Sean M. Bidic, MD

My journey seems to have started a lifetime ago. Saying I struggled with weight from the age of 7 on is an understatement. Jenny Craig at 12, dupont and children's hospital nutrition programs, Ww all my teens, thousands spent on personal trainers and gyms, nutrisystem and yoyo diets. I finally chose a Lapband at age 25 (after my 1st child and being 300lbs) and lost over 100lbs!! The journey continued with weight regain with my 2nd child 7 years ago. In the last 2 yrs I have come to a happy place, though even at 147lbs I hated my skin and flapjack breasts. Body dysmophia is no joke.
All throughout my weight journey I wanted plastic surgery to remove the skin and fix my chest but I didn't know where to start. I joined this site several years ago and this site has helped me find confidence and the absolute best surgeon for me, Dr. Bidic. He was in my top 6 who I had consultations with and I chose him over the others based on how he made me feel during our consultation. The others were professional and kind, but Dr. Bidic took extra time to really talk to me about my expectations as well as what would be best. I also had a fee friends have work through him and their results are all amazing. My results are only 2 weeks into the healing process but my body is completely changed!
I had struggled with "mom guilt " as well during this process by Not wanting to put so much money into myself for vanity sake. All I have to say is DO IT! You live one time!
Get yourself a reliable person to help you that 1st week.

Updated on 22 Dec 2021:
My surgery was August 2021, we are now closing off December and let me tell you, I have never been more excited for my " winter body" I feel AMAZING! The healing is continuous, I lost a lot of hair due to the trauma of undergoing such a dramatic surgery but it has subsided almost completely. I still feel the tightness in my abdomen and working 12+ hour shifts I feel swelling in my lower abdomen at the end of the day. I've been exercising regularly again and see such amazing results in areas that would never ever show before! I am not perfect, no amount of surgery can fix the damage I allowed my previous self to go through. But I am extremely happy with how Dr Bidic helped me see my true self underneath all that skin and fat!

Updated on 22 Dec 2021:
Added more photos now that I am almost 5 months out. Scars are healing well. Tightness continues in my midsection. No restrictions on exercise except no crutches or sit ups ever. I'm okay with that lol

