I would like to share this summarized post written by a patient who had done breast implants, and posted on an internet forum. (name withheld). These are just excerpts and the full post with other participant interaction is posted on the main forum page.
Hi all,
Thank you for sharing your experiences and
opinions on this topic. I’ve really benefited from it. Hence, I’ve decided to
contribute my discovery as well.
I was unhappy with my size all along,
and had been thinking of doing a real breast augmentation – if not for some
hurdles: 1) cost, 2) long downtime. So when I learnt about breast filler
procedure through this forum, I was so excited that I booked an appt with Dr
A at (WITHHELD) Clinic for this evening (btw, u can get a free consultation if
you book via icompare website). However, most websites said that the filler
procedure could give “up to” 1 cup size improvement. And that it lasts “between
2 to 5 years”. These 2 factors made me hesitate (1 cup size is not enough to
improve my … ermmm… look)
Then I chanced upon the ad and website of
(NAME AND WEBSITE WITHHELD) It stated
that downtime is minimal. And best part? The whole package price (promotion) is
S$8800 only (and can pay by installments w some of the credit card companies –
OCBC, Citibank, UOB). I was lucky to get an appt today during lunch time. Dr F
was very patient to go through with me the options – incision methods, types of
implant, and possible complications. He showed me the before and after photos of
patients, and samples of the implants. Most importantly, because of the method
that he used, the downtime is cut short to about 1-3 days instead of 1 week! He
claimed that several patients went back to work immediately the next day. There
is no need to wear bandages (like wat some websites insisted). Just normal
sports bra with support but non-wired. So I’ve immediately booked my session for
next thu (so I’ve the long weekend to rest). And there is no need for me to visit Dr A
already.
Will update you guys after my procedure if you are interested!
Cheers,
“
Oh btw, for those who intend to breastfeed when they have their babies later on,
having breast implants is still safe. Just that you will have lesser breastmilk
than if you don’t have implants.
For those who are seriously looking to
enlarge by more than 1 cup size, perhaps you want to go for a consultation at
(WITHHELD). It cost me $80. Once you have decided to go for it, the cost of
blood test, local anaesthesia, surgeon fees, use of the facility, medicine,
implants, follow up consultation & check ups are all included in the package
of S$8800. Better to understand directly from the surgeon and clarify all your
doubts.
Am looking forward to a new self… hee. My hubby keeps talking
abt it – more excited than I am. Man!
“
I was thinking of gg overseas, but after gg to (WITHHELD), and realizing that I need to
go back for check ups, I thought it was better to just go for a local clinic
“
Hi all,
Finally I had my implants done yesterday! i’m
now a happy 70C!
The whole procedure took abt 2 hrs, and I was under
local anesthesia. They gave me something in the oxygen gas to knock me out
before they started the surgery. When I woke up, it was over. chest felt a bit
tight, but not painful (for those who had babies b4 – it felt like the breasts
were engorged). Felt a little light-headed still, but was fine once I reach
home.
can?t say much abt the scar at the moment, as I still hv
waterproof tapes over my breasts & bandage over my nipples (the incision is
on aerola). Will be gg back to (WITHHELD) for follow up on Mon. Till then!
“
Abt losing sensation at the nipple… definitely can’t feel anything at the
moment because I’d been on painkillers since the day of procedure (1 pill a
day). But Dr said tt it’s normal to be less sensitive or even not feel, for the
first 3 mths. He claimed tt it’ll be temporary – sensation shd be restored
within 6 mth. Btw, did I mention tt Dr F preferred to make the incisions at
the areola area? Hence, it’s for certain tt I’ll not feel anything for a while
(maybe a blessing, else I’ll be screaming in pain?!?!)
Dr F was quite pleasant. At least he put me at ease, and didn’t give me the creeps… if
u know wat I mean. Definitely not arrogant or snobbish or try to impress me with
technical jargons. And the clinic assistants and nurses there were REALLY nice.
They were very reassuring before and after the procedure.
On the day of my procedure, after I woke up, I felt a little light-headed (like you downed 3
glasses of champagne at one go). But was able to walk briskly without the help
of my hubby (clinic recommended that somebody should fetch you after the
procedure). Upon reaching home, could still do some light housework. No
discomfort except tt the chest felt tight – for those who had babies before, it
felt like the terrible engorgement on the first few days after you deliver; for
those who hadn’t, it felt like muscle ache from doing 1000 push-ups. Do note tt
Dr F inserted the implant above the chest muscle (rather than below), hence
my soreness was not tt bad. Some of the websites recommended a full rest of 7
days because the implants were to be inserted under the muscles. So if you want
less pain or faster recovery, you might want to consider having the insertion
above muscle.
