Kim Richards Opens up About Her Recent Breast Surgery
"I never really wanted big breasts," The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum revealed.
As Kyle Richards explained in the July 8 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she and sister Kim Richards have had a "complicated relationship" filled with ups and downs. However, the pair seem to be stronger than ever. In fact, during Kim's recent breast surgery, Kyle was by her side through it all.
In the latest RHOBH episode, Kim heads to plastic surgeon Dr. Neal Handel to have her breast implants removed. During the consultation, Kim shared she's noticed a change in the size of her breast. "It's deflated," she said. The change in Kim's breast follows a lumpectomy Kim had several years ago to remove a benign tumor. "Now she's left with deformity because of that," Dr. Handel explained.
While examining her breasts, Dr. Handel said, "I think we're going to get a very nice result without an implant. Because you're so petite, you don't want big breasts." It was then that Kim revealed, "I never really wanted big breasts," and said that it was her then-boyfriend's idea.
The surgery was successful. However, the experience stirred up some emotions for Kim and Kyle, who lost their mom, Kathleen Richards, to breast cancer in 2002. "My mom had died of breast cancer and then I had the tumor a year later, it scared me," Kim shared moments before her surgery.
Kyle was also visibly shaken up. "When Kim had the benign tumor 10 years ago and had to have the lumpectomy, it was very scary obviously because we lost our mom to breast cancer. I can't even talk about it — it gives me so much anxiety," she shared.
Kyle continued: "I don't like anything to do with doctors and hospitals. My whole body goes numb. I go back to being in the hospital with my mom. The doctor sat us in a room and said, 'Your mom has breast cancer,' and it was Stage Three at that point. My mom just wanted to pretend like she was fine because she was so scared to die. And I can remember thinking, you know, 'I kind of want her to be like, 'It's OK — this is life.' And, you know, but she wasn't that person. She would tell me, 'Kyle, I don't want to die, I'm terrified. And I still have so much to teach you.'"
Since their mom's passing, Kim and Kyle have publicly emphasized the importance of women getting mammograms. Kyle even shared the intimate moment of getting her own mammogram done in Season 9.
Want more The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? New episodes air every Wednesday at 9/8c or catch up on this season through the Bravo app.