Today is finally here! I am admittedly very excited and a little nervous. I will be getting a breast implant upgrade, abdominoplasty, and flanks lipo, collectively referred to as a mommy makeover. About me: I am 37 years old, 5'7", 130ish pounds (fluctuates with keto diet), with 3 children.I first received a breast augmentation in July 2005. I had always been very self conscious about being nearly flat chested, and my size became even smaller when I entered my 20s and lost some weight. Thus, I rewarded both my college graduation a year prior and my emergence from a financially difficult period by purchasing breast implants for myself.Originally I went to Dr. Eisenberg in Northeast Philadelphia and had a great experience. I received 450cc saline-filled smooth round moderate profile implants, placed submuscular with inframammary incisions. This got me up to a full 34C/36C cup immediately after surgery; once implants settled into place, I was at a small 34D. I was somewhat limited on how big I could go the first time due to being so flat chested with no looseness of skin.I always knew that if I ever got reaugmented, I would want to go bigger, but had no real reason to get them redone anytime soon after that. Since then, a few changes affected my breasts: aging, weight fluctuations, and nursing 3 children. Although my breasts now sit lower than before I had kids and I've lost some volume (thought to be due to weaning my 3rd child and possible implant deflation, estimated at a rate of 1-2% per year over the last 15 years), my main concern is that they look smaller due to changed body proportions.Even after careful weight loss through the vegetarian keto diet, I am still 10-12 pounds heavier than I was when I first got implants 15 years ago. All of the weight has gone to undesirable areas such as my belly and legs, causing my breasts to no longer have the same proportions as before. Furthermore, my husband and I have both always loved the look of really big breasts. :)I thoroughly enjoyed how huge my breasts got during nursing (up to a 36D/small 34DD; full 3DD or bigger when fully engorged) and was sad to decrease 1-2 cup sizes after weaning. Thus, my goal is to go up 2 or more cup sizes from a current 34C to a full 34DD.Although I really enjoyed my previous implant experience, I admit in hindsight that there were a few things I would have liked to improve upon. These things are not really a big deal, especially at the time of the previous surgery, but since I am already getting them redone, it will be nice to have those things addressed. For starters, I would definitely like to go a lot bigger than previously.Part of this is because my breasts have reduced in size half a cup size to a full cup size from before, but also because I really like the look of very large breasts. In addition, I want a reduction of rippling. I have always had a ripple on the outer side of my left breast, and this has gotten worse over time. In addition, I've noticed some very minor rippling in a few other places too, which tends to be common with saline implants over time. In addition, I would prefer if my implants did not sit so high up, in relation to the bottom of each breast, and I would prefer a little more sensor cleavage.My breasts are always spaced relatively far apart, and the distance stayed for the most part after the first set of implants. I understand that I cannot expect ideal results, especially given what I have started with, but any possibility of improvements would be an added bonus. Overall, however, I am most interested in the size increase.I am switching to silicone implants for better feel, less rippling, and less chance of osmotic deflation over time. I will be getting 800cc ultra high profile, silicone implants, placed in the same submuscular position with the same inframammary incision. I am willing to have new inframammary incisions if necessary, although my doctor says that he should still be able to use the original incisions. I am expecting the incisions to increase in length, but that is okay. I found that the incisions in the crease of each breast aren't even that noticeable anyway.I am also addressing the problem area known as my belly. I have a long, conflicted history with that part of my body. Yours before I ever had any children, I always had a bit of a pot belly. It was embarrassing to have people ask me if I was pregnant, including elder people asking me this before I was even at a sexually active age LOL. I was always thin, which caused my belly to look even bigger in comparison. When I reached my mid-to-late twenties, my metabolism started to slow down and I started to gain weight, going from 120 pounds to 142 pounds.This caused my belly to become even bigger and more pronounced, and I always struggle to tone it, it was very very frequent, intense abdominal exercise. I suspect that I may have had slight diastasis recti even back then. The diastasis recti became much more pronounced after I had three full-term children, including the first being born by cesarean section. Although I have managed to lose weight and arrive at an overall trim figure around 130 lbs, I still has a belly that remains unless I suck it in.The biggest issue with my belly, however, is the scarring and loose skin that resulted from Cushing's syndrome. In my late twenties, I suffered from a kidney disorder known as nephrotic syndrome. It calls me to retain a drastic amount of edema in a very short period of time, with all of the weight being concentrated in the lower half of my body. I had to go on systemic corticosteroids in order to reduce most of the swelling. I literally lost over 40 lb of water weight in under three weeks.This condition, coupled with the major stress that results from being on corticosteroids for months, is why I have all of the unsightly deep scarring. I went on to birth three separate children after that. Admittedly the pregnancies I had after the nephrotic syndrome Went Away really did not contribute any extra scarring at all to my belly. I tried a myriad over-the-counter treatments, such as creams, oils, weight loss, dermarolling, and more. In 2012 I was referred to a dermatologic specialist to consult about laser removal, but he told me that I was not a good candidate for it because in my case, laser treatment would do little to no improvement at all.The good news is that the scarring did not get worse at all with later pregnancies, and in fact faded considerably since the time the scarring first emerged. However, it is still very apparent and the biggest issue is the texture. In addition to the potbelly susceptibility and the scarring, my one and only c-section probably contributed to some of the pouchy shape. The good news is that my external c-section scar is very faded and barely even noticeable. However, the skin seems to hang over it a little bit. Nothing too bad, but if I'm already getting surgery, then it is a nice perk to have that taken care of.I chose Dr. Bidic for a few significant reasons. First, I really admire his willingness to very large implants for me. When I had consulted with my previous surgeon, that surgeon had expressed concern about going to Big with the implants. He specializes in very natural work, and doesn't like to mess with the previously formed breast pockets.If I am going to go through all the expense and recovery of augmentation surgery, then I want it to be worth it sizewise, and I would also prefer to do my augmentation with the abdominoplasty at the same time to save time and money; my previous surgeon only does breasts. In addition, I really admire the work that Dr. Bidic does. He is not only board certified, but he is an artist too, obtaining a Master of Fine Arts degree after completing medical school.That is really unique! He is also very open-minded and open to trying new things in order to help a patient achieve the look that he or she is after. He is willing to do very large implants and to also try some techniques to possibly increase the center cleavage or to balance out the slight asymmetry that my breasts have always had. I have been impressed with him since the very beginning, as he is a very nice, easygoing, creative person. I really feel like I found a unicorn of the plastic surgery world lol. I am very enthusiastic and excited about getting this surgery done.Originally I was planning to do this around my 40th birthday, but given the current pandemic, it makes more sense to go ahead and get it done now. For one thing, I have come across more money this year due to my husband's new job and the recent round of stimulus checks. Also, I would rather take the time to recover from surgery during a summer when there isn't much going on, then it's summer when everything is open and I am Desiring to go to amusement parks and waterparks.By getting a surgery done this summer, I will be all set and ready to do lots of physical and recreational activities next summer. I also have a lot more recovery time right now because my job is currently homebound as a result of the pandemic. I am currently on summer break from my job, slated to start again at the end of August, but this year I will be working from home.So that way, if I need to take things easy physically for a little longer than expected, the work-at-home situation fits been well with that. So between the better financial situation, the work-from-home situation, and my enthusiasm about getting this done, I am getting this song earlier than I ever expected. I am really interested in the surgical procedures, and if I was able to stay awake during the surgery with local anesthetics the way I stayed awake during my c-section, I would gladly do it LOL.I am just that kind of science geek LOL. However, I realized that they only do full anesthesia, which I am okay with, especially since I experienced it before when I had my first augmentation. I am now leaving to head to the surgery, which has me more excited than ever!

Updated on 2 Aug 2020:
My arrival time was 6:30am yesterday. I admit I was way more nervous with this surgery than I was 15 years ago for my first augmentation. The staff was very reassuring, hospitable, and funny. They cracked jokes with me and also with each other, which I liked. They wheeled me into the OR around 7:45am. I remember being there, then next thing I know I'm starting to wake up on the bed in the recovery room. First thought I had was, "I survived!" I was there for about an hour as they explained to my husband the postoperative care instructions on the phone.Then they wheelchaired me out to my husband and kids, who were waiting in the car. They said I was recovering great and that I'm the first patient to already use my phone in the recovery room to text family and friends lol! Usually they make the support person wait at the surgical center, but because of covid-19, they couldn't let him do that. That worked nicely to our advantage, because we have 3 little kids that came along in the car, so waiting for hours inside the surgical center would not have been feasible.Overall recovery is already better than my previous 2 surgeries (breast augmentation and c-section). I have only taken ibuprofen, no narcotics. I have discomfort and fear of ruining the surgical work more so than actual pain. The hardest part for me is getting into and out of bed. I can walk, but hunched over, which is apparently the position I should stay in for at least the first week. I've been alert, just tired a lot. I sleep for small spurts at a time. I'm glad to avoid the opiates that had me so sleepy after the last 2 surgeries. I do wish I could get good sleep though, so staying asleep is a challenge for me.This morning is more uncomfortable than yesterday. I'm still not taking narcotics though. Incision is slightly painful. My boobs don't feel that bad. I can walk on my own, with some assistance, and I can use the bathroom by myself. I have slight nausea sometimes but no need to vomit. Coughing and sneezing is a special kind of hell. I'm glad I got this procedure done in the summer, when I'm not prone to allergy season sneezing or winter colds. I'm looking forward to my Sunday night shower, when I can finally see the surgical results!

