I had mine done on '97.
I didn't have any trouble with recovery but I think it's because of the precautions my doctor took before closing the incision.
He knew we had a long drive home, so he shot anesthetic inside before suturing so the drive would be bearable.
I didn't even take any kind of pain meds., not prescription, not otc. NOT the standard reaction- don't expect to get that lucky, lol!
There was a lot of bruising on one side and that's about it.
It's time to get them redone (remember the implants are not for life, they do have to be replaced every 10-20 years), and I think I will look into silicone there was still a ban on it back when I had mine surgery, it gives a more natural look with a softer feel.
I didn't sleep on my stomach for a long time because I was really nervous about it even though my doctor told me is was perfectly fine. Now I sleep on my stomach without thinking about it.
You will have to do manipulation on the breasts and implant to prevent scar tissue inside the implant pocket and around the implant- do NOT slack on that. If you don't do it, you can get that tight, "baseball-in-a-sock" look.
Don't push for a bigger size. Let the doctor decide on a size based on your frame.
When I had mine done, I was 5 foot 8 and 115 pounds, my doctor picked the size based on how much my skin would stretch and based on my stretch marks leftover from my pregnancies, he used an implant big enough to smooth out those stretch marks but not so big to make me look all pornographic or top heavy.
So, before my kids I was a 36c, after my kids I was a 34a and after my surgery I was a 36c/d (425cc implants).
a lot of people don't realize that they may have a large breast plate area and then they get implants and there is a very wide gap in the cleavage- that does NOT mean it is a bad surgery, it is because of the chest bones. Ask your doctor to take that into account so he (she?) can compensate for that as much as possible if need be. They can't reduce the size of the breast plate and they can't make the implant pocket wider to make the breast fill in that space but sometimes they can adjust the implant size or type of implant to help compensate.
Do NOT pick a doctor based on price. You WILL regret it. You get what you pay for.
Make sure they are board certified and even then, do a check on their medical license.
One of the first doctors I was looking at seemed reallllll good at first and then I checked with the state medical board he was in (Utah) and found out he was working under a probationary license as there was 5 malpractice suits pending on him.
So, just because they are working, doesn't mean they are good or haven't been in trouble.
Needless to say, I didn't go with that guy and after 2 more doctors interviewed, I picked one that I knew at least 5 people went to- people I knew before their surgeries, so I actually saw the before and afters and saw their recovery process.
It took me 2 years to pick a doctor, because this was no joke, no passing fancy; it was not taken lightly and seriously, after all the disastrous boob jobs I have heard of, I am very glad I took my time finding a doctor.