I have been debating removing my breast implants for two years after getting them only four years ago. A friend recently told me I haven’t even gotten a return on my financial investment, planning to remove them so soon. The reality, I don’t even care – they are just too big for my frame. I have a slim build. I am only 5’3 1/2 (I will take every inch I can get); moreover, my weight would only fluctuate slightly with clothing between a US size 0-4, maintaining it well into my early 40s. Pulling clothes off the rack, knowing they would fit perfectly without trying them on, was a luxury. It was useful for petite modeling during my teens and 20s, but not so much for adulting. Before my breast augmentation, I had a body like a young boy in junior high school.

Fast forward 20 years, I gained weight – 30 pounds, to be exact. I was stressed out and depressed from the curveball’s life throws at you. I didn’t even recognize myself. My stomach stuck out more than my chest, which didn’t help my self-esteem, and my small breasts no longer fit my body.

At 45, after a year of research, I found a talented accredited plastic surgeon and implanted the breasts I thought I always wanted to look and feel womanlier. What I didn’t count on was the actuality of how far apart my breast pockets sit on my chest. I thought my boobs were far apart because they were small. I could fit my entire hand between the two. I was set on a full C-cup, yet, at my consultation and trying different implant sizes, my breasts still appeared like they were in my armpits. Eventually, I ended up with a double D so they would sit closer together—something else I didn’t take into account was a large bosom.

After a year of healing, the swelling finally diminished. My breasts no longer looked like they were sitting on my neck, had a natural fall with minimal scarring from the inframammary incision, and incredibly soft to the touch. I’m glad I regularly massaged along with anxiety to avoid capsular contracture. With time, I could get my weight under control, which only highlighted my breasts’ enormity, confirming I need to downsize.

I have many questions. What happens to my body with breast implants removal is the first thing that popped into my mind. I frankly didn’t think about the extra skin that occurs from the implants stretching it because I’ve read the breast revert to their original size. Then there is gravity, loose skin, and sagging. A drooping A-cup is horrendous to contemplate.

On a positive note, I have options like a breast lift or fat transfer for natural breast augmentation should I choose to bypass smaller implants, which means considering more than one procedure. Removal, liposuction to my abdomen, removing stubborn fat to enhance my breasts, an eye lift, and vaginal rejuvenation (due to age) in one surgery instead of multiple and done discretely makes complete sense plus a way to expedite feeling like me again.

First, the Explantation surgery takes the same amount of time as breast augmentation, no more than three hours, with the recovery of about three months. The other procedures take only two weeks to heal, depending on any complications.
Second, I’ve smartly developed a list of questions to ask my plastic surgeon to be well informed and prepared before and after.

• Are you and your anesthesiologist board certified?
• Do you specialize in Explantation surgery?
• How comfortable are you with n bloc or total capsulectomy? Please walk me through the surgery from start to finish.
• What happens if the surgery takes longer than expected?
• Do you support natural breast augmentation, and how many have you performed?
• Can I keep my implants for nostalgia? (This shouldn’t be an issue because implants are considered property)
• You are the doctor performing my surgery, correct? Meaning, a resident will not partake in any part of my procedure except to observe should one be invited?
• Will I be on the same antibiotics and pain medication as my breast augmentation?
• Is over the counter or prescription constipation medication given?
• Do I have to wear a compression bra after surgery?
• What is the percentage of getting an infection?
• Is it safe to have multiple procedures at once?

Being in the second half of my life, I have an entirely distinct perspective on my beauty. I don’t look or feel my age, but I see a few things creeping in; plus, I’ve never been a “let nature take its course” type of woman. I will resist aging and consider every opportunity to look fresh and natural to the very end. And it starts with revising my overly large breasts.