Michelle Heaton has breast reconstruction
Michelle Heaton has undergone another breast reconstruction surgery.
The Liberty X singer had a mastectomy and reconstruction a decade ago because of her risk of cancer but she was warned the implants would need replacing in the future, and went to see her doctor after fans contacted her to express their concerns about the appearance of her boobs in a photoshoot before Christmas.
Michelle - who is a carrier of the BRCA2 gene and also had a hysterectomy in 2015 - said: “Quite a few people pointed it out and there was one that really did make me pay attention.
“It said something like, ‘Look at her. If I were her I’d be more worried about her breast looking like it’s exploded.’ It’s a difficult one as I always like to say I don’t read nasty comments. But for me, that wasn’t nasty, it was a saviour.”
The 42-year-old star - who has children Faith, 10, and AJ, seven, with husband Hugh Hanley - is delighted with the results of the procedure, although her chest is still sore.
She told new! magazine: "I had no intention of going bigger – if anything they’re a bit smaller. I had to have a fat transfer from my thighs to pump it over the implant and the muscle to fill out the area that was lacking. It took two-and-a-half hours...
"The scars are longer than they were but that’s to be expected. I’ve got to say the boobs look amazing – they’ve done such a good job.
"To say that this is a reconstruction, it’s not primarily a boob job, I’m amazed. Hugh is very happy! My thighs are still bruised though. I have to do some deep tissue massage twice a day to get rid of some of the water retention. It’s still sore but it’s getting better every day."
Last year, Michelle checked into rehab to seek help for alcoholism and she admitted she was worried about being given painkillers after the operation.
She said: "At one point I thought, 'I’m an addict – I know that. I’ve dealt with that and I’m stronger than ever. But hang on, I haven’t been addicted to painkillers yet.' We use the word 'yet' in recovery, because I never did that... yet.
"I wasn’t addicted to opioids. Now, two weeks later, I can safely say it hasn’t happened yet. But it does play on your brain. I had to do a lot of work around myself and my growth to understand that I don’t want to have to take anything stronger than I’ve already got. These are things that other people wouldn’t have clocked going into an op like this.
"I have to say, it’s been really good. I listened to the doctors, I took the medicine I was prescribed. They definitely didn’t give me any more, as I didn’t need any more.
"I took advice from the medical world and did what they told me to do. The reality is that a year ago I would have done it my way. So I was really grateful I’m sober today."
