What to expect from breast implants.

[Vespertine]

I think my girls look great in my profile pic.... but it's also a year old.

I have gone down a full cup size now. That's a BIG difference when you're small to begin with. I really love the compliments though.

Al, you're spot on when it comes to promoting mamograms. I have heard that they can do mamograms even if you have implants. If that isn't true, I wouldn't get them.

Thanks for telling me of your experience, Pepper. I really appreciate your honest answers. I'm surprised more women haven't written of their experiences. There has to be a lot more women on the board with implants than just you. I wonder why they don't want to speak up?

Feel free to PM me ladies if you'd prefer not having the entire board know of your tittie status.

[Alura]

Vespertine wrote:

Al, you're spot on when it comes to promoting mamograms. I have heard that they can do mamograms even if you have implants. If that isn't true, I wouldn't get them.

We're perhaps more sensitive than most to the mammograms question, Ves. A friend of ours had implants and chose the type that will not interfere with mammograms. I don't remember what kind that was for sure, but think they were implanted under the chest muscles. She had it done through an incision in her armpit, if that helps.

Mr. Alura

[jdandka]

First I'll say you look great.... but that's what everyone said to me too... did it anyways. Here's my take on it.... I'm almost 2 weeks post op:

Originally Posted by Vespertine

-How bad will it hurt? I'd like honest answers and not the war stories my girlfriends have spun- so they could get more pain meds and not have to do housework/dishes/cook.

For me I had a tummy tuck as well... the breasts hurt more. Take the pain meds, they are needed! After about a week I was taking nothing but Tylenol.

-How long does the discomfort last?

Still there but every day is a little better... the swelling for me is the worst. I hear after a couple weeks things get much better.

-What was your down time after getting them?

I think if it were just my breasts I would e back to work now.... I'm going to take a full 3 weeks off.

-Over or under the muscle, which do you suggest?

My Dr did under... my understanding is that's the best.

-How do they feel? (to have them or to feel someone's)

MUCH firmer than before.... I still think they are fairly soft (nice)

-Any problems from having them?

None yet (just cant sleep on my side yet )

-Silicone or saline?

Saline... my understanding is very few Dr's can use silicone unless a lift is being done as well

-Are you happy with your/your wife's implants?

happy....hmmmmm.... can't say that yet. They need to drop ALOT more that will take a few more weeks. I trust my doctor so I believe they will look great once they've dropped and the swelling goes down more.

-Look at my profile pic What size would you suggest? I'm thinking a small C cup.

As one of the posters said before... they will seem a cup smaller than natural breasts. Just keep that in mind.


Best think I can say is find a great doctor you can trust and research.... a GREAT site is http://www.breastimplants4you.com -- so much wonderful information and a great forum that is crazy busy.... any questions you have will be answered very quickly.

Best of luck in your decision (remember it's for you.... do what will make YOU happy)

Huggz,
K

[BookwormsInHeat]

My wife looked into implants (I've managed to discourage her so far - I think her breasts are perfect). Here's what we learned about mammography.

Most people are encouraged to have a "screening" mammogram once a year starting at age 40 (start earlier if you have sister or mother with breast cancer).

A screening mammogram is rather informal. In most places, appointments are easy to schedule. You go in, they take 4 pictures, you leave (hopefully a few minutes later in a well run clinic).

When the radiologist reads the mammograms, most of the time the images are normal or unchanged, and you get a letter to come back in a year.

About 5-10% of the time, there are calcifications or slightly unusual looking breast tissue that make the radiologist uncomfortable, and you need to come back for a "diagnostic mammogram."

A diagnostic mammogram usually involves special views (magnification views, different angles). Sometimes the radiologist will want to perform an ultrasound to get a better look at some areas. All this may take the better part of an hour or more for an appointment, because the radiologist reads all the films while you're still there, and keeps getting views until they can either clear the images or request a biopsy (which they will schedule within a week or two). They will talk individually with every patient receiving a diagnostic mammogram and summarize their impression on the spot.

As you can imagine, diagnostic mammograms are more time-consuming and expensive (depending on your insurance) than regular screening mammograms.

If you have implants, you can still have mammography. It doesn't matter whether your implants are saline or silicone, behind the chest muscles or in front. Any kind of implant has some small risk of rupture during compression for mammography and you will need to sign a release waiver that you accept that risk. The mammograms will always be diagnostic mammograms rather than screening mammograms, so when you have implants you commit yourself to the longer procedure for as long as you have the implants.

Mammography with implants is still very helpful screening, but it is a little less sensitive than mammography without implants. There is some risk of not seeing a cancer as well because it is obscured by the implant, or because the breast tissue is compressed. (Fat in the breast is very helpful for reading mammograms and women with fatty breasts are easiest to find cancers in.) Plus, surgery makes some scarring and changes in the breast that are sometimes difficult to distinguish from cancer, and that may mean a biopsy that otherwise might not have been necessary.

Implants do not last forever. Average life span of an implant is roughly 10 years. They have various cosmetic problems (shifting, change in texture, ball in a sock appearance) with age, and they rupture. There are lots of types of rupture. A saline implant will pop and basically evaporate. A silicone implant may rupture and spread silicone in breast tissue, which causes scarring (not generally visible or dangerous but on occasion can be). You should plan on having the implants either removed or replaced or revised every 10 years (more or less).

Silicone implants do not cause connective tissue disease. That was a myth perpetrated by trial lawyers long after science had definitive evidence to the contrary. They will eventually be approved again in the United States, but are not currently FDA approved here.

Hope that's helpful.

