Breast implant experiences

galgirl32

Hello ladies. I am a married mum of 3 kiddies and for the past 15 yrs or so I have longed to have larger breasts - I suffer with aa's and obviously since having my 3 gorgeous kiddies my less than voluptuous breasts have suffered some more. I'm just wondering if anyone has had a breast enlargement done, what has been your experience and can you offer some / any advice in my search for a surgeon / clinic. Plz plz plz share your experience with me as I don't know where yo begin researching this - many many thanks xxxx

LegacyUser

Hi galgirl,

I'm afraid they don;t allow people to give out names or recommendations in posts so you probably wont get what you are looking for. I am in the opposite situation as I am planning to have mine taken out after several years of problems and discomfort.

Despite that, I am not going to tell you not to do it, if you have thought long and hard and weighed up the risks and benefits. What I would say is do your research and find a recommended surgeon, one who is based in Ireland and is certified by the Irish Associations of Plastic Surgeons. There is a difference between Cosmetic surgery (mainly aesthetic surgery) and Plastic surgery (which is more like reconstructive surgery). Plastic surgeons are more qualified, if I were you I would try and find one who specialises in breast surgery. Have a look on the website www.plasticsurgery.ie to see if there are any registered in your area.

I think there are Cosmetic surgery centres around the country who offer breast implants for a bit cheaper than others, however I would warn against just going for the cheapest place as these tend to be the ones who ignore your call if something goes wrong. After the PIP scandal these places were the ones who did not want to give replacement surgeries to their former patients. So I would say go to a reputable surgeon, they are more expensive but in the long run could save you a lot of hassle.

Try to have more than one consultation with different surgeons to find one you are comfortable with, one who listens to you and one who is realistic about the results. Also, ask them about complications, this is a very real problem as a large amount of women with implants have complications after a few years. Capsular contracture is common, so ask your surgeon if they would revise or replace your implants at a discounted price if anything happened within the first few years.

There is a good website called www.realself.com which gives ratings for many cosmetic procedures, its basically what you are looking for. Im sure there will be recommendations for surgeons in Ireland.

I know you have thought long and hard about this but please don't get into a situation like mine; I desperately want to have them removed but do not have the money to do so. I cannot go back to my original surgeon as I had them when I was living abroad. Make sure that you can afford to have them replaced every few years. They say 10 years but more realistically it could be in 5 or sooner if something goes wrong.

Just be aware that they are not like other surgical procedures when you heal and then forget about it, it is more likely to be an investment every few years. Your body will try and fight them as long as you have them in, and so there is a potential for many problems.

Sorry for the essay, good luck with what you decide.

galgirl32

Gill28 wrote: »

Hi galgirl,

I'm afraid they don;t allow people to give out names or recommendations in posts so you probably wont get what you are looking for. I am in the opposite situation as I am planning to have mine taken out after several years of problems and discomfort.

Despite that, I am not going to tell you not to do it, if you have thought long and hard and weighed up the risks and benefits. What I would say is do your research and find a recommended surgeon, one who is based in Ireland and is certified by the Irish Associations of Plastic Surgeons. There is a difference between Cosmetic surgery (mainly aesthetic surgery) and Plastic surgery (which is more like reconstructive surgery). Plastic surgeons are more qualified, if I were you I would try and find one who specialises in breast surgery. Have a look on the website www.plasticsurgery.ie to see if there are any registered in your area.

I think there are Cosmetic surgery centres around the country who offer breast implants for a bit cheaper than others, however I would warn against just going for the cheapest place as these tend to be the ones who ignore your call if something goes wrong. After the PIP scandal these places were the ones who did not want to give replacement surgeries to their former patients. So I would say go to a reputable surgeon, they are more expensive but in the long run could save you a lot of hassle.

Try to have more than one consultation with different surgeons to find one you are comfortable with, one who listens to you and one who is realistic about the results. Also, ask them about complications, this is a very real problem as a large amount of women with implants have complications after a few years. Capsular contracture is common, so ask your surgeon if they would revise or replace your implants at a discounted price if anything happened within the first few years.

There is a good website called www.realself.com which gives ratings for many cosmetic procedures, its basically what you are looking for. Im sure there will be recommendations for surgeons in Ireland.

I know you have thought long and hard about this but please don't get into a situation like mine; I desperately want to have them removed but do not have the money to do so. I cannot go back to my original surgeon as I had them when I was living abroad. Make sure that you can afford to have them replaced every few years. They say 10 years but more realistically it could be in 5 or sooner if something goes wrong.

Just be aware that they are not like other surgical procedures when you heal and then forget about it, it is more likely to be an investment every few years. Your body will try and fight them as long as you have them in, and so there is a potential for many problems.

Sorry for the essay, good luck with what you decide.

Thanks a mill for that, I kinda figured that I wouldn't be able to get names etc but even to get other people's experiences is great.

I'm really very very grateful for your feedback - thanks a million

username123

Ive a friend who got hers done (enlarged) and it was a life changer for her. She had been unhappy with her breasts since puberty and there was a big change in her self confidence. Being honest - she looked as good either way.

But this bit surprised me:

Gill28 wrote: »

Make sure that you can afford to have them replaced every few years. They say 10 years but more realistically it could be in 5 or sooner if something goes wrong.

I never knew that they had to keep getting redone. My friends ones did turn out to be PIP and both had ruptured so they were removed and changed for free - incidentally, her second surgery was a breeze compared to her first. I spoke to her about it recently and even with the issues re PIP and the continuing need for surgery every so often in the future - she remains glad she had it done.

galgirl32

username123 wrote: »

Ive a friend who got hers done (enlarged) and it was a life changer for her. She had been unhappy with her breasts since puberty and there was a big change in her self confidence. Being honest - she looked as good either way.