I tried to take more rest on the next day. But was up and
about from Day 3 onwards. In fact, did quite a fair bit of housework – sweeping
& mopping the floor, scrubbing the toilet, wiping the kitchen counters etc.
Just refrained from carrying heavy things.
Will update you on the name
of the painkiller tomorrow. It’s just one painkiller every morning. Oh, and 2
tablets of antibiotics everyday for abt 3 days aft the op. I was given new
dressings (gauze and waterproof stickers) to change myself if I happen to wet
them during showers.
Hv gone back for the first follow up consultation
on Mon. Generally the wound was healing quite alright. Am due for another follow
up tomorrow evening. All these follow ups are already costed within the package
so I didn’t have to pay extra. Only extra thing was an Anti-stretch mark cream
recommended by the Clinic Asst (S$155) to sooth over the “stretched skin”.
Hope the info is helpful!
“
Hi hi,
I still owe you some info on the medication.
The antibiotics prescribed was AUGMEX Amoxicillin 500mg, and the painkiller was
ARCOZIA etoricoxib 120mg.
Not sure how many follow ups I need to go all
in all. So far, I’ve been back to the clinic twice after the op. Op was on Thu,
then first follow up on Mon, second on Thu. Scheduled for a 3rd follow up 1 mth
aft the op. Then perhaps another in 3 and 6 mths? Didn’t ask the Doc. If you
have concerns abt coming to Singapore for follow ups, maybe you can give (WITHHELD) a
call at (WITHHELD) and make enquries first?
I took a 225ml implant on each
side, so managed to increase from a A to C. Dr F recommended a round shape
implant, because in the case of tear drop shape, if the implant moves around
(and this does happen), you will get a funny shaped breast or asymmetrical
breast. Anyway, most said tt teardrop shape was better bec it gave a more
natural shape (leaner on top, and fatter below). But when you hold a round shape
implant by the top, due to gravity, it gives you the same effect. So after
weighing the pros and cons, I went for the round shape. And since it’s round, I
went for the smooth rather than textured surface (smooth surface is less likely
to be visible under thin skin and hence more natural-looking).
I used a silicone implant by this manufacturer Mentor. Happened to pick up a brochure at
the clinic last night on this. Mentor offers product lifetime replacement if
it’s due to the product. When comparing silicone and saline implants, the
silicone ones are more natural to the touch (more viscous). You can imagine the
saline ones to be similar to putting water in balloons – might be a bit
exaggerated to say tt you may hear the “swish swash” of the implant when you
jog, or turn your body. But you get the idea, yah? Silicone ones could be
compared to perhaps thick honey – flows slowly.
I went for those that
are higher in profile, since I always envied those people with cleavage… lower
profile of same volume means that you have a more “flat” look. I was hoping that
higher profile makes my breasts look younger and perkier too.
Dr F showed and went thro w me all the various implant options – silicone/saline,
round/teardrop, smooth/textured surface, high/low profile – and gave me his
recommendations (what he preferred to use and why). After getting my agreement,
he then took my measurements – how big is my breast plate, size of areola etc.
so that he could recommend the implant size. He asked me what size would I like
to increase to, and I told him “C!”. We then went thro some implant samples –
you have to determine the volume, the base diameter (I preferred it to be small
so Dr F chose one that was suitable for my breast plate size) & if you
want it to be high/low profile. He recommended 200ml to 225ml. So we took the
closest sample available and stuff into my bra to check if I would be satisfied.
We actually settled for the 200ml that day, but Dr F said he would have both
ready for my op in case I changed my mind (which I did!).
I think (WITHHELD) is quite well-stocked with the various common implant sizes. Unless you are going
for super big sizes (like into DD or E)… Then perhaps they might need to order
So during the follow up
last evening (by Dr C), I could see that my incisions were healing rather
well. In fact, I couldn’t see any wound on my right breast! On the left, there
was a 0.5cm of pink (new flesh) wound visible, which Dr C said would turn
dark naturally to blend in with the areola color. There was still some yellowish
bruising but ought to heal in another week’s time?
Cheers!
