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To the Boob Buyer, Beware!
Pros:
I thought that my flat, droopy breasts needed to be changed
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Cons:
Expensive: emotionally, physically and financially
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Cost:
$6500
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Healing time:
12 months
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Pain-o-meter: 8
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I want to tell this story so that other women would learn from my mistake. One day, I was looking at myself in the mirror and I noticed that my breasts looked saggy and aged. As a birthday present, I asked my husband to go w/ me to an appoinment w/ a PS, thinking that I would have a mastopexy (breast lift).
Although, to look better in some dresses, I started with the breasts inserts from Victoria Secret. My husband liked the augemented look, and I thought it looked very sexy. The PS recommended breast implants. At first, I thought his idea seemed ok, but I really only thought I needed a mastopexy; I knew that his philosophy was the simpler the better. I did end rediscussing the mastopexy w/ him; but at this point I said I had to trust his opinion and believe that this was the way to go.
I had the augmentation, I woke up in severe pain. In addition, my right breast was assymetric w/ my left. At that point, I started to regret the whole thing. Within 3 days, I developed bruising all under the chest wall, I swelled up and felt very uncomfortable. My husband liked the new look, he said I looked sexy, more desirable. About 3 months after the original surgery one of the implants started to deflate. I noticed a size difference over a period of weeks.
By the time my 3 month check up, I had to go back to have the implant replaced. This is when I realized that there was a lot of upkeep!
For awhile, I thought that I did look good, my new breasts looked perky, they had a nice round looked, it really added to our dimension as a couple.
Within 6 weeks, a cousin of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer. 6 more weeks and my sister was diagnosed w/breast cancer and another 6 weeks, my other sister was diagnosed w/ breast cancer. All of a sudden, these breasts implants took on a new meaning. I started to read articles about the inability to feel breast cancer after you have had an augmentation.
I was extremely nervous about this possibility. Soon I was working w/ MD's at a breast center, trying to evaluate my likelihood of developing breast cancer. I had had fiborcystic breasts for a long time, which made it more difficult to be able to assess any new changes in my breast. In addition, the genetic risk of developing breast cancer was about 40%; this made me even more nervous about these implants.
One of my sisters died within a year of diagnosis. Having her go through all this trauma, made me more resolved that I had to have the breast implants removed. After about 3 years of counseling, talking w/ experts in different fields, I decided not only to have the implants removed, but to have a prophylactic mastectomy w/ reconstruction. I went back to the original PS and his thoughts were to do a simple mastectomy and leave the implants in place.
During his exam, he expained to me that he was sorry. To this day, I can not figure out whether he was sorry that I lost my sister, or that when he reassessed the breasts he had not corrected the ptosis.
I saw a second PS, and he took the time to go through all my options. I asked him about leaving the implants in and he said that the breast would look more like speed bumps than breasts. At this point, I realized that PS#1 seemed to take the easier route too many times!
I opted not to have the implant option and instead had the TRAM (using my own tissue for reconstruction.)It was a long surgery, and long convalescence. It has taken me about a year to feel back to normal. As I look in the mirror, I don't see the scars, or the pain. As long as I have a shirt on, my breasts look perky enough for me. As for my husband, whenever he hears of someone being diagnosed w/ breast cancer, he tells me that he's glad I had the prophylactic surgery.
I know it has been difficult for him seeing me go through the pain of first the impant surgery and then the mastectomy. I thank him and love him more because he has been so supportive.
Since my augmentation, I have had time to think about consequences of augmentation. I would warn women that in the future, insurance companies may deny you future coverage, r/t breast implants. Also, you may need surgery every 5-10 years depending on the lifetime of the implant. The companies that make implants may cover the cost of replacing the implant, but they may not necessarily cover the cost of anesthesia etc.
Finally, the implant that you have had explanted will go back to the company so that they will learn from their mistakes, try to understand why your implant deflated and create a better product. If they feel that the implant deflated not related to the product, they will not pay!
Here are more details:
How results differed from what I expected:
The implants were larger than expected, which caused further drooping and stretching; this made me look disproportionally heavier
Biggest fears pre-procedure:
My breasts would still look droopy after surgery
Healing aids used:
None
Number of doctors consulted:
1
Number of years I thought about having the procedure:
months
Had an elective procedure before:
No
Complications or follow-up procedures:
Deflation within 3 months of insertion
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This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You
should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or
disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have
regarding your condition.
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Gender:
Female
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Age:
49
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Ethnic group:
Not specified
Education:
Not specified
Country:
Not specified
State/Province:
Not specified
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About 70 percent of young women try to lose weight. That dissatisfaction with their body weight stays with them into adulthood.
(Source: "the Role of Weight Management in the Health of Women" by Sachiko T. St. Jeor, professor and director of Nutrition Education and Research at the University of Nevada, School of Medicine)
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