara,your site and support are wonderful,you are very special.

Erica3681

Hi pandazankar,

I'm so sorry you're experiencing so much pain. I know (from reading your prior posts) how carefully you researched your options. It's so hard to know how our bodies will react. Please let us know how things go. And thank you so much for your kind words about me and BreastFree. 

Barbara

GointoCarolina

Yes, I thought I had really researched and knew what I was doing.The good thing is,I finally asked myself why was I putting my body through more trauma?And I could not come up with a good reason.I do envy the women who have an easy time with recon or are willing to do whatever they must,it would be nice to have breasts again. I had too much down time during treatment to save my life.If this pain was life saving,I would stick it out.I guess breasts are not as important to me as I thought..and it feels good to accept that.

Fearless_One

I totally understand.   I am only a few days out from MX/TE's and already is the worst pain of my life and I don't like how it looks and wonder if I should even have had recon.   I can't imagine your struggle and I would want mine out, too, given so much stress you have been under.

GointoCarolina

Oh dear..I am so sorry..I can tell you that the pain is not as bad as it was two days ago...mine look like  small breasts..I can see where I have a tiny cleavage...but I am just plain tired,there is constant pain..and I know having them removed is the right decision for me.You have been through a lot,I am hoping the pain stops soon and you are able to continue.

jessicav

 Hi Ladies

Isn't there a bra or a cammie that feels  comfortable against a masectomy scar-somthing light weight built into the cup...

Or what about just a very small hollow cup with firm material on the outside to hold form but also must feel good to the woman wearing it. Does that exist?  What's the best in terms of comfort and looks for those who choose to "de" construction.

BoobsinaBox

Jessicav,

Check www.breastfree.org for all sorts of information on mastectomy bras and camis and forms.  Our sister Barbara (screen name Erica) has put together a wealth of info there, and you'll get more answers than you could ever get on thread!

Dawn 

jessicav

Thanks Dawn!

mediaindie

I had a mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction almost ten years ago.  I've been lucky that the results were nice and I haven't had any pain.  However, I've made the decision to have the implants removed and live life flat-chested because I've had some ongoing issues during the past year with fatigue, etc.  Of course there's no proof that the two are linked, but I figure it's one thing I can do. If I still suffer from fatigue, oh well....  At any rate, I'm not worried about not having breasts, but I do worry that my chest will be oddly shaped and may look strange even when I'm wearing t-shirts, etc.  Does anyone have experiences with this?  I don't want to use a prosthesis, except maybe for swimsuit.....

Faithroad

mediaindie - Tina337 just did deconstruction recently.  I hope its ok to share that with you.  I'm having deconstruction soon too, but mine have only been in since Jan.2011.  I thought they were suppose to be more comfy than the stretchers....Not.   At least not to me.  I need to have them out, They are like two rocks that I carry around on my chest.

dogsandjogs

I'm thinking of having my implant removed since an MRI showed a small tear deep within. The rad onc didn't think it was necessary to remove it as nothing is leaking into surrounding tissues.  I haven't asked a PS yet. What do you guys think?

PS It contracted badly years ago and is now high on my chest - but I've gotten used to that and when wearing a bra everything looks normal. I got the implant in 1982! following a mastectomy.

Faithroad

srbreastcancersurvivor - I've heard that even though the silicone does not leak all over, it can cause scar tissue to form around the tear.  That scar tissue will have to be removed when they change the impant/or when you have them taken out.   Even though it's not leaking all over right now....the tear can grow and it can start to leak.  Not trying to be negative, but my new PS is very cautious about silicone implants. She said she'll put them in other people, but she'd think twice about putting one in herself.  When they tear she said they can become an oowy goowy mess. which causes irritation and scar tissue.

dogsandjogs

Faithroad:  Thanks, didn't know about scar tissue forming.  I guess I'll bite the bullet and see a PS. I just am so reluctant to incur more medical bills and not crazy about undergoing another surgery. They probably can't take it out in the office?  Wouldn't that be nice. Hospitalization is such an ordeal financially.

Faithroad

srbreastcancersurvivor  - I don't blame you concerning the medical bills.  I'm sorry that you have a tear in your implant.  It would be really great if your PS could do the work in his office.  Can't hurt to ask.

One reason why I'm taking my implants out is financial concerns down the road.  

bdylanfan

Hi Tina337,

How are you doing after your surgery?

bdylanfan