Updated on 2 Aug 2020:
Yesterday was not nearly as fun as day 1. The discomfort grew increasingly worse, making it impossible for me to get any sleep. I couldn't find an appropriate "head up, bent at waist" position that I could fall asleep in. Today I started taking oxycodone for pain, which I had originally opted not to take, due to my tough anti-drug stance. It worked great, and I felt so much relief! I hope to get off this med within a few days.
Today I also took my first post-op shower. This was also the first time I got to see my new body. My husband was a patient saint, helping me every step of the way with getting into the bathtub, kneeling, and getting out. I still cannot stand up straight yet. I'm getting a little closer, but I'm not there yet; I refuse to overexert myself and possibly wreck the beautiful work I paid for. I also read that one should remain in a jack knife position for the first week to prevent suture tearing or other damages. Standing naked was torture for me because my heavy boobs kept dangling and pulling me downward while in the bent jack knife position, and my lower back was throbbing. Thus, I slowly lowered myself to kneeling in the shower. It worked! The key is to move very slowly and not to feel rushed.
Overall I'm very happy so far. No more deep Cushing's scarring on my belly, yay! I'm a little apprehensive about the slight swelling around my incision on the far left side. It only occurred on the left. Will this eventually go away? My boobs are nice and full (yay!) but currently they're swelling into my armpits, similar to what happened when my breastmilk came in after birthing each of my 3 babies. I'm curious to see what theyll look like when they drop and fluff.

Updated on 3 Aug 2020:
I'm keeping these as souvenirs lol. My original implants were 425cc smooth round miderate profile, filled to 450cc. They show signs of slight deflation over time due to osmosis, and you can see some noticeable creases which resulted in a few ripples on the edges. It's possible that part of the reason my boobs looked smaller after weaning was because the implants themselves lost some volume. Studies show that saline filled implants lose 1% volune per year on average, although Dr. Bidic told me it's usually closer to 2% per year.

Updated on 4 Aug 2020:
Overall I felt a little better recovery-wise today but not too much different than yesterday. I like my boobs and really looking forward to seeing how they'll look once they drop and fluff. The good news is that the armpit swelling has started to subside somewhat. They seem small to me for 800cc, but I do know that they'll likely look bigger once the pectoral muscles start to relax and let them drop. I have occasional achiness at the upper arms. I have a pretty decent range of motion with both arms so far. Both my husband and I already appreciate the improved feel of these implants. No more lumpy ripple! No more feeling the edges of the slightly deflated implant bag! No more loose skin and wrinkled areolas!

The belly is the area that was more of a PS "need" for me, to fix the diastasis recti, slight distortion/pouchiness from csection scar, and most of all, remove the deep unsightly striae from my long ago steroid-induced Cushing's Syndrome. I am happy with the trim shape of my new belly, and relieved that it doesn't look too gory. One concern I have is the way the incision in the left side is raised. It is still raised, and feels like it might be due to normal post-TT swelling. Now there's slight raise of the incision's right side. The JP drains are okay but I will be so relieved when they are removed. I always worry about them getting pulled out.

Today wasn't too bad, but I'm feeling increased pressure in my abdominal area. Is this from swelling? One annoyance is the way the belly binder keeps riding up slightly. This exposes the bottom area slightly, while causing the upper seam of the binder to rub against my breasts' inframammary incisions. I keep checking and adjusting the binder. Also, when the binder is pulled down far enough to cover everything, the itchy bottom seam irritates the delicate scar tissue on my upper thighs (legs have the same web-like, deep textured striae damage from Cushing's that my belly had pre-TT; very, very tender and sensitive in that area). I have also had slight itchiness start today; I read that itchiness can be a side effect of opiate medications. I am still taking the prescribed opiates, but in small doses, watching this very carefully since I've seen/heard second-hand all about opiate codependency (the original plan was to forgo all narcotics, but the belly discomfort and sleepness nights were just too much, and a real potential deterrent to proper healing).

So overall, I'm still in discomfort but that's to be expected with major surgery. Above all I'm thankful to be able to finally get this surgery done, enabling me to finally improve the areas that just cannot be improved by diet or exercise.
I'm trying to be as careful as possible so that I do not rip anything by accident. I'm also grateful that Dr. Bidic was enthusiastic and willing to use large implants for me. My husband already absolutely adores them! Lol.

I will try to upload some better angled pictures once I am cleared by Dr. Bidic to stand up straight and/or lay down completely flat.

