Implants removal with no Reconstructions- Scared

Also, check out the photos on this website: http://www.breastfree.org/

Lezza, I am not sure why you would end up concave. When I was first DXed, a friend told me I would need forms or recon, because I would be concave. It turns out that this friend has another friend with BC, and that is what the PS said and that was why this friend chose recon.

Some women DO end up looking concave, but most commonly in cases of advanced cancer where part of the chest wall is removed.

Also, women who carry a bit of extra weight often complain that their bellies look more prominent without boobs to balance it out.

However, if you look concave because of extra fat above and below the breast line, then diet and exercise can fix an awful lot of that, if it really bothers you. Still, I have seen a lot of pictures at this point, and most women look just fine. I don't have a picture of myself handy, but the woman in this link looks very similar to how I look: http://www.breastfree.org/photos.php?ref=10

What I would insist on with the PS is that she make the scar as neat and flat as possible. Sometimes surgeons get rather sloppy, for reasons I do not understand, and leave extra skin, lumps and bumps. Show her pictures of how you want to look, discuss with her etc.

My ribs are prominent. I joke that you can play them like guitars strings(not really). I think what bothers me(not very much) is the way the ribs appear right under my colar bones. I'm not sure they were even visible prior to BMX.

Lezza, yes, reading Crystal's explanation, I see how the concave thing can happen. I have almost no meat on my entire front. All the docs commented on my freakily thin muscle cover. So that probably explains why I am just plain flat (and why I have a terrible back).

But I think you have the exact right idea. #1 is feeling well, functioning and hopefully being pain-free. As you say, if the esthetics bother you, foobs can help. I wear tiny foobs most of the time. Just enough to make a small bump. You will find a way that works for you.

Also check out the group Flat and Fabulous on facebook. It is a closed group, but we are hundreds of flat women there, and you can see lots of pics and get lots of tips.

Leeza

After 6 years I just had my very small (300cc) silicone implants removed. HATED how they felt, constricted feeling when I moved with them under the pec muscles.  Still recovering from removal, so a little sore and swollen.  I too have the "concave" look, with the dog ears under each arm ( I am heavy to begin with) - that can be removed if I want them removed.  NO DRAINS, surprised you'd be given them, but guess each PS is different.  My PS removed them in her office, she preferred hospital, but was willing to do it in her office. SO glad to have done it that way.  Drove to her office, and then drove the 15 miles home. FINE.  No pain, weird feeling when the implant was finally pulled out - just weird, but no pain.  Think the local numbing injection was Lidocaine?  Only felt it a little when she wiggled the needle, kinda like when the dentist numbs your gum before drilling.

I have a wide rib structure, with more prominent sternum, so YUP, concave.  AND HAPPY.  Feel better than I have in 6 years, honestly, that's more important to me than anything cosmetic.  Oh, meant to say, one of the silicone impants had ruptured, I didn't know it, just felt a little harder than the other one.

I think the very THIN women I know, with a smaller rib cage, look flatter than I do.  Good luck.

Yup, my PS is wonderful.  She was the one who put in the implants, after the other PS who put in the expanders and made SUCH A MESS OF IT - so she had the notes of all the work she had to do to "clean out the pocket" of the one so irritated by the expander.

Her PREFERENCE was to do it in the hospital, but agreed to do it in her office.  I'm a pretty calm, strong person, and I think she knew I'd be ok.  She was surprised when she found one of them had ruptured - some of the silicone has "oozed" out into the pocket/capsule - and she was even prepared for that - many sterile saline syringes there for washing it all out - before stitching it up.  She made the incision in the same scar from the original implant.

I think MOST PS's would want to do a 31 year old implant in a hospital.  A good friend of mine in her 80's had one removed, it had ruptured, and there were "lumps" all over her chest, and the same PS I use did it in the hospital.

If your implant has not ruptured, maybe it could be done in a PS office.  Good luck.

