u/LawfulnessNo1305

Hi, I recently had my left implant removed and it will be a few months before I can start the process of expansion and getting a new implant.

After a single google search I am now getting served tons of ads… don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that there are so many options but it’s also impossible to know what to get. I only had surgery yesterday but I’m likely returning to work in about 3 weeks so I need to have a plan.

Please share your favorites for daily wear! Also I am in Phoenix and it’s hot, so lightweight/breathable options appreciated.

Hello- my whole story is in another post if you’re interested.

I had my PDMX DTI surgery on 7/13, necrotic tissue debridement on 9/3, developed an infection on the left side 8/4 and was hospitalized for 3 days. At my follow up today (8/10) with the surgeon he said the implant needs to come out; there is still significant redness and swelling, and after 3 days on IV antibiotics and 3 days of the big guns oral antibiotics this should be gone and it’s not so the implant is likely infected. I have surgery scheduled to remove the infected implant on 8/13. This has been a month from hell.

My question is, if you experienced something similar, how did the subsequent months go?

My surgeon says that it is highly unlikely that the right side would also be infected- it looks good and he doesn’t recommend removing that one, but it ultimately up to me.

I am concerned about 2 things:
- the continued potential risk of infection, which the PS says is low but I’ve already experienced complications that were in the 5% risk area so having little solace with that
- the psychological impact of spending the next 3 months+ with one boob. At some point I have to go back to work… I am hybrid and work at a company full of stylish young people. As a 40 yr old I’m already feeling phased out. This is going to make that so much worse.

On the “keep it” side:
- it’s a good looking foob, and what if scar tissue or something causes the next one to not look as good?
- only one drain and expander to manage over the coming months and only one side to recover from upon new implant being placed.

What did you do? Or what would you do? I’m truly torn.

Hi there. This is a long one so if you make it to the end thanks for even taking the time.

I discovered I have BRCA2 mutation in March 2025. I spent a year gathering information and meeting different doctors, but I found it so overwhelming. However, the enhanced screening schedule also caused me so much anxiety that I decided to go forward with the prophylactic DMX, nipple sparing, DTI. I was about a grade 3 ptosis, but my plastic surgeon is known for successfully performing a lift with nipple sparing. I did not at the time know that an alternative option would lift first, and then the mastectomy to implant later.

I had surgery on 7/13 and was surprised at how good I felt- very little pain and decent energy etc.

That all changed at my first follow up, a week plus 1 day after initial surgery. Upon removing the bandages both nipples were more than 50% dark purple and I had a large dark purple patch on the lower part of my left breast along the suture line. My dr said it wasn’t looking good for my nipples but we were going to give it a couple weeks to see if they could turn things around. This was devastating bc he was so confident in our conversations previously - he would say “there’s a chance they won’t survive but it’s rare, and I’m very good at this, you will have great results.” He sent me home to just wait it out, but I found out about hyperbarics and called, had him refer me, and began that on 7/22. When I got in I met some who started literally one day post op. I makes me feel as though I wasn’t given the best chance for my desired outcome.

Anyway, FF to the next follow up, he says they aren’t going to make it and schedules surgical debridement for 8/3. Emotionally I was a wreck, I had actually grown to like the shape and look of my new boobs, and now I was going to have no nipples and a huge chunk of dead tissue removed, resulting in a misshapen breast that would require several revisions to look even close to decent. Again, the surgeon made it seem like this is no biggie and we will get you where you want to be. I was completely bandaged so count not see any skin on my chest.

The very next afternoon , 8/4, I had a sudden onset of chills, body aches, extreme pain on the left of my chest and underarm, and fever of 101. Surgeon advised me to go to the ER, and I was admitted. They removed the bandages and my entire left side was swollen, red, and hot, WBC count was at 14. They started IV antibiotics and I just spent the last 3 1/2 days there working to fight this infection. There wasn’t a positive culture for anything super scary, so it was deemed cellulitis.

Now add to all this, my surgeon is on vacation and not reliably responding to texts! There are two other surgeons at his practice, so he had another one come see me and consult with the infectious disease drs. This man has been the only bright spot on my journey, as he is patient and realistic and forthcoming with information. He has been following up so consistently and spending so much time working with me, truly he is a godsend- he is trained and experienced as a breast surgeon, reconstructive surgeon, trauma and ED, and now focuses solely on cosmetic procedures.

Anywayyyy, I’ve been discharged and am on an aggressive antibiotics regimen at home. Just read the pamphlets and these meds are serious and come with so many side effects. So I might salvage the implant but I could get c-diff or rupture a tendon?

If there’s anyone who has experienced any part of this I am dying to hear your stories. Will I ever feel normal again? Am I doomed to be in and out of surgeries and hospitals for the rest of my life? I so deeply regret the initial surgery now, and I am struggling to find any shred of hope.