Updated on 4 Aug 2020:
1. Is it normal to feel immense pressure in the abdomen by days 3-5 while wearing a belly binder? It feels like stretching, almost similar to the belly stretching sensations I felt near the end of my pregnancies when each unborn baby was having a growth spurt. Other times it feels like cramps or very mild contractions. Is this due to swelling?

2. How long does it usually take for 2nd time breast implants to drop and fluff? I went a good amount bigger this time (800cc vs 450cc).

3. What can be done about the raising along the TT incision line on each side?

4. When should I start massaging and applying the skin treatments (fresh aloe, vitamin E oil, coconut oil, etc) to my belly and breasts? Am I right to guess that the first week post-op is too early? Will the doctor likely go over this at my 1week post-op appointment?

5. How long did it take for your belly button sutures to fall off/dissolve?

Updated on 5 Aug 2020:
I still have physical discomfort in my belly, and I cannot walk too far in the hunched over jack knife position without feeling exhausted. I'm gradually reducing the amount of painkiller. Apparently I have a much higher pain tolerance for natural pain processes such as that of natural childbirth (I birthed drug free with 2 of my 3 children) than for unnatural/surgical procedures, but it is what it is. My belly feels tighter than ever at times, probably due to swelling, but that will resolve with time.

Boobs are slowly but surely dropping and softening, little by little. I love how full and bouncy they feel! I admit they're not as huge as I thought 800cc would be, which has me more glad than ever that I insisted on finding a doctor who would use very big implants on me. If anything, originally I thought I wanted 700cc, but Dr. Bidic encouraged me to go to 800cc, which I am very grateful about. I gently placed the cup of a few bras over one of my breasts, and apparently a full coverage 36D bra's cup fits more like a demi cup on me now lol. This means I'd likely have to size up to a 36DD when I'm ready to buy and wear bras in a few months, which translates to a 34DDD when you consider that I'm only 33-34 around. So maybe they're bigger than I perceive, which is nice. Another good thing about my boobs is that they no longer feel like heavy bowling balls when I shower in a hunched jack knife position; they are slowly becoming part of me. My incisions are still in the healing process. One thing that feels uncomfortable is when the top seam of the belly binder rides up and rubs with the taped-and-covered incisions.

I'll admit this recovery process has been longer and less fun than I'd expected, but it's worth it!

Updated on 6 Aug 2020:
Today was the 1-week post op. (Not quite a week from surgery, but the doctor reserves Fridays all day for performing surgeries) The doctor said I was healing well, and had his medical assistant remove my JP drain tubes and belly button stitches. The drain tube removal really wasn't bad or painful at all; I was worried for nothing. I'm still very swollen, and attempting light duties around my house hurts my abs. The most challenging part about this surgery is definitely the inability to move around and keeo up with the house cleaning. I love the results so far though! Boobs still feel heavy, even heavier when they're not strapped down with the spandex surgical bra, but I will get used to them. I dealt with sudden big boobs during the early postpartum breastfeeding days too, and they felt heavy then too but in a different way, so I should hopefully get used to them.

Updated on 9 Aug 2020:
The day started out okay. I took a shower by myself without assistance for the first time, although I still have to kneel for most of it because I cannot stand up fully straight yet. My boobs are dropping into place rather quickly and without any complications. However, by the end of the night I was in searing agony. My back was in the worst pain of my life, even after taking a muscle relaxer and ibuprofen 800 mg. I had lower back spasms worse than any drug-free uterine childbirth labor pain. I think it's because of bending over in a hunched-over state to clean up stuff. Also, midday yesterday my newly reconstructed bellybutton seemed swollen and reddish. I am very stressed out by all of this, and anxious about the pain. I hope this is A, passing and B, normal part of recovery. If anyone has ideas regarding positions better for my back pain, ways to stand up straight, etc please let me know. My back still hurts right now but it isn't actively contracting like it was last night. Laying in a recliner did not help.

Updated on 12 Aug 2020:
I'm finally going out today. My back is still in pain from being hunched over. I find that laying in a reclined position against a sturdy U-shaped breastfeeding pillow is helpful, as it's been for lower back pain before the TT. I can stand for longer periods of a time. I'm no longer on pain meds and haven't been in several days, thankfully. Boobs are dropping much faster this time than last, which I'd read and heard tends to happen with a repeat augmentation, especially with larger size implants. I love how full and round they are. When they were at their fullest during breastfeeding, they were almost as big (maybe 1/2-1 cup size smaller?), but had a very different shape to them, so having them round is different for me in a nice way. They still feel firm when I try to gently push them together, but I know it'll take months for them to soften up. Belly muscles still feel tender and very sensitive. Belly is still swollen but not any worse than previously; possibly a little less swollen, in fact. Even in its most swollen state, it was still flatter and smaller than my previous pre-TT belly. Butt has felt sore from constantly sitting and laying on it in the bent recliner position. I feel like it is getting smaller and flabbier as an unfortunate side effect of this surgical recovery, but I can always work it back up to its previous appearance after I am fully recovered. I'm still sleeping in a recliner on occasion, which I'm getting tired of doing. I will be so happy to go back to side lay sleeping with no binder, but I am willing to wait until I'm recovered and ready. I might even keep wearing the binder beyond the 4 weeks if I feel it helps provide support and minimizes swelling.

