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Surgery to Remove Silicone Gel Inplants: What was your experience?

Posted by hello1234 @hello1234, Apr 15, 2022

I have six year old silicone gel breast implants. One of them has ruptured and is leaking. Has anyone had experience with breast implant rupture or removal and what is involved with that removal surgery? Pain level, recovery time, etc? I heard it's more involved than the original implant surgery. Thank you!

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savannah1959 | @savannah1959 | Jun 13, 2023
In reply to @savannah1959 "Hi, All: I am still thinking about getting the silicone implants removed. Upon exam with the..." + (show)
@savannah1959

Hi, All: I am still thinking about getting the silicone implants removed. Upon exam with the 2nd consult last month, surgeon said it seems I don't have any complications such as rupture, leaking or implant moving around. As the surgeon suggested, I started stretching again and it helps alot. The implants just feel plain uncomfortable. I am wondering if the tightness and odd feelings (random sharp pains) I have are related more to the latissimus dorsi part of the reconstruction? Perhaps phantom pains? The recalled silicone implants made me a C/D cup. The surgeon said after removal I may be a B cup. I was a B cup before my breasts became dense and got bigger, so that will be fine with me but the surgeon seems concerned I won't be happy with the cosmetic outcome. I have not had any MRI or other scans to actually see what is going on inside. I have terrible claustrophobia and even open MRI is torture.
Has anyone out there had their implants removed and are ok with the outcome? Will my chest look collapsed? As I said earlier, the reconstructed breasts look beautiful, so I almost feel guilty for complaining. Any further feedback is appreciated. : )

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I am on my husband's medical plan now but may go on Medicare in 2024. Thank you LCR2017 for pointing out that Medicare has limited options for implants! This is important if I am unhappy with how I end up after implant removal. Both surgeons said I could get them again if I do end up unhappy with the outcome. Also, I too cannot wait to take my bra off each evening! LOL

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mawmaws | @mawmaws | Feb 21 10:04pm
In reply to @beltonite410 "I had a skin sparing mastectomy strait to implants in May. By October I’d developed and..." + (show)
@beltonite410

I had a skin sparing mastectomy strait to implants in May. By October I’d developed and infection and they had to be removed. Wasn’t painful at all. Good luck!

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So you had implants put in after a skin sparing mastectomy and developed an infection months later?

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mawmaws | @mawmaws | Feb 21 10:18pm
In reply to @epc111 "Has anyone having previous silicone breast implants that were leaking and removed, had mysterious health issues..." + (show)
@epc111

Has anyone having previous silicone breast implants that were leaking and removed, had mysterious health issues come about that are questionable to the silicone that leaked for years into their bodies ?
I am searching for guidance on diagnosis be it blood work, urine, cellular, etc. to determine if the silicone
or any part of the implants that could have been allergy or irritant etc. to better determine narrowing down or process of elimination finding the root of on going health conditions that I had not had prior to these leaking implants.
Thank you

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I was a super healthy young woman until I got silicon implants in 1990 they were in for nine years They ruptured and I have been unhealthy ever since with all kinds of weird stuff going on with my health now diagnosed with breast cancer. It just adds to the problem.

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m101 | @marcia101 | May 18 11:56am

I had a double mastectomy in 2000 with silicone implants and drainage tubes. 20 years later I started having a variety of odd symptoms: fluctuating body temperature, pains in my breasts, fatigue, etc.

I was sent to many doctors and no one asked about the implants. Had an exam at an oncologist's office and they sent me for an MRI which revealed that both were leaking silicone, one side more than the other. The horrible part is that in 2020 they did an MRI showing leakage and they never told me that, just said there were no signs of cancer.

Three weeks ago the implants were removed and replaced with the doctor removing all of the silicone she could see. I don't have drainage tubes this time and have been feeling better than I have for several years, but there is a recovery time post-surgery and certain limitations I'm more than happy to follow.

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