What is life with breast implants like? Is it worth it?

In answer to your questions:

I did not have TE's or any additional surgeries. The only complication I had was an infection five weeks after the surgery. I had to spend three days in the hospital for IV antibiotics for that. I'm pretty well adjusted to them now and comfortable.

I like that my breasts both feel the same. I love that I did not have to have more than the one surgery. I like that I look good in clothes and pretty normal without any on. I tolerate the lack of sensation. I've gained some back, but there's no getting around the loss of some feeling. I dislike the rippling that I notice at times - worse when I lean over. But not enough to get it fixed with more surgery. I don't think there's anything that I really hate. Except maybe that I had to make these choices at all?

No - they don't feel cold all the time. I equate it to when you go swimming in a cold pool or the ocean. Your butt and breasts usually feel cold when you touch them after you get out, but they don't feel cold to you. Yes - I can sleep on my stomach.

I don't really think about the risk of rupture much anymore. I guess if I was in a car crash or something then I might be concerned.

Sex? What's that? Just kidding! It's a little weird sometimes with these breasts. I don't have any nipple sensation, but they do respond to touch and cold so that's kind of strange. My husband seems tentative to do much with them - probably because I don't feel it. I miss that.

I had both sides done so no comparisons on weight. The size of the implants was comparable to what was removed only they are much wider so I have to buy a very different size bra. And no rads for me - one of the benefits in my case for having the MX.

Good luck with your choice. Whatever seems best for you -probably is!

Pretty much the same responses as NotVeryBrave save for the infection. Direct to implant nipple sparing made it an “easy choice - I had no fat for a flap procedure.

There are some other issues. I have annoying lumps that are apparently stitch granulomas along the line where the acellular dermal matrix was attached to the muscle (sub pec implants). I am much larger than I was from barely B to a very full C and I didn’t want that, so accepting myself has been a work in progress, but I love that I can look “normal” with no effort. The implants are ridiculously cold to the touch after I work out, but I live in a cold climate and I don’t notice any special issues in that way. I definitely miss having nipple sensation, but I think I’m calmer having had the BMX. Or, maybe just more symmetrical!

Sorry you even have to think about this! Good luck in making your decision, Sara.

I read that the weight of same amount of breast tissue compared to silicone implant is about equal. Saline though weighs more than silicone or natural breast tissue. I assume then that even though the saline TEs feel heavy, that upon exchange the silicone will feel more natural in weight.

I had a BMX with TEs. I am thin and wasn’t a candidate for flap procedures either. I was able to keep my nipples and the incisions are in the folds, so in that way they look like me. But they don’t completely - different shape (rounder) and wider apart. Honestly, I miss my old breasts, but keeping them didn’t feel like a good option.

I am only three months out from my exchange surgery, so I feel like I’m still healing. They are cold to the touch and my implants contract a little when it’s cold. But I’m learning what to wear to minimize that. I am not yet able to sleep on my stomach but can now sleep,on my side, which is what I prefer. As time goes on, they feel a little more normal. It’s odd to have no sensation in my nipples or the skin around them. As for my sex life, it’s been impacted but that’s all me. My husband is completely fine with my reconstructed breasts and still thinks I’m beautiful. But we’re gradualy getting back on track. I’d say the chemo probably got in the way more than my reconstruction.

Everyone is different, and ultimately you have to decide what’s best for you. I wish you luck on the decision

I have bilateral implants and they were most definitely worth the trouble. I didn't have any complications but the tissue expanders were very painful for me. (The pain went away after exchange surgery and some exercise.) I'm very glad to have the implants as it's made my life very similar to the way it was before my diagnosis. I can't comment on the sex life as I'm single, but I assume I would miss having the breast sensation, as I miss it even without sex. It's a weird thing to have a numb chest, but I'm used to it now. I do notice that my foobs get cold sometimes, but it's not a big deal and it doesn't make me feel cold. I also don't sleep on my stomach so I can't comment on that. I am very grateful that I live in a time where we can get reconstruction, it's made all the difference to me.

Also, I LOVE that I don't have to wear a bra if I don't want to and that my foobs are perky when my real breasts were starting to sag.

