Can the Way You Think About Your Body Change How You Recover
After Explant Surgery?
(Based on a recent interview with Jane Hogan discussing mindset, nervous system regulation, and
recovery after explant surgery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnfmIOBiPw4)
The Conversation Behind This Article
In a recent conversation with Jane Hogan, an engineer turned health coach who helps people with chronic
pain through mindset and nervous system regulation, we landed on a phrase that became the title of our
discussion: you cannot heal a body you hate.
I do not love the word hate. But in this context, the phrase points to something I see in my practice every
week. The way patients think about themselves, talk to themselves, and relate to their own bodies plays a
meaningful role in how they move through recovery. Not because mindset replaces medical care. It does
not. But because the body and the mind are not separate systems operating in isolation from one another.
Jane is not a doctor. She brings an engineer's perspective to health and wellness, and in our conversation
she described how the subconscious mind runs the body, how negative thought patterns can shift the
nervous system into a state of feeling unsafe, and how that shift can have downstream effects on immune,
digestive, and hormonal function. These are observations that align with what I have seen in patients overnearly 30 years of surgical practice.
Why Mindset Belongs in the Recovery Conversation
When patients come to me for explant surgery, most arrive at a place of readiness. They have done their
research, asked their questions, and reached a measure of peace about the decision. Some anxiety before
surgery is completely normal. That is not what I am describing here.
What I am describing is a smaller subset of patients who become emotionally overwhelmed in ways that go
beyond typical pre-surgical nerves. In one case, a patient woke up from anesthesia experiencing pain that
did not match anything I could find on examination or imaging. A CAT scan confirmed everything was
anatomically fine. The following day, she was doing well. Weeks later, through her nurse practitioner, she
disclosed that she had experienced a past trauma that surfaced as she was waking from anesthesia.
This was not a surgical outlier. It was a psychological one. And it reinforced something I have long believed:
unresolved emotional experience does not disappear just because someone enters an operating room.
When the mind cannot repress what it has been holding, it finds other ways to express it.
I share this not to alarm anyone, but to illustrate why mindset and emotional readiness belong in the
recovery conversation alongside surgical planning, nutrition, and follow-up care.
The Nervous System and the Subconscious
Jane described the subconscious mind as the system that runs the body without our conscious input. Heart
rate, digestion, hormone regulation, immune response. These are not things we have to think about. They
happen automatically.
Her point was that if the messages we send to our subconscious are consistently negative or self-critical,
the nervous system can begin to interpret those signals as evidence that things are not safe. When the
nervous system perceives a lack of safety, the downstream effects can touch multiple systems in the body.
Digestion may become less efficient. Immune function may shift. Hormonal balance may be affected.
I am not suggesting that thought alone causes illness. That would be an oversimplification, and it is not
what I believe. What I am saying is that the environment you create internally, through how you speak to
yourself and about yourself, is one of many factors that can support or complicate recovery.
There is research that supports this general direction of thinking. Jane referenced a Harvard study in which
participants who practiced sending loving attention to an area of the body in pain experienced reductions in
pain levels compared to a control group. The study is early in its scope, but the principle is straightforward:
the way you direct attention and intention toward your body may influence how your body responds.
Information Overload and the Erosion of Trust
A theme that came up repeatedly in our conversation was the sheer volume of information patients now
face, and how that volume can erode trust rather than build it.
I had a patient who experienced abdominal pain after surgery and did not call our team. Instead, she spentthe night messaging a chatbot, which told her she had an ulcer. She did not have an ulcer. She had gas
pain, something that resolves with time or with a simple medication. I spent 15 minutes explaining why she
did not have an ulcer and why a chatbot has never examined a patient in the middle of the night.
This is going to become a bigger challenge. Patients are receiving input from social media, search tools,
and conversational platforms that cannot access the full body of medical literature. Most peer-reviewed
journals sit behind paywalls. The most current and detailed research is not available to these tools in its
entirety. When patients believe they have the world's information at their fingertips, they often have a partial
picture presented with confidence.
I use clinical tools in my own practice that help me process large volumes of research efficiently, and I see
real value in that. But the gap between information and clinical experience is significant. I have taken care
of patients throughout my career. I have been present for complications, recoveries, and everything in
between. That experience cannot be replaced by a search result.
What I Want Patients to Know About Recovery
Here is what I want every patient considering explant surgery to understand about the recovery process.