I'm pretty sure it would be covered--

probably you are right - they would want to remove such an old implant in a hospital setting. Also, I'm 77, have high BP and occasional Afibs so-----it is also pretty much encapsulated so might be difficult to remove. It has moved sideways and upwards and has dimples and bumps in it - due to my weight lifting (I think).

I had a unilateral modified radical mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. It was a nightmare and I lived in pain for around 16 years with my reconstruction. I had it redone once hoping to alleviate some of the pain and have it be more similar in size to my healthy breast.



The implant broke spontaneously 6 years ago. It was saline, thank goodness. I decided to have it removed only and not replaced. My plastic surgeon said he would do his best not to leave a sink hole where the implant had been. There is no hole and it is not completely flat. He used some extra skin that was there from the implant being removed and made it not bad to look at.



I was amazed at how well he did that. He said he removed the implant and lots of scar tissue. He said he believed the pain would be gone or at least greatly diminished, which was the case. It took me no time to accept the removal of the implant and use a prosthesis. I have several good prosthesis. It has been a lot of trial and error in finding something comfortable.



It does make me sweat in hot weather and I find that very uncomfortable. I am so much more comfortable without it. I feel that my quality of life would be very much improved by having my healthy breast removed but am reluctant to go through the major surgery for cosmetic reasons. It would be so wonderful to go bra free and never worry about feeling uncomfortable with a bra and/or prosthesis again. Or I could wear very small light weight foam ones. I really wish I did not have any breasts and was even on both sides.



I can not decide whether or not to broach this question with a plastic surgeon. I do not like pain and have a very low pain threshold. Having the implant removed was totally pain free. I never needed one pain pill. I did have one or two drains ( can't remember) for one week. It was an inconvenience but not painful. Obviously he was a very skilled plastic surgeon.



Had I known then what I know now, I would have had both breasts removed at the same time and no reconstruction. I knew nothing back then. Absolutely nothing. I had no idea the implant would be a constant source of pain. Talk about not being able to move on after breast cancer...that is exactly what reconstruction did to me.

Lezza - I had VERY VERY small implants ( 300cc) just needed a small incision in the same scar used to implant, and PS pulled them out.  No drains, no pain, felt weird when she pulled it out - but no pain.  Didn't expect any, very small procedure.  She removes small ones in her office all the time.  Looks like a mini hospital room, all stuff sterilized, PS & her assistant wearing masks, gloves, me draped in sheet, towels, all sterilized. I wouldn't call myself brave as much as CHEAP.    PS needed to clean out the side where the implant had ruptured - huge sterile needles filled with sterile saline pumped in, and voila - all clean, done.  More towels needed - but again,no pain.

Leeza - my PS was very clear it takes a few months for "things to settle" - that there will be changes.  I can see some just in the week since I had the implants removed.  Feels SO SO SO good to be without them.

Lezza I am happy to hear that everything is going well. Keep up the good work and I wish you a speedy recovery!

Kat

SunflowersMa - Thank you for your reply! I hope you are right about the insurance, the surgeon sent in the information to the insurance company on the 18th of July and I still haven't heard anything. I called the PS office and they haven't heard anything yet either. The Office Manager had a few choice words about dealing with the insurance company though.... I guess she felt I was someone she could vent to! I was happy to listen!  I'm not sure what type of implants I have now because it's been almost 20 years and all of her records were switched to digital and all hard copies were purged if they were older than 10 years. This is Standard in my state. I used to work in Radiology. I am amazed how easy yours were to remove and that you didn't have them removed in a hospital! Are you still happy with your decision not to replace them? I think I am going to replace, she told me they now have new implants that will not leak even if the shell is ruptured. I, until recently have never had a problem with my implants and I guess I am just used to the way they feel under the pectoral mussel. I was 37 when I had my bmx and after having all of the pain from fibrocystic lumps the tightness was way better than the pain. Anyway thanks again for your reply and I wish you an easy recovery and I hope all goes well for you.

Kat

Dogsandjogs - thanks for the reply and the information, I will think about my options. I hope all goes better for you soon! Hang in there and here is a cyber hug for you!

Kat