Keeping vs Removing Breast Implants

[ThsAmericanLife]

The topic of implants came up on another thread, and thought I'd ask this question...

 

First, a little background...

 

One of my good friends from high school got implants many years ago. She's approaching the age of needing mammograms, and has thought about having them removed. She's married, and has been for a long time (she got them AFTER being married though, so not sure how much choice he had in it. I don't recall him having strong feelings for or against it at the time).

 

She's concerned about going back to her 'flat' self, and she will understandably be a bit saggy. Hers weren't huge though, so I doubt it would be that bad. My sister is thinking the same thing. Got implants years ago and is now concerned about getting mammograms and doing damage. For my sis, it was kind of a 'they were fun while it lasted' thing and doesn't want the long term maintenance.

 

I know... I know... something they should have thought about in advance, but oh well.

 

I'm going to pose this a number of ways...

 

a) If you have strong negative feelings about implants, how would you feel about a woman who previously had implants but had them removed?

 

b) If you don't care either way (if a woman has implants or not), would you prefer a woman kept them or removed them?

 

c) If you have strong positive feelings about a woman keeping them, also state that.

[ThsAmericanLife]

This thread probably has a big gross-out factor for alot of guys... but I still have to ask the question...

 

Mostly for the guys who have strong negative feelings about it. I suspect they aren't as 'pro-flat' girl as they make themselves out to be. They are probably more pro FAT girl rather than pro-FLAT girl. Which is ok too.

 

I did hear there was a new imaging technique that works differently than the other mammogram techniques... probably invented to avoid complications with implants since so many women have them now.

 

Perhaps my friend and my sis could look into that.

[SincereOnlineGuy]

 

a) If you have strong negative feelings about implants, how would you feel about a woman who previously had implants but had them removed?

 

b) If you don't care either way (if a woman has implants or not), would you prefer a woman kept them or removed them?

 

c) If you have strong positive feelings about a woman keeping them, also state that.

 

 

 

Implants are like body art... where the mere having/showing of the body art is miniscule in terms of what matters.

 

That this person already made the choice to get the implants cast the dye about her long ago.

[FitChick]

I thought there were new types of implants that would show up on different types of diagnostic tests. I think I read something about fat injections but perhaps it's still experimental.

 

As for removing them, she will probably look like those women whose boobs got big during pregnancy and then deflated like balloons.

[ThsAmericanLife]

Implants are like body art... where the mere having/showing of the body art is miniscule in terms of what matters.

 

That this person already made the choice to get the implants cast the dye about her long ago.

 

I'm not sure what you mean about 'cast the dye about her'. We can talk philosophically about this... sure... Am definitely open to that...

 

If you are saying that it doesn't matter if she removes them or not... she's already 'polluted' herself in some way or another, I accept some men feel that way too. I don't agree with it, but to each his own.

 

However, from the other threads, it didn't sound like they were making a value judgement. They were making a judgement based on how they 'felt' when they were intimate. Or making a judgment about how 'fake' boobs look. Not about her character. My mother has an implant now herself. She had breast cancer and had to have one of her breasts completely removed. You can't tell me she's a lesser human being because of it. My father would have loved her just the same no matter what she decided, but it was devastating to her.

 

You didn't answer my question though... lets say you met one of these women after they were removed. She may or may not tell you she formerly had implants. They might just end up being a bit saggy, and that happens to alot of women... even if they never had implants.

 

Would that be ok with you too? Small, saggy boobs? Because that is what I'm talking about. That is what my friend and sis are worried about. That men talk a big game about being ok with whatever kind of breasts women have, but aren't really sincere about it.

[ThsAmericanLife]

I thought there were new types of implants that would show up on different types of diagnostic tests. I think I read something about fat injections but perhaps it's still experimental.

 

As for removing them, she will probably look like those women whose boobs got big during pregnancy and then deflated like balloons.

 

yes, I think it depends on how much natural breast tissue they had to start with.

 

Fat injections sound pretty scary too. Then again, it is just fat. Maybe that would be an alternative to having a lift afterwards and dealing with the scarring.

 

My sister's doctor says that if they haven't been in too long, and the woman is relatively young, the skin can 'bounce back' quite well... so there is some advantage to having them removed now... if she is ever going to do it. My sister is 45 now, and my friend is 47.

[thatone]

have these people you know actually talked to to their doctors about the mammograms?

 

reason being, i don't know of any women with implants who had them removed for this reason.

 

sounds like super market tabloid bs to me.