Give Yourself Grace
This is a difficult step. Whether you are the patient or you are supporting someone who is, the process asks
a lot of you. There will be moments of uncertainty, discomfort, and emotional fatigue. Give yourself grace in
those moments. Recovery is not linear, and perfection is not the goal.
Mindset Is Part of the Team
You are part of your own care team. Between office visits, before surgery, after surgery, and throughout the
days and weeks that follow, the way you think about yourself matters. No one else can do that work for you.
Appreciating what your body is doing, even when it is struggling, is a meaningful contribution to your
recovery.
Seek Credible Support
Not all information is equal. Look for sources with clinical experience, with a track record of patient care,
and with a willingness to acknowledge what is known and what is not. My team is composed of former
explant patients, which means when you ask a question, you are speaking with someone who has been
through the process personally. That kind of support is different from what you will find in a search bar.
Self-Love Is Not a Replacement for Medical Care
Jane and I agreed on this point clearly. Mindset work, self-compassion, and nervous system regulation are
valuable. They are not substitutes for surgical expertise, proper evaluation, and medical follow-up. They
work alongside medical care, not in place of it.
How the SHARP Framework Applies to This Discussion
The SHARP Framework (https://www.drrobertwhitfield.com/sharp) is the structure I use to guide patients
through evaluation and recovery. It is a systematic approach that addresses the many factors that can
influence a patient's experience after implant placement and removal.
Within that framework, preparation and recovery are treated as interconnected phases rather than isolated
events. Mindset, nervous system regulation, and emotional readiness fit naturally into this structure
because recovery is not only about what happens in the operating room. It is about the environment you
create for your body before, during, and after the surgical process.
The framework includes nutritional support, inflammation management, and structured follow-up. It also
recognizes that patients benefit from a team that understands their experience firsthand. My staff includes
former patients who have gone through explant surgery, the recovery program, and the full follow-up
process. They are uniquely positioned to help guide new patients through what to expect.
For patients who want to understand where they stand before making decisions, I offer a health
assessment (https://discovery.drrobertwhitfield.com/form) that helps identify factors that may be
contributing to their current symptoms. This is a starting point, not a conclusion, and it allows us to have a
more informed conversation about next steps.
A Note on Research
For patients who are evaluating whether capsulectomy is the right step for them, it may be relevant to know
that my published PCR research (Whitfield et al., Microorganisms 2024) found bacterial contamination in
29% of tested implant capsules, undetectable by standard culture methods. This is the largest PCR-tested
explant capsule series in the world.
I share this not to create alarm, but because informed decisions require data. Patients deserve access to
research that helps them understand what may be happening in their bodies, and they deserve a care team
that can interpret that research in context.
What Jane Hogan Added to This Conversation
Jane brought a perspective that complements the surgical side of what I do. Her focus on the
subconscious, on the primal connection between feeling liked and feeling safe, and on the practice of
directing compassionate attention toward the body is not something I provide in my practice. It is something
patients can explore on their own, with qualified practitioners, or through resources like the ones Jane
offers at thewellnessengineer.com (https://thewellnessengineer.com).
We come into the world loving ourselves. As Jane noted, no baby doubts their worthiness to be fed, held, or
cared for. The messages we receive and interpret throughout life can diminish that sense of self. Part of
recovery, whatever the procedure, involves reconnecting with that original relationship to yourself.
Moving Forward
If you are considering explant surgery, in the middle of recovery, or supporting someone who is, here is
what I would leave you with.Recovery is a process that involves your whole body, including your mind. The way you speak to yourself
matters. The information you consume matters. The team you surround yourself with matters. And the
grace you extend to yourself along the way matters as much as anything else.
If you want to learn more about the resources I offer, including the Inflammation Support Bundle
(https://drrobssolutions.com/products/inflammation-support-bundle) and my book SHARP by Dr. Robert
Whitfield (https://drrobssolutions.com/products/sharp-by-dr-robert-whitfield), I encourage you to explore
what aligns with where you are in your journey.
And if you would like to begin with a conversation, you can schedule a discovery call
(https://discovery.drrobertwhitfield.com/form) with my team. We will listen, ask questions, and help you
understand what options may be available to you.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or
treatment. The information presented here reflects a conversation about mindset, nervous system
regulation, and general recovery principles. It is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare
provider. Individual circumstances vary, and any decisions about surgery, treatment, or recovery should be
made in consultation with a licensed medical professional familiar with your specific situation. Dr. Robert
Whitfield is a board-certified plastic surgeon. Jane Hogan is an engineer turned health coach and is not a
physician. Her perspectives are shared for educational discussion and do not represent medical guidance.