I never write reviews, ever. But because RealSelf was so helpful for me in making my decision to go forward with breast fat transfer, I wanted to share my experience. First off I want to say Dr. Connall and his staff were SO wonderful. From consult to surgery I felt like I was in great hands. I really appreciated that he was straightforward with what our expectations would be, did not try to "sell" me on anything, and listened to my wants and needs. All the nursing staff were also phenomenal, they made the surgery day so comfortable for me.
As you can see from my before photos, I had basically nipples to work with. I have always been very small chested, before children I was slightly bigger but still not able to fill an A cup. After breastfeeding 2 children, these boobs shrunk down to absolutely nothing. After doing tons of research I knew that implants were just not going to be what I wanted, I wanted a more natural look.So going in to this procedure I kept my expectations where the should be, the end goal is to not have to wear a padded bra to make it look like I have boobs anymore!Based on how small my starting size is, we decided to do 2 procedures to get the result I'm looking for. And it mostly came down to the fact that he would not be able to fit much fat in the first time around. As of now I am planning on doing a second procedure in the new year. Surgery day was pretty seamless. He was able to harvest fat from my inner thighs, and I think injected about 70cc into each side. That is all he could fit, and all my tight breast skin would handle, as we were planning on doing the inner knee too but ended up not. So once I am healed, I should have a better foundation to work with to help the second round make more of an effect. My legs are definitely sore. Sore like I did 5 very tough spin classes in a row :) My breasts are just slightly tender at this point. I am anxious to see how much fat I retain, knowing I will lose some volume. So far I am very happy I went through with this!
Updated on 17 Oct 2020:
Overall I'm feeling good. Thighs are pretty sore and swollen, getting up to walk helps with that. Still needing pain meds, hoping to switch to Tylenol tomorrow. Breasts are barely tender at this point. The photo in the bralette is a huge victory for me! Believe it or not, that is the most boob without padding I've ever had in my life! I'm fully aware they will shrink some, and will try not to be sad about it. Reminding myself that round 2 will make all the difference. Will update with lipo sites later.
Updated on 22 Oct 2020:
Had my first follow up with Dr Connall yesterday. Everything is looking good to him and healing nicely. As you can see I do have some asymmetry as I am still more swollen on the right side. My left side feels more soft and like it has dropped if you will. I can find myself feeling disappointed looking at the reduction in size since surgery, BUT I have to remember the original plan is to do 2 phases of this so we get the desired result. And when I look at the before/after side by side photo, it is obviously a huge difference!
Dr is confident that now that we have a base to work with, he thinks he will be able to add 250-300cc each side next time.
My lipo scars are healing nicely. But woo-wee my thighs get sore by the end of the day. And they are still pretty swollen. The compression pants help with the discomfort, and walking around helps with the soreness. Hoping the swelling subsides soon so I can see what the lipo results really look like!
So far I am so happy I went this route even though it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Round 2 is scheduled for January!
Updated on 13 Nov 2020:
I can't believe it has been a month since surgery! I am feeling much more like myself, still slight numbness top of thighs and tightness of inner thighs. But I am able to do everyday life without noticing. Swelling has also gone away. As you can see, the breast asymmetry is still visible, with the left being slightly smaller. Which would worry me if I weren't already planning on going back for round 2 where it can be evened out. I am actually very pleased with the base we have achieved and am so excited to see what he can do with the second procedure. When I look back at my before pictures, I can hardly believe my breasts were SO tiny, and cannot wait for January to come to see what the end results will be.
Updated on 9 Jan 2021:
I cannot believe how fast 3 months went by, I had my second round of fat transfer to the breast yesterday. Once again Dr. Connall and his staff were so good to me, especially my recovery nurse Megan!
This time around he took fat from my inner knees, outer thighs, and flanks. He was able to put around 280cc in the right side, and 340cc in the left side to even out the asymmetry. I am extremely happy with how they they look, and am excited to see how they look in a month or so.
So far I can tell this one is going to be a lot easier of a recovery, I'm much less sore right off the bat than I was last time.
So now I rest, and eat lots of good fats, and hope these babies retain as much fat as possible!
Updated on 15 Jan 2021:
Well I made it a week, and I'm literally in shock about the volume I have. Still fully aware they will go down in size some, but I am so happy I did this in 2 steps, and very impressed with Dr. Connall's skills. If you look back, I literally had nothing but nipples people. I can't belive I have boobs now, and they're my own fat!
My flanks are pretty sore still, inner knees only slightly, and I'm only taking Tylenol for that. But I'm so happy that I'm not as swollen and uncomfortable as I was from the inner thigh lipo. I'm wearing normal yoga pants now, high waisted ones feel the best on my flanks. And I try to go braless as much as possible to avoid constriction, otherwise I have a pretty loose bralette.
I have another follow up at 2.5 weeks post-op with Dr. Connell, until then I will baby these babies :)
Updated on 25 Jan 2021:
I had my follow up with Dr. Connell today and things are looking good! He of course cautioned me to not get too attached to their current size, as there is likely a little swelling still. But I am so happy with how things are settling! They are feeling much softer and more natural than a week ago when they were more swollen.
My legs are feeling good, my knees/thighs do still swell some by the end of the day if I do a lot of standing or moving about.
I was also given the go-ahead to do light exercise at the 3 week mark.
So far I'm still very happy with my choice to do BFT. Not having to wear a padded bra to make it look like I have boobs of any sort has been the best feeling!
Updated on 20 Mar 2021:
I cannot believe it has already been 3 months, but somehow it has. Nothing major to report here. I feel like my size has been the same since about the 8 week mark, I'm measuring a full A / small B depending on the bra or time of the month. Which I am absolutely thrilled with! I put a before picture in to remind myself where I started (nothing but nipples and ribs). So all things considered, I am SO happy I chose BFT. These are the results I was shooting for! I got natural breasts that do not look like I made a huge change to my body, and I no longer have to wear a padded bra to feel more feminine!
My lipo sites are healing, still get some swelling in the knees if I get hot or do more physical activity, and I'm just ever so slightly numb in that area. One knee has a slight indent only at the end of the day where lipo was done, but mostly only noticable if I'm swollen, so I'm hoping to see a more final picture of how the lipo sites heals at 6 months post op. Scars are healing and are very minimal, he placed them so nicely that you'll never see them when wearing bikini bottoms anyway.
All in all I am very happy with my decision, and Dr. Connall's skills!
I'll try to post at 6 months as well :)