 

and yeah, my opinion is purely superficial, not a suggestion of character or lack thereof. given a choice between small and fake, i'll take small.

 

as for the one who got them after she was married, if i were her husband yeah i would have a problem with the removal if it was just a preference on her part. my opinion would be "wait a minute, you wanted them years ago and we had to pay for that, despite telling you that i didn't care at the time, now you want to get rid of them and we gotta pay for em again, and the end result of this is they'll be worse than what you started with."

Edited September 4, 2011 by thatone

[grkBoy]

I won't deny that I would not be turned off by a big, beautiful set of breasts. However, I like to think of things in the long term...so in the end her health and well-being have to come into play.

 

I won't reject a woman with implants or even rejected someone who had them. My fiance even doesn't have big breasts at all. While I can drool over a nice "rack" in a photo or something, it's not an ultimate requirement, and I will generally think of "what else does she have?" in the sense of personality, lifestyle, etc.

 

I think women should love themselves as they are. If I had to push for anything, it wouldn't be for women to get bigger boobs, but for all the obese ones to lose weight. Same deal with the obese guys. I think obesity is a bigger turnoff for most people than cup size,

[ThsAmericanLife]

have these people you know actually talked to to their doctors about the mammograms?

 

reason being, i don't know of any women with implants who had them removed for this reason.

 

sounds like super market tabloid bs to me.

 

and yeah, my opinion is purely superficial, not a suggestion of character or lack thereof. given a choice between small and fake, i'll take small.

 

as for the one who got them after she was married, if i were her husband yeah i would have a problem with the removal if it was just a preference on her part. my opinion would be "wait a minute, you wanted them years ago and we had to pay for that, despite telling you that i didn't care at the time, now you want to get rid of them and we gotta pay for em again, and the end result of this is they'll be worse than what you started with."

 

yes, they have talked to doctors. The doctors tell them that they are very careful and that they know how to do the procedure without doing damage... but when my sister looked at the fine print, it says they accept no responsibility for doing damage to the implant.

 

So she is faced with the risk of doing damage vs the risk of getting breast cancer. She is also thinking ahead to, oh, does she really want to be an 80 yr old with implants? These things only have a shelf-life of 20 yrs, max. She has had hers nearly that long. So it is a choice between maintain or remove.

 

My friend is thinking the same thing... long term maintenance. She's already had one mammogram and had no issues... but past a certain age, they want women doing it with every annual checkup. And they have the same disclaimer.

[carhill]

b) If you don't care either way (if a woman has implants or not), would you prefer a woman kept them or removed them?

 

Natural is fine for me. Generally, men have a 'type' that they're attracted to and sometimes this type includes breast size, but my anecdotes of women I've loved and been with have run the gamut in that regard so I have, at least in the area of breasts, no specific 'type'. So, if faced with your hypothetical situation, I'd be fine with either choice and it wouldn't affect my attraction, if history is any indicator.

[xoxoDaniellexoxo]

I know women who have had them because of cancer, my best friend has a SUPER long line of cancer in her family, every women gets breast cancer so to prevent it once she was 20 she got a double masectomy and then had implants, her mom had them too and was orginally a C cup when she got the ones put it but she decided to get smaller ones, the only caution is sometimes they have to remove some excess skin depending on how much smaller they are going. I have never heard of them getting in the way for mamograms though, in fact I have known people who get them done with them and they have never "popped" a boob or anything. I just hate momograms in general though lol, I don't think men will ever grasp how badly it can hurt.

[ThsAmericanLife]

have these people you know actually talked to to their doctors about the mammograms?

 

reason being, i don't know of any women with implants who had them removed for this reason.

 

sounds like super market tabloid bs to me.

 

and yeah, my opinion is purely superficial, not a suggestion of character or lack thereof. given a choice between small and fake, i'll take small.

 

as for the one who got them after she was married, if i were her husband yeah i would have a problem with the removal if it was just a preference on her part. my opinion would be "wait a minute, you wanted them years ago and we had to pay for that, despite telling you that i didn't care at the time, now you want to get rid of them and we gotta pay for em again, and the end result of this is they'll be worse than what you started with."

 

forgot to add... both my friend and sister work. Yes, her husband has something to say about their shared finances. But I can't imagine it would be ALL that different than the money he spends on this or that hobby.

 

Yes, I do see how it would suck for the husband if he were genuinely ok with her boobs before hand... and even worse if he really liked the results with the implants... now to be faced with her boobs being compromised because of a personal choice...

 

My friend got hers after she had two kids. Hers were a bit deflated. So, in fact she kind of would be going back to what she had.