Updated on 29 Aug 2020:
I'm feeling a lot closer to my usual self. My movements are much more fluid, and I can finally sleep in my own bed without having to prop up my feet anymore. I'm still not able to stand completely straight, but I am about 90-95% of the way there, enough to not look obviously hunched when walking, especially if I wear a loose T-shirt with my long hair covering my back. For the most part, I no longer have intense back pain from standing around. I think my long walks have definitely helped with that. Last night was the first time I was able to spend over 2hrs preparing a full meal from scratch without sitting down to chop vegetables, so that was nice.

My boobs feel a part of me, no longer hanging off me like bowling balls. They were by far the easiest recovery of the 3 procedures I had done. The left is dropping quicker than the right, as had happened with the first BA, because I'm right handed. When I saw Dr. Bidic 2 days ago, he said they have dropped but will continue dropping for a few more months. I will be happy to be able to stand up with proper posture so I can see how my boobs really look. All my photos thus far have been of me hunched over. One thing I don't like is the "dent" that my left boob has at the top right side when I push my boobs together. Dr. Bidic examined it and said it's muscle that hasn't yet loosened and relaxed yet, and this will likely resolve itself in the next couple of months. I have to remind myself that my previous BA was a MUCH slower recovery process, and I'm already recovering much faster this time but to be patient.

My belly is finally surgical tape-free. There's some puckering at the ends of the incision but it should get better with time. Dr. Bidic showed me the massages to do with Bio Oil along the incisions. I am still very firm with swelling, and impatient for swelling to go down, but my belly is still flat and I like the contour of my waist already. I am no longer required to use the surgical binder 24/7, but I use it on occasion for extra support. I'm mostly using a spandex belly band to provide compression and support. My incision is very pinkish-red right now. One concern I have is that the incision seems very high up on my body, above the top of most underwear or bikini bottoms. Does this change as I heal, straighten out my back, and have more skin grow back? I know the cut itself was made very low because it was cut below the place where my csection scar used to be (which was removed along with half my belly skin), and it's so low that pubic hairs are starting to grow back right above and below this incision. So I'm thinking it'll look lower, relatively speaking, once my belly heals more.

The lipo areas are still sensitive to the touch. I have to remind my husband not to put his hands around my waist because of this. But the bruising is no longer there.

I'm looking forward to getting sized for bras, but that'll have to wait a few more months. I'm not able to wear underwire until the 3mo mark. I did, however, very briefly and carefully try on a few old bras to test fit. I had some 36D bras leftover from when I was 15lbs heavier (from a stressful toxic former job) and full-time breastfeeding. The band is a little loose but I fill out the cups completely with some spillage. If I fill out a 36D, then a 34DD should fit. Then again, the doctor said I'm still dropping & fluffing, so we'll see where I'm at in 2 mos.

