Helena Mang is a woman that needs no introduction in the world of bikini fitness. This is one strong lady, who has a lot of brilliant achievements to show for her work on fitness stages, and she inspires women around her daily with her eating habits and healthy lifestyle. At the beginning of January, Helena came to Christinas Clinic for a breast implant operation, and now she’s here to tell us her story.

My first implants more than 10 years ago

I got my first implants at Christinas Clinic more than 10 years ago. Since with older generation implants I had to go through a repeat operation every 10-15 years, I had been looking for a suitable moment for the procedure and recovery in my tight work and training schedule.

With my first operation, I got the Eurosilicone implant at Christinas Clinic, and it was positioned in front of the chest muscle. I did not have any complications or problems with my breast over the years and time went by without a care. However, in the meantime there have been a lot of developments, so this time around I definitely wanted to place the implant fully behind the chest muscle. In terms of size, I was not looking for any significant changes.

It all starts with a consultation – back to Christinas Clinic

Before the operation, I went to different clinics for consultations and learned thoroughly about the available options. 10 years is a long time, and I wanted to be up to date on what is being offered by different clinics, surgeons and implant manufacturers. After all, it is a big decision and I wanted to be sure that I made the best possible decision. The consultation at Christinas Clinic (CC) was last in line, and while after previous consultations some questions had remained up in the air, after the CC consultation I was entirely clear on everything and very satisfied. It’s obvious that the head of the clinic Brit-Carmen has been counselling women like me day in and day out for these 10 years, and she has also constantly updated her knowledge in this area – her professionalism was really impressive.

My greatest fear was waking up after the operation with breast that are “too big”, that they would look out of proportion in relation to by body. Since I compete in bikini fitness, where the overall proportions of the body are so important, I could not afford to miss the mark on this one. At the same time, I also didn’t want to wake up with anything smaller, so planning the size selection was of utmost importance for me. Since the plan was to change the position of the implant (from in front to behind the muscle), the maker of the implants and the size, there were a lot of factors to consider all at once.

External sizers to see the new result before surgery

The most confusing thing for a woman is if during the consultation, they hear about some hypothetical breast cup sizes (C, D, DD) – in the end, I think that it really doesn’t provide you with a definite target. Any woman who has ever bought lingerie knows that these sizes can wildly vary from brand to brand. So how do you know in the end that the C cup you “ordered” during consultation really matches the understanding that the surgeon has about a C cup?

This is where the 3D simulation comes in to help. CC is one of few clinics, where you can see the post-operation result already before the operation thanks to 3D simulations.  It’s not for nothing that they say you have to see it to believe it. However, if you have had implants before, as I did, and you want to change the size, they have a solution for that at the clinic as well. They use these special external sizers, so you can really see the new result and the differences.

During the consultation, we tried different sizers inside my bra, whereas Brit-Carmen very professionally also took into account the visual “loss” that comes from moving the positioning of the implant behind the muscle. Now this was something that I wasn’t told about in any other clinic. I later found out that the sizes I was offered by another surgeon in a different clinic would actually have reduced my breast size. I shudder when I think about what it would be like to wake up with a different result than what you were expecting…

During the visit, we talked about it and tried different sizes and profiles for a long time, until we reached a clear understanding of what sizes should be used so that the visual size would meet my expectations. After using the sizers, I was certain that we were all on the same page. I was also explained everything in great detail before about the operation and the recovery – when I left the clinic, I didn’t have any unanswered questions or doubts and I had peace of mind leading up to the operation.

Familiar faces even after 10 years

CC is one of the few clinics that is not one of those so-called mediating clinics or an agency that provides mediation services. CC offers the complete solution – they have one certain team, who provides the full range of services in the clinic’s comfortable setting. Even after 10 years, I saw a lot of familiar faces – the head of the clinic, the surgeon, the anaesthesiologist, and even the surgical nurse – if that isn’t a sign of quality, then I don’t know what is! If I should ever have any concerns or questions, I know exactly where and whom to turn to. Also, all the follow-up exams are included in the price.

One thing that had changed a lot over the past 10 years was the interior of the clinic – it was very modern, clean, quiet and private. On the day of the operation, a single room with all the comforts was waiting for me, and a silk pyjama had been laid out for me on the bed. You might compare it to a hotel, except hotels don’t have comfortable remote-controlled beds and helpers available at the push of a button. Even though I could tell that there were other patients at the clinic, I didn’t meet any of them – everything was wonderfully discrete.The entire personnel was very helpful and I was left with the impression that I’m the only patient there. The caring and warm attitude made me feel like I was at home with family. Thanks to that, I also didn’t have any anxiety before the operation.

Operation and the next day

During the course of the operation, they placed the Motiva implants behind the breast muscles, and to guarantee full safety, they used an innovative “Motiva Sleeve” – an assistive device that helps surgeons place the implant in the body in a way that the implant has no contact with the patient’s skin or the surgeon’s gloves. This “no-touch” technology further eliminates risks of any complications.

Before I knew it, the operation was complete and I was waking up in the recovery room, from where I was wheeled to my own room in the same bed. Although it was already late, I was still served dinner – that was a positive surprise, because as you know, before the operation you have to not eat for quite a long time and the biggest concern I had waking up was intense hunger. In the morning, they looked over the stitches, removed the pressure dressing, and helped me put on a special bra. I was given instructions for the following days, for wound care, and also a new appointment time for a follow-up. At those follow-up appointments, they kept a keen eye on the implants to make sure that they would settle into the right position and that the result would be optimal.

Breasts that meet expectations exactly

A month after the operation, I can say that I am 100% satisfied with my choice of clinic and the Motiva ergonomic implants with the chips – my breasts have a very beautiful and natural shape, and the size we chose during consultation meets my expectations exactly and suits my body perfectly.

Attention! This is a healthcare service. Christinas Clinic is licensed by the Health Board, permit L04361 (CBF Medical OÜ). The breast augmentation operation is performed by dr Ants Viiklepp.