“
Hi there,
You are right that if you want to go for
implants, you have to refrain from exercise for at least 1 month. So it’s
definitely not the procedure that you should consider if you want to see the
effects by Jul. Does mine look fake? Ermmm I haven’t really seen a pair of 70C
boobs in real life, so can’t answer you… hehehe. But yes it’s set rather high
and firm currently. The Dr also commented that it would look more natural in abt
6 mths’ time.
Would suggest that you consider fillers instead, if you
only need to increase from A to B. Or if you just want to look good with
clothes/bras on, maybe you want to just silicon bra pads with push-up bras for
the time being? To pay between $6k to $8k for one cup increase (and as a
temporary solution) is quite hefty… It’s your choice ultimately
“
Hi!
When I said “high and firm”, it’s like you have
seriously toned your muscles (I have a female colleague that trains in the gym
everyday and she has real and firm and high boobs). Doesn’t feel as hard as
rocks… Would say that they look like breasts with the help of push-up bras
(more rounded and filled up).
For the time being, I have to make do with
loose-fitting but stiff clothes (eg loose shirts). It’s a combination of few
reasons: 1) Dr instructed not to wear any wired bras for at least one mth in
case the wires change the shape of your new implants; 2) most non-wired bras do
not have detachable straps 3) there are some bruising around the breasts. Hence
I can’t wear more fitting or revealing clothes now. Nobody has asked me about my
increase in size yet. Oh oh, and because I timed my procedure just after my
maternity leave – if anybody were to ask me if I’ve gone for an op, I’d tell
them my increase was due to breastfeeding. LOL. Hopefully I can be in time to
wear those sexy little black dresses during Xmas or company D&D
If you just want to go
from A to B, maybe yours will look more natural more quickly. It also depends on
your frame. For the benefit of doubt, professionally, B cup means the diff
between your overbust and underbust is 13-14cm. C cup is 15 – 17cm.
Perhaps you want to meet up with a surgeon for consultation first. Ask
to see some photos of his patients with similar frame and expectation. They
should have before and after (1 mth, 3 mth, 6 mth) photos. Then you can see if
you are satisfied with the effects. Some more well-known plastic surgeons have a
waiting list of more than 3 mth. So you may want to act quickly to clear your
doubts.
“
My incisions were done just below the nipple within the areola. It’s about 3cm
long on each side? At the moment (2 wk after the procedure), I don’t see any
scarring yet (except for a 0.5cm of pink flesh on the end of 1 incision by day 4
which has already turned dark). Anyway, I believe if there would be any
scarring, it would be quite camouflaged by the darker area of the areola.
Imagine if the same scars are visible under the armpit or underbust! Also, the
healing process depends on individual. I’ve quite “resilient” skin (= skin that
doesn’t need much maintenance) so perhaps the scarring is minimal.
Dr F was very patient during the consultation to show me photos after photos of
his patients after their op, esp to show the incision/lack of scars. So it might
be better for you to see for yourself (with photos of cases done) as my
description might not be clear enough. Btw, once you confirm that you want to go
ahead w the procedure, the dr will do some blood tests to assess if you can
proceed with the op. He will also comment if, based on your frame & size of
areola, the cup size increase you want can be done without stretching your skin
too much or increasing the risk of having scars.
Hi ,
Yes I am of a petite frame – 154cm height and 70A. And I requested for the “Plus” version
which gave a higher projection (ie more protruding) hence increasing the
overbust size (= biggest measurement of breast tt gives rise to the alphabet –
A, B or C). Suggest that you wear a non-wired non/minimally-padded bra of your
expected size (e.g. 80C) to the consultation (or the op if you have already
decided to go for it), and ask to try putting on a 250ml sample into your bra.
See if you are happy with it. It’s likely to look bigger than what you will
eventually get (as it will be tucked under your skin ), but this is prob the
best way to determine if 250ml is right for you.
I hope my experience can help to alleviate some of your fears or doubts
“
Yes I did breastfeed my baby for 4 mth. After which, I quickly went for a
consultation and did the procedure within the next 1 week. Reason I went for
consultation only after I weaned my baby off the breastmilk was, breasts were
still a little engorged during breastfeeding and nipple was so much bigger!