Updated on 12 Sep 2020:
I am now six weeks post op. Time has flown by! I am feeling much better and closer to my norm, but I am still recovering. I went swimming in the ocean for the first time and it was quite a challenge to ky belly. I never realized how much ab muscle work is involved in something as simple as staying afloat on one's back or swimming strokes. For the most part I'm able to stand and walk normally, but I'm still not able to completely straighten out yet, as the side profile pictures show. When I do, I feel pressure and pulling on my abdominal incision, so I'm taking it easy for now. Working from home helps for an easier recovery because I'm able to sit during work now instead of standing. I still have abdominal discomfort and swelling around the incision, so I still wear my surgical binder more often than not. When I take it off, it feels really weird and not in a good way. I feel much more supported wearing the binder. Overall I am very satisfied with the abdominoplasty results. My belly is flat now, even in these pictures that were taken shortly after I'd eaten a full meal. I never had that before; even before I had kids, my belly always seemed to bulge a lot after a meal, even in my much younger years. (For example, I still recall the time I was 17 and when I changed into a bikini after we'd gone out to a restaurant to eat, a boyfriend--who'd already had a child and witnessed his ex being pregnant--made a half-joking rude remark to me that my belly looked like I was 3 months pregnant) I am so happy I no longer have diastasis recti and a perpetually pregnant looking shape! My incisions are healing decently, a pinkish-red color, but getting gradually better. I had some skin pleating around my incision, particularly on the left side, but that is smoothing out. I like the way my doctor did the incision end points on the sides. He cut me in a way that the incision end point curves downward slightly, in order to avoid "dog ear" skin protrusions. There was some skin puckering at both end points, but it's mostly smoothed out on the right side by now and is gradually improving on the left side. He gave me Bio Oil and incision massage instructions at my 4 week post op visit, which should help. My belly button is healing nicely, but still a little red on the outer perimeter, which should get better over time. I am so happy I have a nice tight round belly button now instead of the sad deflated looking belly button that I was stuck with after having my 3rd child.
For the most part, my belly is striae-free now. I have a remaining that were previously above my belly button and very wide. They have become more visible in recent weeks. Fortunately, they are a whitish silver color, not red, and they're a lot flatter now than they were pre-surgery. I do notice some new redness immediately below my incision, which I'm not sure if that's just redness from inflammation or if they're new stretch marks. During the only time that I developed abdominal area stretch marks (10 years ago when I had severe nephrotic syndrome and was subsequently placed on skin-damaging, striae-causing corticosteroids), they started as short little red marks and then elongated like runs in pantyhose, then fading in color but not texture later on. I never had any new stretch marks after I recovered from nephritis, even during multiple pregnancies. I did, however, read that stretch marks tend to appear most visible at 6 weeks post op, and that they start to disappear or look much less visible within a few weeks after that. So hopefully my belly will continue to look smooth and mostly flawless.
As for my boobs, I love them and recovery has been extremely easy for me. They have been painless and mostly discomfort-free. I love how they feel (cohesive silicone gel) compared to my old saline implants. Now that I'm starting to stand up straighter, they look a bit perkier too which is a plus. I admit I am impatient to have them fully drop, fluff, and soften. With my first set of implants, it took many many months for them to drop, probably because I was so flat chested when I started out, and because my previous surgeon has a style of placing implants sky high so that they drop down naturally and in turn create a more natural look. This time, my implants have been dropping in place much quicker but still have more dropping to do, according to my doctor. As had happened last time, the left boob is dropping quicker than the right, probably because I have tighter muscles on my right side as a result of being right handed, which causes them to look different shapes sometimes. In addition, my left boob has always been shaped a little differently than my right, more round, with slightly higher position of the areola. My right boob always had a relatively low areola position compared to the breast crease position, even before implants or kids. (It was also a drastic underperformer during breastfeeding, producing 3 times less milk than the left breast did. My right boob kinda sucks in general.) My doctor did tell me that he did some carving into the right breast pocket to help balance both breasts out, so hopefully that will show over time once they completely drop and fluff. Something fun about my boobs is the way they feel cooler in temperature than the rest of my body lol. I really love how they feel, and so does my husband.
A concern I have are varicose veins. When I was looking at my breasts the other day in very bright bathroom lighting, I noticed some blue veins on both breasts. They were preexisting but appear more now. Will their appearance reduce over time as I continue to recover and heal? Or will these get worse over time? Hopefully this is not an indication of what they will look like in the future as I continue to age.
I will be honest, after reading testimonies and looking at pictures, I am relieved that I didn't get a breast lift at this time. There's been a recent influx of girls on a Facebook mommy makeover group griping about how much smaller their breasts look after their lifts. Girls have been complaining that their breasts went down a size or two after their lift, even though they also got larger implants (or first time implants), yet they still don't have much or any upper pole fullness, even with all the extra anchor scarring. Some of them sound almost angry and cheated. Other girls have stated that their doctors will not do a lift and augmentation on the same day, so they have to not only wait months between operations, but pay thousands more to have two separate surgeries. Apparently the risks are higher for doing a breast lift at the same time as an augmentation with large implants, which is why some doctors are starting to schedule it as two separate surgeries, which makes a lot of sense to me. But then again, after removing excess skin and tightening everything, would extra large implants still be able to fit as nicely? Or would one be urged to use a smaller implant size? For me, my priority for breast surgery was to go as large as possible with silicone, which is something I was restricted on by my previous surgeon with the 1st augmentation (due to being so flat chested with such tight skin), and perhaps something I still may not have been able to do if I'd gotten an implant exchange at the same time as a lift. Already I look at my breasts and wonder if I'd want to go even larger in the future lol. (As crazy as it sounds, they don't seem super huge to me, but I do admit that my perception of "big" boobs is bigger than the average person's perception.) Eventually I will get a lift when I'm older and probably menopausal, when any stark possibility of me getting pregnant again is completely eliminated (breast lifts are more likely to sever milk ducts, thus reducing breastmilk production potential; exclusively breastfeeding is important to me, and God knows I'm the type who had to work extra hard during breastfeeding just to build up an adequate enough supply; I was never lucky enough to be the overproducer "wet nurse" type, so for me, a lift would likely result in me needing to use formula if Godforbid I somehow got pregnant again). The extra large implants have helped to fill out and reduce the drooping I had before, at least for now, so I'm keeping them the way they are until the future warrants further need. By then, hopefully there'll be a new lift technique that can minimize scarring or invasiveness, who knows. I have enough scarring from the abdominoplasty, but in that case, the surgical scarring I gained was a lot less than the striae scarring that I lost, so there was a net benefit for me; yes, my belly was THAT bad, worse than photos can show.
I'm still waiting before I can get bra sized. My doctor says to wait until 3 months post op to wear underwire bras, so I'll try out different sizes then. I'm guessing I'm about a 34DD. (which has me more glad than ever that I went for the 800cc implants and didn't settle for the smaller ones that other doctors suggested; if I'm going to pay all that money and recovery time for surgery, then I want the results to be noticeable and significantly different from previously) One drawback I'm anticipating is that I'll probably have a harder time finding my exact size, and/or will likely have to pay more money for bras, especially since I do not wear plain ones. Then again, that's what I chose for myself. #firstworldproblems

Updated on 13 Sep 2020:
I took a nice long walk today. Still not standing upright 100% but better than it's been. I was cleared to start light gym exercises 2 weeks ago but I still don't feel physically ready yet. I will probably try within a week or two.

Updated on 9 Oct 2020:
...and sit this one out, just as Trump himself impishly plans to do with the now-virtual second round of Presidential debates next week. So there'll be no pictures posted by me, and no lengthy explanations or me feeling the need to validate unsolicited criticism by overexplaining myself. Trump might be a bratty infamous imp (who I do not even like at all), but even he's gotten more respect than I feel I've gotten in one regard on this site. I don't care if you're a so-called Real Self "Insider" or not, point is, if I have made my decisions and seem content with them, stop telling me what I should have done differently. It is RUDE. I've been too nice about it so far, even throwing myself under a bus sometimes in my explanations, but bottom line, I shouldn't have to explain myself and my body decisions to ANYBODY much less a queen bee who isn't my surgeon. All it does is imply that I look bad. As someone else pointed out, dog poop presented all wrapped up in a pretty box with a bow on top is still unasked-for dog poop. Especially when any "coulda, woulda, shoulda" criticism is moot and postdated, concerning a surgery that is already done and in the past. Even this explanation is giving more validation than I should give. I am not here to debate, argue, or " rap battle" with anyone here. I came here for information and lack of drama (unlike Facebook, which is full of drama), but instead, I've found myself very unhappy as I gripe to my husband and best friend about the continued, repeated, unasked-for "advice". So I'm sitting this one out.

