Guest guest Posted February 18, 2004 Report Share Posted February 18, 2004 I am new to this site and find it very informative. I had silicone implants removed 4 months ago and all of a sudden one of my breast swelled up to 3 times the size of the other. My doctor did not do the explant enbloc but states he removed the capsules. He also did not use drains after surgery. The swelling has gone down now but I have a deep pain which seems to be moving into my chest wall. I finally saw a new doctor and he has ordered an MRI. The new doctor feels that there may be a teaspoon or half of a teaspoon of silicone left behind and it would not be worth surgery to go in and get it. This is so frightening to me to have to start over with more expense. Both doctors feel that it will go away on it's own. I hate to spend a thousand on the MRI and I would love some support on spending the money for this test. A doctor Middleton is going to do it and I have heard good things about him. Has anyone had a similar problem? Thanks, Joanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 One thing I forgot to mention Joanne....have you seen a copy of your operative report from the explant? If you do not have a copy, get one. (I recommend this to every one of you who has gone through explant.) Get that report and read it. Look for the wording that describes the removal of the capsule. Many times women have found that when they had been told they were getting a total capsulectomy, the operative report actually indicates that only a partial capsulectomy had been done, and scar tissue has remained. Once you get that operative report, you can then determine through the MRI what may be left. In other words, if your operative report indicates that not all of the scar tissue was removed (and I am betting this is the case, just based on the fact that you had a nipple incision), the MRI will be able to help show you what still needs to be removed, besides loose silicone gel, if that is the case. I know it is more expense. Unfortunately, that is what happens when these plastic surgeons are as careless as yours seems to have been. I am so sorry. Patty ----- Original Message ----- From: joanneinpain Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 9:07 AM Subject: pain after explant I am new to this site and find it very informative. I had silicone implants removed 4 months ago and all of a sudden one of my breast swelled up to 3 times the size of the other. My doctor did not do the explant enbloc but states he removed the capsules. He also did not use drains after surgery. The swelling has gone down now but I have a deep pain which seems to be moving into my chest wall. I finally saw a new doctor and he has ordered an MRI. The new doctor feels that there may be a teaspoon or half of a teaspoon of silicone left behind and it would not be worth surgery to go in and get it. This is so frightening to me to have to start over with more expense. Both doctors feel that it will go away on it's own. I hate to spend a thousand on the MRI and I would love some support on spending the money for this test. A doctor Middleton is going to do it and I have heard good things about him. Has anyone had a similar problem? Thanks, Joanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 HI THERE I also mentioned that my explant was not nearly as painful as the implanting....I am sorry you are having drain issues but trust me - be happy you have them.... my doc didn't use them and it was a nightmare for me...... fluid built up and I had to go in several times in the office with no anesthetic and drain it..... not fun at all. Maybe the itching is a good sign of healing??? Let us hope so. I was not bound nearly as tightly at explant then implant.... I remember how horrible the tight binding was even though it has been 10 years. Hopefully you will find relief after the bandages are removed... I think you will when that pressure is released. Remember - your breast will NOT look like they are gonna look after the bandages are removed forever... this is VERY IMPORTANT... do not freak out if they look a little weird - they will change over the next few weeks. a lot of the girls here have been through this - the tight wrapping will make them look a little funny - it will take a few weeks for your skin, fluid, and tissues to grow into where they are supposed to be after being displaced by the implants.... this will take a little time so be patient. If I went off of what mine looked like after my bandage removal - well let's just say I would have been freaked out. Mine looked almost inverted and completed flat... I was a AA to start with went to a C - 250CC's. Within a month or so my breasts were no longer sad and puckered and "fluffed" out to a full A cup and look completely normal. Please keep this in mind during your bandage removal if I am not too late.... sorry about this late response... my 4 year old son has pneumonia and I have not been able to keep up with the posts..... good luck!! shari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 guess that means i can't go dancing saturday night huh? > > Cosima, you will feel 100 times better once you are unbound and > without the drains. It is very uncomfortable to get throug the first > few days, but once you are free to take a deep breath you will see how > much the recovery will go faster. Once I was unbound I was ready to go > out and do anything I felt so good. of course I didn't, but it sure > felt like I could!! > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 shari, thanks for reminding me. the " unveiling " is tomorrow and I was already a little nervous about the lumpiness I've seen and felt from sneaking an occassional peak under the binding.my nipples too look almost inverted and i couldnt imagine them ever looking normal again.i wonder how it is that your breasts can fluff out and be bigger than what they were originally. I sure that happens to mine. I was originally a 32AA but after nursing my last baby for 2 yrs they went down to more like AAA. i don't know if they would've fluffed back out some because i had implant surgery only 6 months after i weaned her.but i only got size B implants so i'm hoping things won't be so bad. thanks for the info. > > HI THERE > > I also mentioned that my explant was not nearly as painful as the > implanting....I am sorry you are having drain issues but trust me - be happy you have > them.... my doc didn't use them and it was a nightmare for me...... fluid > built up and I had to go in several times in the office with no anesthetic and > drain it..... not fun at all. > > Maybe the itching is a good sign of healing??? Let us hope so. I was not > bound nearly as tightly at explant then implant.... I remember how horrible > the tight binding was even though it has been 10 years. Hopefully you will > find relief after the bandages are removed... I think you will when that > pressure is released. Remember - your breast will NOT look like they are gonna > look after the bandages are removed forever... this is VERY IMPORTANT... do not > freak out if they look a little weird - they will change over the next few > weeks. a lot of the girls here have been through this - the tight wrapping > will make them look a little funny - it will take a few weeks for your skin, > fluid, and tissues to grow into where they are supposed to be after being > displaced by the implants.... this will take a little time so be patient. If I > went off of what mine looked like after my bandage removal - well let's just > say I would have been freaked out. Mine looked almost inverted and completed > flat... I was a AA to start with went to a C - 250CC's. Within a month or so > my breasts were no longer sad and puckered and " fluffed " out to a full A cup > and look completely normal. Please keep this in mind during your bandage > removal if I am not too late.... sorry about this late response... my 4 year old > son has pneumonia and I have not been able to keep up with the posts..... > > good luck!! > > shari > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Cosima, Think in terms of sitting on a pillow and what happens after you get off the pillow. . . It takes a bit longer, but your breasts will do essentially the same thing! Hugs, Rogene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Rogene, good comparison. I told myself that I wouldn't get upset when I saw myself after surgery, and really I tried to avoid even looking for the first few weeks. Now I'm looking alot more and I'm finding that things are returning to how they looked before (except for the scars, but they're nice and smooth, and they'll fade). Sis > > Cosima, > > Think in terms of sitting on a pillow and what happens > after you get off the pillow. . . > > It takes a bit longer, but your breasts will do > essentially the same thing! > > Hugs, > > Rogene > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Cosima, I just fluffed...ha...I still get a kick out of that term...I had my explant on October 26th. The nipples were so flat and smooth, I wondered if they would ever look normal again. (But they didn't look " normal " after the implant, they got huge!) Now after what, 2 1/2 months, all the stuff you mentioned has changed. I think the scars will tone down a bit but other than that I think what I see is what I get. Also worth mentioning, maybe: the drain incisions took longer to heal than the others. Don't know if that's everyone or just me. Glad you decided to stay with the group...it's a good place to be. Charlotte > > Cosima, > > Think in terms of sitting on a pillow and what happens > after you get off the pillow. . . > > It takes a bit longer, but your breasts will do > essentially the same thing! > > Hugs, > > Rogene > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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