Would probably settle for the wrong implant size if I’d done any decision making
then. One thing to note: Dr said that if you were gg to breastfeed your babies
(like next pregnancy), the breastmilk supply will be lesser after the implant
than before. I can only guess that it’s because the implant take up space under
the breasts and you can’t hold as much milk as before? Anyway, I have enough
kids already and have decided to “stop production”
The anesthetic was local. They gave me
some painkiller and sedative pills to take just before the op, then oxygen gas
with some thing in there to put me to sleep. Vaguely, I think they injected the
anesthesia at the underbust area before I dozed off…. zzzzzz…. When I woke
up, the op was over and my breasts were numb (and covered with gauze and
waterproof clear plaster) so I didn’t feel any pain. The effect of the
painkiller lasted until about 3am. Then I had to down a panadol to drown the
pain (was told to take panadol in between the painkiller dosages if I felt
pain). Since then, I took one painkiller per morning religiously for abt 1 wk.
After I was “pronounced fine” by the Dr and gauze removed, I stopped the
painkillers.
For the first week after the op at least, you won’t be able
to carry your daughter (how old is she?). But you can take care of her – bathe,
feed, clothe etc – from day 2 onwards. I was doing housework already from day 2.
Just nothing too strenous. I’ve got a pair of older kids that are 14 and 15kg.
But my hubby helped to carry them when they dozed off in the car during this
time… He helped with the nightfeeds with the newborn for the first 2 weeks
after op, as it was really hard & painful to get up from a sleeping position
for the first 1 week (imagine when your breasts were super engorged in the first
1 wk after childbirth?).
Feel free to ask any questions. I am really glad that I can be of help
“
Regarding the ideal period after weaning off breastfeeding… I’ve not read abt
it before in my research, nor did the surgeon mention anything like tt. My boobs
were off from engorgement by the end of the 1st wk… What were the reasons that
your docs gave for waiting for at least 3 mth? Maybe bec I told him tt I didn’t
intend to have anymore kids, so it wasn’t a problem? Hmmm…
“Gummy bear”? Just did a google check on that (cohesive breast implants also known as
the silicone gummy bear breast implant or the cohesive gel implant). Yes I
believe the ones I used from Mentor were considered the same. You may find out
more from the manufacturer’s website: http://www.mentorcorp.com/breastsurgery/reconstruction/memory-gel.htm
“
Sorry I didn’t reply earlier – didn’t get a prompt in my hotmail :p
The Doc didn’t say how often I had to go back for check-ups… During my check-up 4
days aft the procedure, he checked for 1) how the incision was healing, 2) if he
could see or feel the implant under my skin (don’t worry – there is a clinic
asst or nurse in the room as well). During these sessions, I told the Doc if I
was feeling weird or uncomfortable, and asked him if these were normal.
I think I will call up the clinic as and when I have some concerns. If
there is a rupture, I was told that you would know because one breast would
become smaller than the other (but the cohesive memory gel of Mentor implants
will keep the silicone together rather than spread out thinly in your body).
Mentor implants have a “product replacement LIFETIME policy” in which if
it’s due to product defect, they will replace your implants (just the implants,
not the surgical fees etc). Personally, I am pleased that they are so confident
of their product that they dared to offer LIFETIME replacements. Usage-wise,
think some websites recommended we should change implants every 10 years… But
when I asked the Doc if that’s necessary, he said no. And if his patients came
back to change, it’s for bigger implant size
As an update, now that I’m 3 weeks after
the op, my new boobs felt more like mine. Bruising is almost all gone. Clothes
look a lot better on me than before (at least got some shape) though I’m still
wearing normal-padded bra (can’t imagine if I wear the Maximizer
Cleavage-on-Demand bras…). My hubby is giving me a lot more attention
have you decided to go ahead with the procedure yet? Do share with us your
experience! If you are, I can give you some tips on what unwired bra to wear for
the one mth after the op.
I also felt that it’s outrageous to
pay ANY MONEY to get a nice pair of boobs. But too bad, my mama didn’t give me
good genes… Then I rationalize the spending this way: if I spend like $800 a
year on push up bra (and anyway, I had no flesh for the bra to push up), I can save for 10 years,
and do this operation! Then I can have permanent savings of $800 per yr after
that! hehehe, but the latter won’t be true, because I’m already so tempted to
buy the sexy lingerie to flaunt my new assets 2 more weeks, and I can start wearing wired
bras!
“
Ed: It’s rare that local women are willing to share such exquisite details about such a private operation, but this shows clearly that Singapore ladies are more open and liberal nowadays. Credit to Singapore Expats forum for the excerpt. For the full details of the post, please visit Singapore Expats Forum.