Updated on 22 Oct 2020:
I'm still not going to post pictures. Doing so apparently opened me up to unnecessary criticism and being told by non-doctor what to do, even from someone who condemned the criticism given to another realself member a few years back. My body is extremely imperfect, and still isn't completely perfect even after surgery from top rated surgeons. I hate being reminded that my boobs "aren't that big" for having 800cc because that just rubs it in that I'm disproportionate and apparently super duper flat chested without the implants. That triggers the anxiety I had about being picked on for being flat by boys at school all those years ago. My husband says my boobs are great and big, and that he likes the position they're at now, so I guess that's what really matters. If bigger silicone implants ever become available in the US, I would be interested in upgrading again because I want to go even bigger than a DD next time, especially since I'm thick below the waist, which causes my boobs to look comparatively smaller than they are. I am hoping I drop and fluff a little more. I feel I'm still not totally there yet. But last BA it took seemingly forever for them to drop much at all.
Speaking of waistline, I really like my belly now. Waiting for the dark scarring to heal; it takes longer for scars to fade on me compared to most others. I still have a few Cushing's stretch marks near the bottom but again, that's my own crappy body's fault, not my surgeon's. I have WAY less than I had pre-TT, so the TT has been a wild improvement for me. I'm no longer embarrassed if my shirt accidentally rides up and exposes part of my belly. I haven't worn compression as much these days but I still do sometimes. I have a fitness compression belt/waist trainer that I wear on occasion. It helps with my posture and back comfort. I just have to be careful making it too tight, which is very tempting to do, because while it makes my waist look super small it leaves (temporary) marks.

Dr. Bidic and his staff are the best.....They are completely awesome!! I sought out a plastic surgeon to correct a breast augmentation I had done by a not so awesome doctor. Previous surgery left me with gigantic poorly sized and poorly positioned breasts, which by the way were not what I wanted to begin with...well, on to the great news....I made a call to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bidic. Everyone in the practice was wonderful, I was quickly given an appointment to accommodate my schedule. I explained what I was hoping for and Dr. Bidic took time for a full evaluation. He suggested what could be done and completely explained the procedure. I immediately knew that Dr. Bidic would give me the look I was hoping for. (The fact that he is an artist sealed the deal) I wanted to schedule the surgery as soon as possible, having given myself only 2 weeks to get back on my feet to start a new job. Dr. Bidic and office staff worked with me to get pre op stuff done quickly, and scheduled me for surgery within 2 days. I loved that the practice and the attached state of the art surgical center was so close to home. The day of surgery, I was relaxed and knew I was in the best hands. My surgery went smoothly, without complication. I am three months post surgery, and am beyond happy. Dr. Bidic is AWESOME!

From the first time i met him at my consultation, I knew this was my doctor. He was realistic and increased my confidence with just the idea of what he can do. My surgery was 7/26/18. I was nervous and he came in to see prior to surgery and the fear subsided. Very attentive pre & post op. The results exceeded my expectations. I Love Him!

By far the best doctor I've come in contact with. Extremely friendly and made me feel very comfortable. Dr. Bidic asked many questions and provided helpful insight ensuring that I received a desirable end result. I would definitely recommend/return in the future!

I had a panniculectomy. It was medically necessary due to weight loss from Bariatric surgery. From the first time I met Dr. Bidic I knew I had made the right choice. The friendly helpful office staff and nurses were wonderful. Dr. Bidic explained everything step by step And immediately put me at ease. When I was discharged from the hospital the next day I had no pain nd did not take any of the pain management prescribed. Dr. Bidic ordering home care for my wound care shows me how much he care for his patients to have the healthiest recovery and outcome possible. I am so happy with the results and I can't thank Dr. Bidic enough for changing my life. He was awesome. He really cares about his patients. He is truly an artist. Thank You Dr. Bidic

I used to love my large breasts, but after having my children, they lost their shape. They were handing so low and felt so heavy they were causing me back pain. I was stuffing them into bras and it seemed like nothing fit well. Perhaps the worst part was that I was having difficulty working out because of my neck pain and my breasts literally were "flopping" around even with good support bras.

I had my breast reduction in February 2015 and couldn't be happier with the procedure and the results. I went from a DD to a C-cup. The pain was less than I expected. Dr. Bidic said that the pain is usually less than patients think, but I didn't initially believe him. I never needed the narcotic pain pills and motrin was plenty for the discomfort. I was walking outside in three days and was back to full work outs in three weeks. I have full sensation and am amazed with how my scars have faded in only 6 months. I would recommend this operation to anyone!