 

This is one big reason why I never had kids. I'm vain that way Besides, too many kids need good homes. Better to keep my perky boobs and flat stomach.

[ThsAmericanLife]

I know women who have had them because of cancer, my best friend has a SUPER long line of cancer in her family, every women gets breast cancer so to prevent it once she was 20 she got a double masectomy and then had implants, her mom had them too and was orginally a C cup when she got the ones put it but she decided to get smaller ones, the only caution is sometimes they have to remove some excess skin depending on how much smaller they are going. I have never heard of them getting in the way for mamograms though, in fact I have known people who get them done with them and they have never "popped" a boob or anything. I just hate momograms in general though lol, I don't think men will ever grasp how badly it can hurt.

 

I've yet to do my first mammogram. The thought of having my girls mashed in one of those machines gives me chills.

 

Cheer up though... we have some very smart engineers working to change that. They realize that the mash factor keeps alot of women from getting them.

 

There are plenty of gentlemen who will gladly volunteer to do it the check up manually though... especially for breasts like yours, dear Danielle

[xoxoDaniellexoxo]

I've yet to do my first mammogram. The thought of having my girls mashed in one of those machines gives me chills.

 

Cheer up though... we have some very smart engineers working to change that. They realize that the mash factor keeps alot of women from getting them.

 

There are plenty of gentlemen who will gladly volunteer to do it the check up manually though... especially for breasts like yours, dear Danielle

 

HAHAHAHA!!! You just made me laugh so hard my roomie woke up . Yeah getting your boobs smushed isn't a fun feeling!!! I had to get my first one when I was 17 cause my mom had a precursor to cancer, NOT fun getting them squished, I recomend not working out the day or two before because it hurts even worse.

 

And I love the part about manually checking!! As if that isn't awkward at the doctor's, I love when they make small talk and I am just like you are touching and poking my boobs how about we talk later when I am dressed!! Maybe I just need a hot 26yr old McDreamy doctor instead of someone who could be my grandfather.

[ThsAmericanLife]

I think women should love themselves as they are. If I had to push for anything, it wouldn't be for women to get bigger boobs, but for all the obese ones to lose weight. Same deal with the obese guys. I think obesity is a bigger turnoff for most people than cup size,

 

It can be tough.. to love oneself the way they are. Media images are insidious. When I was younger, it was body image issues I struggled with. Once I started exercising regularly, and focusing on what my body could do vs what it looked like, that went away.

 

Sports for girls is a great remedy for that.

 

Now that I'm older, the temptation for Botox and other types of plastic surgery have reared its ugly head. These closeups of over 40 female movie stars with flawless skin are total BS. You see them in other paparazzi images, and you see the 'real' them. Lines and everything. I can't really blame them for wanting to do it though.. if one's career is on the line, it is hard to say no.

 

It is just as fake as the airbrushed body image manipulation we women had to deal with when we are younger.

[Lucky_One]

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/BreastImplants/ucm259296.htm

 

Here is a nice set of implants and after pics.

 

I wish more women would consider the fact that implants have a very high chance of rupture the longer they have them.

 

There was a study of 907 women in Birmingham AL conducted who had had silicone implants for at least 6 years. The first round found that 303 of the 907 had an additional surgery on at least one implant in 11.5 years on average.

 

The second round looked only at 344 women of the remaining 604 participants. They underwent an MRI to see if their implants had ruptured.

 

48% of the women with implants ranging from 6-10 years old had at least one ruptured or leaking implant - and they had NO idea previously.

 

79% of women with implants that were 11-15 years old had at least one ruptured or leaking implant.

 

21% of the women participating in the MRI section of the study had migratory silicone.

 

Limitations of the study: The 907 women were recruited from plastic surgeons who agreed to participate, and typically these would be the surgeons who were most confident in their abilities, so the women were likely to be more pleased with their implants than the a similar group with less-skilled surgeons. The study did not involve saline, although the outer shells for saline and silicone are the same material and should theoretically have the same risk of rupture; saline rupture is almost always immediately noticeable, so women do not live with leakage for years.

 

The FDA recommends silicone patients to have MRIs every 2 years, starting at year 3 post-op.

 

http://www.breastimplantinfo.org/what_know/bi-mammo.html

 

The above is a good link about mammograms and implants.

[ThsAmericanLife]

HAHAHAHA!!! You just made me laugh so hard my roomie woke up . Yeah getting your boobs smushed isn't a fun feeling!!! I had to get my first one when I was 17 cause my mom had a precursor to cancer, NOT fun getting them squished, I recomend not working out the day or two before because it hurts even worse.