I had bilateral recon because of bilateral BC so my story is a bit different. But I've been on both sides of the recon story. I was not going to have recon, my breasts did not define who I was. I had a rough time with rads, my skin was terribly burnt, so I went flat for several months while my chest healed. I decided that I didn't really like not having breasts, I'm tall & slender and my standard dress everyday is form fitting jeans & t-shirt, I'm not really a loose blousy type, so I wasn't too happy with the looks at my chest. So I tried breast forms. Every morning I would diligently put them on. Hated them, HATED! They rode up, they were hot, heavy, sweaty, ugh.

I decided to have a chat with a plastic surgeon & see what my options were because I literally had no extra skin on my chest, they had done a good job of making me flat. He felt that my best option was a lat flap with expanders which I eventually had. We took 9 months to expand as I didn't like the tightness of overfilling. I went every 3 weeks to his office to have very small amounts put in. It was a long process but I only wanted to do this once. The exchange was easy, I had to have a few revisions to tidy up a few places under my arms and on my back for a few puckering areas. But they are all smooth now.

Things I had gotten used to, I still have an area on my back at the bottom of the scar which can cause me a bit of pain, we think it's an adhesion & no matter how much it gets massaged, I believe it will be my permanent friend. I find them to sometimes be cold. I will always have a numbness across my chest. I have bumped into cupboard doors with my breasts & not noticed because of lack of feeling.

The good things? For me, I never have to think about bras. I still love the feeling of pulling on a sweater or t-shirt & that silky feeling of wearing nothing underneath. The no bra thing is huge for me as you can tell. I asked about having to replace, PS said he didn't believe I would ever have to, but he if I did, it's a pretty easy procedure. I didn't go big, they are just normal sized breasts. I'm glad I went through all the hassle.

Good luck with your decision, it's a tough one.

May I add that you are less likely to find people who are happy with their implants continuing to post about it. Why would they? You can read a million stories, pro and con, but none of them will help you to predict the way things may turn out for you.

I'll try to answer as many of your questions as I can based on my experience, but everyone's experience is different.

For all you implant-havers - are they worth the tissue expanders, additional surgeries, and any complications you had? What is life like with your breast implants?

This is a very individual decision; just as some enjoy being flat, I was very self-conscious about it. I always had VERY small breasts, and I am very thin. You'd think it wouldn't matter, but for me, it did. Using breast forms, etc is not practical in my job (I am a firefighter/paramedic). They would get "moved" everytime I put my airpack on, and trying to adjust them afterwards was awkward. I do not think anyone else cared or noticed, but I did, and my opinion was what mattered.

What do you like/love/tolerate/dislike/hate about life with implants?

Pros: I do not need to wear a bra if I don't want to. I went slightly bigger than previously. I was an A cup (barely) and now I am a B. Since I have had nipple recon and tattooing, you would not know these are fake, probably even wouldn't realize it seeing me naked....not that anyone except hubby ever sees me that way! I have good strength and can do everything physically at work without a problem. They are comfortable and I do not generally even think about the fact, or realize, that they are there. They look better than my previous breasts ever looked.

Because my implants are under my pec muscle, when I had a recurrence, it was between the muscle and the skin and I was able to feel it when it was very small. Recurrences are rare, but always something to consider.

Cons: Since I had a local recurrence, I needed radiation. That side developed some capsular contracture. I finally found a PT who specializes in breast cancer. For the 2 years before I found her, it felt like a rock. She has done WONDERS, and the scar tissue is definitely broken up and that side no longer feels as hard. When I contract my pec muscles, it looks a little odd (if you're looking at my breasts). Since my goal was to look good in clothes, and you can't notice through my clothes, this does not bother me.

Do they really feel cold all the time?

I like to run outside, even when it is below zero outside. When I come in from running, if it is below about 50 degrees, they'll feel cold to the touch. Other than that, I do not notice it.

Can you sleep on your stomach?

I couldn't when I had the capsular contracture, but I can now.

Is there anything you can't do for fear of rupture, etc.?

I wear an airpack that weighs about 50 pounds, and it is strapped directly over my "breasts". I actually brought it to PS's office when discussing reconstruction so he knew. It has been no problem at all. I am thin, so when someone needs to crawl through a narrow space with the airpack on, it is often me. No problems. BUT... My implants are under my pec muscle. I am not sure I would be as confident if they were on top of my pec muscles.

If you only have one implant - are they heavier or lighter than your other breast?

I have 2; not sure on this one.

