I got breast implants 20 years ago and have been scared to get a mammogram due to the possibility of a rupture from the intense compression. I decided to go to HerScan, which is a breast ultrasound screening that is painless and uses no compression or radiation. Turns out it was the best choice for me, since a mammogram probably would have busted my already (and unknown to me) ruptured implants.

My HerScan Ultrasound Screening

I have always been happy with my implants, and people often don’t realize I have them. I feel I got the right size for my body, so they aren’t obvious unless I make it obvious. Everything was great, until I started having weird shooting pains after working out.

This was a few years ago, which is when I first started thinking about explanting. I was freaked out it meant cancer, and too scared to go to the doctor because they’d tell me to get a mammogram. I didn’t know I had other options at the time.

The pain lasted almost a month, and then would come and go. It seemed to happen whenever I worked out and used my chest muscles. It was on the same side I had some capsular contracture, and I could see that was getting worse.

I knew I need to do something to make sure all my parts were healthy, but I did not want to crush my old, expired implants between two metal plates and hope for the best.

And that’s when I saw an ad for HerScan breast ultrasound screening, and it sounded like the perfect option for me. They recommend it for people with implants or dense breast tissue that might make it hard to get good results from a regular mammogram.

Their ultrasound technology can see breast abnormalities that cannot be seen by mammography or by physical exam. The ultrasound sees all the way to the chest wall and the tests are read by a Board-Certified Radiologist. The implant rupture would not have been visible on a mammogram.

What Happens at a HerScan Appointment

HerScan is a mobile breast screening service so they travel to different areas on different days, and you can find out when and where by clicking the “schedule now” button. I easily made my appointment online in a location close to my home.

The locations vary, and mine was at an IV place called the Drip Bar. I walked in, had no wait, filled out a couple forms, and made my payment. The HerScan screening includes a scan of both breasts with the axilla (underarm area) and the Radiologist Reading Fee for $295. Insurance does not cover the procedure.

I then went into the exam room, and the HerScan Sonographer explained the procedure to me and handed me a little paper sheet to lie over me once I removed my top.

She then squirted warm ultrasound gel on me and moved the wand in strokes, covering the whole area and part of my armpit. The pressure was light, and there was no pain or squashing feeling. The whole process took less than 20 minutes, and I was done. She said to expect my results to be e-mailed in 7-10 business days.

My HerScan Results

I anxiously awaited my results, and they showed up in my inbox exactly seven days later. There are 4 categories for the results, with 1 being nothing abnormal found and 4 being a visibly abnormal condition. My heart started pounding when I saw category 3 was highlighted for me: Possible Abnormal Conditions.

After calming down, I read further to where the findings were detailed and then when I saw the problem: Small intracapsular ruptures of the bilateral implants. My old implants were slowly leaking, but it was confined to the capsule that your body creates around the implant.

I have what’s known as a “silent rupture.” There’s no visible signs (yet) and I don’t have any symptoms. I have saline implants, so my body would just absorb whatever is leaking out. But it’s still a rupture and any intense pressure could make that small rupture a much bigger problem. And that means I have to get them out.

Planning an Explant

I researched plastic surgeons in my area and made an appointment for a consultation. The first appointment I could get was in mid-April.

My options that I know of so far include total explant, explant and lift, or remove and replace. I’ll learn more after speaking with the doctor, but I’m leaning toward explant and lift. I don’t think I want to go through this again in another 20 years when I’m nearly 70, so I don’t want to put something else back in.

I’m pretty freaked out over the whole thing and want to avoid the lift if I don’t need it. It adds a big scar going down the front center bottom area of the breast. I had transumbilical augmentation (through the bellybutton) and have no scars at all from the procedure. I am not looking forward to having scars.

The there’s the whole aspect of needing all new bras and all my clothes fitting differently. And my costumes!

I’m trying not to think about it too much. And I’m trying to be extra careful with my chest, which now feels like a ticking time bomb.

I’ll follow-up on this story after my appointment with the doctor in April! And if you have been avoiding mammograms, I highly recommend checking out HerScan: https://www.herscan.com/

Update to the story: Today is Explant Consultation Day – Geek Mamas

About the Author

Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.

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