 

And I love the part about manually checking!! As if that isn't awkward at the doctor's, I love when they make small talk and I am just like you are touching and poking my boobs how about we talk later when I am dressed!! Maybe I just need a hot 26yr old McDreamy doctor instead of someone who could be my grandfather.

 

Glad you got a laugh!!

 

I like the idea of having a McDreamy doctor for all of my body parts maintenance If I were a man, and happened to be both good looking and smart, I'd definitely be pushing that angle

 

as it is... I tend to search out female doctors for everything. I'm not shy or anything... I just like that they know what it feels for those same parts to be poked and prodded. Plus, I'm doing my part to support female doctors!! You go girls!!

[xoxoDaniellexoxo]

It can be tough.. to love oneself the way they are. Media images are insidious. When I was younger, it was body image issues I struggled with. Once I started exercising regularly, and focusing on what my body could do vs what it looked like, that went away.

 

Sports for girls is a great remedy for that.

 

Now that I'm older, the temptation for Botox and other types of plastic surgery have reared its ugly head. These closeups of over 40 female movie stars with flawless skin are total BS. You see them in other paparazzi images, and you see the 'real' them. Lines and everything. I can't really blame them for wanting to do it though.. if one's career is on the line, it is hard to say no.

 

It is just as fake as the airbrushed body image manipulation we women had to deal with when we are younger.

 

 

My mom and grandma always told me, every line you see is a reminder of how well I lived my life and wisdom I got along the way. I thankfully was raised to appricate things like aging, and wrinkles. I had a lot of body issues growing up though cause my mom was a swimmer and is therefore very petite and tiny I however started developing in 5th grade, middle school sucks for everyone though!! Eventually I came to terms with , this is what I got I can only change so much with excersise and since I am not going under the knife this is what I look like! Not saying it was easy, for years I wanted to have like an inch of my hip bonde shaved off but spending time wishing for something else was pointless.

[ThsAmericanLife]

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/BreastImplants/ucm259296.htm

 

Here is a nice set of implants and after pics.

 

I wish more women would consider the fact that implants have a very high chance of rupture the longer they have them.

 

There was a study of 907 women in Birmingham AL conducted who had had silicone implants for at least 6 years. The first round found that 303 of the 907 had an additional surgery on at least one implant in 11.5 years on average.

 

The second round looked only at 344 women of the remaining 604 participants. They underwent an MRI to see if their implants had ruptured.

 

48% of the women with implants ranging from 6-10 years old had at least one ruptured or leaking implant - and they had NO idea previously.

 

79% of women with implants that were 11-15 years old had at least one ruptured or leaking implant.

 

21% of the women participating in the MRI section of the study had migratory silicone.

 

Limitations of the study: The 907 women were recruited from plastic surgeons who agreed to participate, and typically these would be the surgeons who were most confident in their abilities, so the women were likely to be more pleased with their implants than the a similar group with less-skilled surgeons. The study did not involve saline, although the outer shells for saline and silicone are the same material and should theoretically have the same risk of rupture; saline rupture is almost always immediately noticeable, so women do not live with leakage for years.

 

The FDA recommends silicone patients to have MRIs every 2 years, starting at year 3 post-op.

 

http://www.breastimplantinfo.org/what_know/bi-mammo.html

 

The above is a good link about mammograms and implants.

 

Thank you for this! While my friend and sister were informed of the risks going in, it obviously didn't sink in at the time.

 

My friend got silicone as part of a study, and so have gotten free MRIs for the duration of the study. 20 years. Quite the deal for her.

[xoxoDaniellexoxo]

Glad you got a laugh!!

 

I like the idea of having a McDreamy doctor for all of my body parts maintenance If I were a man, and happened to be both good looking and smart, I'd definitely be pushing that angle

 

as it is... I tend to search out female doctors for everything. I'm not shy or anything... I just like that they know what it feels for those same parts to be poked and prodded. Plus, I'm doing my part to support female doctors!! You go girls!!

Agreed!! The first time I went to a OBGYN I almost died of embaressment because the ladies in the lobby looked at me like I was an idiot, I think they thought I was preggo!!

[ThsAmericanLife]

My mom and grandma always told me, every line you see is a reminder of how well I lived my life and wisdom I got along the way. I thankfully was raised to appricate things like aging, and wrinkles. I had a lot of body issues growing up though cause my mom was a swimmer and is therefore very petite and tiny I however started developing in 5th grade, middle school sucks for everyone though!! Eventually I came to terms with , this is what I got I can only change so much with excersise and since I am not going under the knife this is what I look like! Not saying it was easy, for years I wanted to have like an inch of my hip bonde shaved off but spending time wishing for something else was pointless.