[Vespertine]

Originally Posted by BookwormsInHeat

You should plan on having the implants either removed or replaced or revised every 10 years (more or less).

Really? I didn't know that.

[Pepper & Drew]

Notice it says "plan". They're not lifetime devices, however, it's not necessary that you have them replaced every 10 years. It's important to have them checked. If you have saline, there's no doubt you'll know if they've ruptured. it goes flat. Statistically, saline doesn't last as long as silicone. There are plenty of women who've had their implants for 20+ years. The real answer is "they last as long as they last." For you, it could be 20 years, or it could be 5. All implants have a warranty against rupture, and some manufacturers offer an extended warranty.

Silicone isn't necessarily only available if you get a lift. The "gummy bear" implants, which are more cohesive than the regular silicones, are available to first-time implant patients and you do not have to have a lift in order to get them. I have them, am participating in a 10 year study, did not have a lift, and it was my first BA.

Mammography is possible with implants...they just take 8 views instead of the regular 4. Cancer detection is higher with unders than with overs, however, cancer survival rates are the same with overs and unders, as well as detection rates from self-breast exams. MRI is also an option for looking at the breast.

Pepper

[FLUSHEDUP]

Hey I don't know if you want the opinion of the opposite sex but I can tell you about my wife's experience and answer your questions the best I can.

First of all my wife has had 2 kids and was a small B cup. She was unhappy with the ravages of being preggs. She finally decided to have a job and a tummy tuck at the same time. She said the boob job was easy. She had over 400 stitches on the tummy tuck side.
She did an areolar "hope I spelled that right" incision and went under the muscle. She says had she only did the boobjob she would have been back to work after a weekend.

The following are her opinions to your questions.
-discomfort minimal
-days if had only got the boob job tummy tuck 6-8 weeks
-if you want a more natural look under is always better
-they feel great intimidating at first though==male view there==wife says they feel the same as they always did...
- no problems what so ever although nipple sensitivity has went up
-to my knowledge you have to go saline unless you have reconstructive issues
-I am very happy with them, so is she.
It has done wonders for her self esteem!!! She has really came out of her shell!!!
It is the best $11,000 we could have ever spent!!!!
if you have any more questions please feel to email me...

Hope this helps....

P.S. she was going to do a lift but Dr. said after getting in there she did not have to do it. He had previously said that there was an 80% chance that she would need a lift.

Later
Raindogg

[FLUSHEDUP]

Oh yeah forgot to tell you, she went to a D cup...She tells me though she wishes she would have went one size bigger. She is 5'6" and about 125 lbs. and just beautiful!!!!

[Vespertine]

Originally Posted by FLUSHEDUP

Oh yeah forgot to tell you, she went to a D cup...She tells me though she wishes she would have went one size bigger. She is 5'6" and about 125 lbs. and just beautiful!!!!

I'm a little over 5'6" and just under 125 lbs.

I couldn't imagine a D cup on me.
But from what people are saying, implants appear a size smaller than they are. Do you and your wife share this mindframe too?

How large does the D cup look on her? Is it a natural looking size or a sexed out looking size?

[jdandka]

Flushedup--- How long did it take her to drop? I went to a D as well but I'm 5'10 135lbs. I'm so glad she's happy with them... hopefully I'll get there soon.

K

[FLUSHEDUP]

D cup would be great!!! My wife has had no problems...they do not look to big or outa wack....It took them about 4-5 mos to get fully into place.... facelick

Later
Flushedup

[Rondo]

My wife got inplants back in'95, I tried to talk her out of it, but it was her decision. But to give a shot at answering some of your questions:

Over or under the muscle, which do you suggest?- She went over.

-How do they feel? (to have them or to feel someone's)- with bra on they feel same, w/o not quite like natural.

-Any problems from having them?- She has had no problems so far.

-Silicone or saline?- Saline was the only option when she got hers. The saline implants do show ripples on the side of the implants that silicon implants wont show. This is completely un-noticable when clothed but is visible when nude.

-Are you happy with your/your wife's implants?- She looks great (of course she looked great before) Her self-esteem skyrocketed. She went from an A-cup to a C-cup but wishes she had gone to a D-cup. she has trouble finding bras that fit (really between a B and a C) which I think confirms what others have said.

If you ask her, she'll tell you it was the best thing she ever did for herself. As for me, I didn't think she needed them but she thought she did and the improvement in her self-esteem and the way she now carries herself is something that you can't put a price on.

I hope this helps.

[Vespertine]

Thanks for sharing your experience Rondo.

I appreciate your input.

[mrsbandsatl]

Hi Ves;

My body had experienced the ravages of childbirth, breastfeeding, weight gain and loss, and my breasts were definite casualties. Nipples pointed straight down, and there was no volume left. After discussing it with my man, I decided to go for it.

I got my implants on April 15 of this year. Got unders, saline, went to a "d" from a VERY flat "c". The pain was marginal, but definitely tolerable. I took a weeks vacation, couldn't lift anything heavier than 5 pounds for 4 weeks. Went back to weightlifting and kickboxing 5 weeks later.

They look very natural, in fact, when we went to Hedo this June (less than 2 months later) everyone thought I had had a lift only. They are soft and they have made my figure look much better. I feel way more feminine now.

Discuss this with your significant other, your doctor, and look in your heart and decide what is best for you.

4 months later, I have no regrets and all my play partners think they're hot as hell!

[Vespertine]

Thanks for sharing, Sandy.

I have a question for you, or anyone else that can answer:

Have you noticed any decrease in sensitivity since the surgery?