What is your SEX LIFE like?

This has not affected it. I have little feeling in the reconstructed areas, but it dos not bother me. Now the vaginal dryness from the AI is whole different story as far as impacting sex life!

If you got implant after rads - how did that go? My rads was afterwards. Healing can be a problem after rads. For others, it's not an issue, so I would discuss it with PS.

Good luck in your decision. I find that making a list of pros and cons of all options on paper usually helps clarify things for me.

I had immediate bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction with silicone implants (pre-pectoral) all in one go, and I am very happy with the results. They could not do nipple-sparing on me because the cancer was close to the nipple on one breast. I do miss my nipples as does my DH. But my breasts are perkier and are the same size as what I had previously, so I did not have to buy new clothes or bras or anything, and I feel great both in clothes and without (DH has been great). I plan to get nipple tattoos next year. If you are a candidate for doing it all at once without TEs, and getting implants on top of the pectoral muscle rather than underneath, I recommend it, as my recovery was not bad at all. I was able to raise my arms over my head immediately after coming out of surgery, and once the drains were out it was smooth sailing. I was on an international flight exactly six weeks after being discharged from the hospital, and have never looked back. Good luck to you.

I am late to the party.

I was diagnosed in 2006 and ended up with bilateral mastectomies.

Because I was so huge in the breast department, I was thrilled to be flat and had no plans for reconstruction.

Fast forward to 2009 when it had slowly dawned on me that being totally flat was as much of a problem in finding clothes as being over endowed and that for once in my life, I wanted to be in the middle of the bell shaped curve for breast size.

I started the delayed reconstruction process in June, 2009. Because I was totally healed from my mastectomies and had religiously exercised to regain strength and flexibility in my upper body, I had absolutely no problems with the tissue expander surgery and the fills. Except for a slight feeling of tightness that last for about a half hour after each fill, the experience was pain free.

I had my exchange surgery in December of 2009. I could have had it in October but I had a cruise and other trips planned and as I said, the TEs were comfortable for me.

I love my implants. They are comfortable and they look totally natural and I never have to wear a bra.

As far as weight goes, I had silicone implants and each implant weighs 1.6 lbs. Total weight of 3.2 lbs . As I lost approximately 17 lbs in breast tissue from the bilateral mastectomies, they are very light in comparison.

I am a side sleeper, but do go in for massages every two weeks where I end up on my stomach for about 45 minutes. My implants are totally comfortable when I am in my stomach. On occasion, am implant will be slightly off in the pocket when I turned over, but a slight push and I am good to go.

As far as temperature goes, yes, the implant area will feel slightly cool to the touch at all times. Think about it. They are sacks of silicone with no blood flow through them to warm them up so they will slightly different in temperature.

Also, they will slowly decrease or increase in temperature depending of the temperature of the surrounding environment. That means, if you spend time in an ice rink or freezing temperatures, you need to take care that you wear something that keeps your chest area warm or you will have a chill.

Conversely, don't spend a long period of time in a hot tub.

The important thing is to make sure that one keeps on with the exercises for strength and flexibility. If I slack off for about two weeks, I can feel my chest muscles starting to press on the implants as they start to tighten up.

Summary - I love, love, love my implants and have often wished that the bilateral mastectomies and implants were an option for me without the breast cancer. I would have done it years ago.

I did have a little trouble with one implant. It was getting hard and it did have to be replaced. Since then, which is 9 years ago, everything has been fine. I needed the double mastectomy, so I couldn't bear being completely flat. I do enjoy looking good in a bra, but desperately miss having feeling in my breasts. You are fortunate to have one that is still sensitive. I feel that I look okay in clothes and for me personally, it would have been hard to be flat and also "lifeless." Sorry to use that word. My breasts do get cold to the touch, but it never seems to effect my overall feeling of coldness. I was surprised to read that women feel cold because their implants are cold. In hindsight, I would not have used my lats for my reconstruction. I tell everyone I know not to do that. I wish you the very best!

That's exactly why I kept my other natural breast..I was too afraid to not have feeling in BOTH breasts. That, and I wasn't positive for any of the genes.

I don’t recommend it. They’re cold... and for me? They HURT.... as it’s not breast skin.... it’s chest skin and is tight. I’m seriously considering getting mine removed. Every day, I’m feeling a new pain with them. That’s just MY experience