 

I'm trying to let that message sink in myself (the one about the lines and wrinkles, that is)... so far so good. Growing up in FL and CA, I spent WAAYY too much time out in the sun. Not horrible... but it is starting to catch up. If I had ONE regret in life, it would have been the fact that I didn't use sunscreen as often as I should have. My relatives in Iowa have the most amazing skin. My 70 yr old aunt didn't have hardly one line on her face until she was well into her 50s, believe it or not.

 

About being teased in younger years... yes, it sucks for everyone. Have you noticed though, that it is those things we were teased for that end up being our most appreciated 'assets' later in life??

 

I was teased mercilessly because my butt stuck out (yes, I always have had a bubble butt. Sssh....don't tell Mr. Nate!!).

 

When I was about 13, I came home crying to my dad one day... I said through my sobbing "My... butt... is... so.... big...NOONE... will want me!!

 

And he kindly said, as he hugged me "Darling... yes they will. You wait. When you grow up, men will love your butt..."

 

ya know what, he was right When the black boys in my HS started hitting on me, I started to wonder what was up. White boys think its pretty alright too... It can be a problem though. When I teach, I feel the need to wear a jacket or a skirt. Don't want to distract those 19-21 yr olds

[xoxoDaniellexoxo]

I'm trying to let that message sink in myself (the one about the lines and wrinkles, that is)... so far so good. Growing up in FL and CA, I spent WAAYY too much time out in the sun. Not horrible... but it is starting to catch up. If I had ONE regret in life, it would have been the fact that I didn't use sunscreen as often as I should have. My relatives in Iowa have the most amazing skin. My 70 yr old aunt didn't have hardly one line on her face until she was well into her 50s, believe it or not.

 

About being teased in younger years... yes, it sucks for everyone. Have you noticed though, that it is those things we were teased for that end up being our most appreciated 'assets' later in life??

 

I was teased mercilessly because my butt stuck out (yes, I always have had a bubble butt. Sssh....don't tell Mr. Nate!!).

 

When I was about 13, I came home crying to my dad one day... I said through my sobbing "My... butt... is... so.... big...NOONE... will want me!!

 

And he kindly said, as he hugged me "Darling... yes they will. You wait. When you grow up, men will love your butt..."

 

ya know what, he was right When the black boys in my HS started hitting on me, I started to wonder what was up. White boys think its pretty alright too... It can be a problem though. When I teach, I feel the need to wear a jacket or a skirt. Don't want to distract those 19-21 yr olds

My dad was the same!!!!! Then again he is kinda like a gay man in a straight man's body sometimes, his hair has to be perfect lol!! I came home crying to about my boobs, I got teased for 8 years over them, and the people who were really my friends thought it was funny how everyone thought they were fake, or that I stuffed my bra.

 

I grew up in IL and I was PARANOID about the sun, when I was 15 i think there was a family friend who's brother got skin cancer at 13!!! As soon as I heard that I was wearing SPF 50 on my body and 85 on my face lol, I never even burned which was the funny part, I have skin that tans super easily. People at my HS were the girls who used enough bronzer and self tanner to turn a ghost orange loved to call me Casper, but the last laugh is mine cause I never peeled, or got sun spots like they did.

[xoxoDaniellexoxo]

Oh no!! Nate heard our secret!!!!

[thatone]

yes, they have talked to doctors. The doctors tell them that they are very careful and that they know how to do the procedure without doing damage... but when my sister looked at the fine print, it says they accept no responsibility for doing damage to the implant.

 

So she is faced with the risk of doing damage vs the risk of getting breast cancer. She is also thinking ahead to, oh, does she really want to be an 80 yr old with implants? These things only have a shelf-life of 20 yrs, max. She has had hers nearly that long. So it is a choice between maintain or remove.

 

My friend is thinking the same thing... long term maintenance. She's already had one mammogram and had no issues... but past a certain age, they want women doing it with every annual checkup. And they have the same disclaimer.

 

they give all sorts of disclaimers. that's why the dentist asks if you're a heart patient, despite there being no way that the dentist can give you a heart attack.

[xoxoDaniellexoxo]

I sure did, and it's one that needs elaboration.

Secrets are not ment to be shared!! Goodness, what do they teach you in boys' school?!?