But this bit surprised me:


I never knew that they had to keep getting redone. My friends ones did turn out to be PIP and both had ruptured so they were removed and changed for free - incidentally, her second surgery was a breeze compared to her first. I spoke to her about it recently and even with the issues re PIP and the continuing need for surgery every so often in the future - she remains glad she had it done.

Thanks so much for that. I wonder would it be ok for me to get in touch with your friend by email to find out a bit more about her experience. Do u think that would be ok ?

galgirl32

username123 wrote: »

Ive a friend who got hers done (enlarged) and it was a life changer for her. She had been unhappy with her breasts since puberty and there was a big change in her self confidence. Being honest - she looked as good either way.

But this bit surprised me:


I never knew that they had to keep getting redone. My friends ones did turn out to be PIP and both had ruptured so they were removed and changed for free - incidentally, her second surgery was a breeze compared to her first. I spoke to her about it recently and even with the issues re PIP and the continuing need for surgery every so often in the future - she remains glad she had it done.

Thanks so much for that. I wonder would it be ok for me to get in touch with your friend by email to find out a bit more about her experience. Do u think that would be ok ?

LegacyUser

username123 wrote: »

I never knew that they had to keep getting redone. My friends ones did turn out to be PIP and both had ruptured so they were removed and changed for free - incidentally, her second surgery was a breeze compared to her first. I spoke to her about it recently and even with the issues re PIP and the continuing need for surgery every so often in the future - she remains glad she had it done.

Hi, previous poster here - I was told at the time they had a 'shelf life' of about 15 years, which seemed like a long time. To be honest my perspective may be skewed because I'm trying to get mine removed after less than 4 years.

My issues with them are probably minor compared to people with PIP implants or whose implants have ruptured, mine are just giving me regular pains in my breast and down my arms and in my neck. I can no longer sleep on my side or my front, and I generally just hate the look of them, I was slim before and they make me look frumpy and a few sizes bigger than I really am and I am now more self conscious about my chest than I was before.

In saying that I was very happy with them for a while, and I was mid twenties when I got them, had wanted them for years and did my research. I knew there would be risks, and actually my surgery and recovery went great.

From doing my own research lately there seems to be a varying mix of some who have had them without problems for 25 years, and other who had problems straight away. To be honest, that's really the thing - without trying to sound patronising, you don't really know how your body will react until you get them in, some people have no problems at all, and other aren't so lucky...

Actually, to the OP you may want to ask your surgeon about implant warranties, some manufacturers have them.

I found this online, although it is from an american site :

Breast Implant Warranties
Allergan and Mentor, the two largest manufacturers of breast implants, recognize that their products are not lifetime products. Both provide warranties that will replace the implants. Allergan’s lifetime product replacement agreement states: “Regardless of the age of the implant, Allergan provides product replacement in the event of a deflation or rupture due to loss of shell integrity.” Mentor has the same guarantee: “In the event of a qualifying deflation of a Saline-Filled Breast Implant or rupture of a MemoryGel® Breast Implant, Mentor will replace the product, free of charge, for the lifetime of the patient.” Remember that it’s the device that is under warranty; this doesn’t include surgeon, hospital, and anesthesia fees.


I suppose I probably sound negative about them because of my own experience. Many people have implants for years without incident, I just want you to be aware that if something does happen, the feeling of having these inside you, knowing they are doing damage and having to wait to get them out is scary. That is why I would recommend a contingency plan as such (something I have learned the hard way as I didn't have one) - this means using a good surgeon you can go back to with any problems.

username123

galgirl32 wrote: »

Thanks so much for that. I wonder would it be ok for me to get in touch with your friend by email to find out a bit more about her experience. Do u think that would be ok ?

I doubt she would be the type who would be into that tbh, she isnt much for 'sharing' in such a way, plus Id rather not blow my boards anonymity either.

There was a very long thread on boards a while back regarding PIP implants and many regular users posted regarding having implants - so you may find someone who would be on for an email exchange there?

mecum

Hi Galgirl32, you can contact me if you wish. I got a breast augmentation done 11 years ago and will get them replaced on the 28th of March.
If you have any questions let me know.

stringofmisery

does the replcaement operation cost the same as the original op?

mecum

stringofmisery wrote: »

does the replcaement operation cost the same as the original op?

Unfortunately it does, it might even be more expensive if the capsule around the existing implant developes a stage that involves a longer surgery. There is no such thing as life long guarantee as every body reacts different to implants. They recommend to get them replaced every 10-15 yrs.
So think twice about when you get them done cause this is not a once-off this will follow you all your life.
On the other site, I, for myself did make the right decision. I was way more confident after surgery 11yrs ago and so happy not to put socks into my bra anymore and go swimming and...

Gina5

Hi,
I'm just wondering where everyone has gone. I can't find any support or anyone to talk to. If anybody out there wants to talk I'm waiting.
Gina

Gina5

Last post on this is 2 years ago?????? Where has everyone gone? I need some people to chat to.
Gina

Gina5

Last post on this is 2 years ago?????? Where has everyone gone? I need some people to chat to.
Gina

Gina5

Hi,
I'm just wondering where everyone has gone. I can't find any support or anyone to talk to. If anybody out there wants to talk I'm waiting.
Gina

Sauve

Zombie thread locked.

Gina5, if you have a topic relevant to the forum that you'd like to discuss then feel free to open a new thread.
Bear in mind that we cannot offer medical advice here.

Sauve