I was so excited to lose 150 pounds after my gastric sleeve procedure, but I couldn't believe how much extra skin I had after my procedure. Dr. Bidic gave a talk to my massive weight loss group and he talked about all of the procedures that could improve the shape of someone who lost a lot of weight after a bariatric procedure. I really enjoyed his talk and went to his office for a consultation. He spent an hour with me discussing the operation and showing me pictures of his patients who had a body lift. They looked great. He also gave me phone numbers of patients who had the procedure so that I can ask then questions about the recovery.

I could not be happier with my results. Now I can wear clothes that do not have to cover my tucked in skin and can exercise easier. Dr Bidic and his staff are excellent. I have sent some family members and others from my massive weight loss group to Dr. Bidic. I very much appreciate what he has done for me--the operation has changed my life!!!!

I've been putting this surgery off for a few years. Mostly due to scheduling and time. With COVID-19 forcing me to work from home I figured there is no better time than now to get it done.
Met with Dr. Bidic yesterday and immediately felt comfortable and confident in his ability to take care of me and get this right. Did not walk in expecting to to book on the spot, but it felt right so I did it.
Surgery is in 10 days! Currently a 450cc saline implant with capsular dislocation. Basically my implants drop to the side and near my armpits. My right one actually flips on it's side, super awkward. Decided to size up (550 to 650 range) in order I fill the larger pocket created by the implant moving all over the last 11 years. He will also be doing a capsular revision.

Updated on 25 Jun 2020:
Nervous excited is how I would describe myself today. Working so that helps. Vivid test was a nightmare! I was grossly unprepared for how uncomfortable that was going to be. I swear she stuck them thing up so far she touched my brain, twice.
Figured I would add some before shots so y’all you see what I am working with these days lol.
Have to be at the surgical center at 9:45 am.

Updated on 25 Jun 2020:


Updated on 26 Jun 2020:
Surgery was this morning around 11 and I was back in recovery before 2. It was so so much better than the 1st time around. Dr. Bidic’s staff far exceeded my expectations. I could cry thinking about how compassionate and considerate they were. Every nurse treated me as if I was family member of some kind. I did not at all get that at a past surgical practice. Literally changes everything. Dr. Bidic himself is equally amazing. Personable and warm, all around A+ facility.

Currently sore but again, nothing like my last experience. I am not a narcotics person, can’t stomach them so I’m hoping that by tomorrow all I will need is ibuprofen to get by. Nothing worse than vomiting after any surgery!

Updated on 27 Jun 2020:
Honestly it’s not that bad. Took 1 real pain pill yesterday and immediately felt too sick to continue that. I honestly traded mild pain for severe motion sickness. Never could stomach anything strong. Ibuprofen is working out just fine!

Updated on 1 Jul 2020:
It’s been pretty great honestly. My only issue has been with sleeping. I am a back or side sleeper and both are not really possible right now. Today has been the best day so far as expected. Took my first REAL shower and by myself lol.
I still can’t get over the staff at my surgeons office. I will never forget how calm, caring and comforting they made everything feel.

It’s Mommy Makeover time! I shoulda did this when I got my bbl 3 yrs ago. I underestimated the fat on my belly. I have been fully committed to the gym for the past 2 yrs and I am very in shape but I have a lot of hanging skin and my abdominal muscles a so pushed out from carrying my beautiful babies. So unfortunately I have a boxy square look. But in a week I will no more!

Updated on 17 May 2018:
Today is surgery day! I’m excited, anxious, scared. I have wanted my beautiful body back ever since my third kid. Leaving my house with my BFF and just praying everything goes well and I get the results I am looking for. I’ll post before and after pics as soon as I can get my photos to work.

Updated on 20 May 2018:
So today is my 3rd day of recovery and I feel absolutely fabulous, I’m in shock bc everyone said how terrible they felt. I really have no pain except where my drains are. I’m swollen but snatched. My boobs are really swollen so I look like I’m a double d but when the swelling is down I’ll be a full c which is all I wanted. I’ve been taking a multivitamin, stool softener and muscle relaxer. I was on Percocet but I took myself off and only use Ibuprofen for any discomfort. I’m up and walking with a walker like an old lady. My incisions look great.

Now about the Dr. All I can say is wow! He was great he held my hand by the side of the bed as they putting me under and talking to me to relieve my anxiety, I will never forget that. He is absolutely the sweetest and personable Dr. I have ever came in contact with. I’ll upload pics shortly.

Updated on 22 May 2018:
The dreaded before pics! Sorry I have no idea why they are flipped

Updated on 24 May 2018:
So I’m officially 1 week and I feel great! No psins or aches my incisions are actually healing really well. I am a quick healer! I had one drain removed yesterday the other I will have removed tomorrow it wasn’t draining enough. My breast are still really hard and swollen so I started massaging them. I had a lot of swelling in my legs but that has stopped. Today I put on my stage 1 faja it’s super tight very comfortable and helps me stand up straight. I can’t wait until I can just go out and walk freely.

Updated on 28 May 2018:
11 days and I feel great swelling is going down, my breast have dropped and are softer, I’m still really tight. I started scar treatment bc all my incisions have closed and are scabs now.

Updated on 2 Jun 2018:
I’m two weeks PO and I still feel really bloated and I’m still really swollen. Of course I can see I look different than before, I just don’t see a significant difference and that saddens me. I want that flat stomach and that nice curve in my waist. I love my boobs now that the swelling is going down. Hopefully I’m cleared for the gym soon so I can start working on shaping my stomach.

Updated on 7 Jun 2018:
Today is officially week 3 post op! I’m feeling better than last week, swelling is going down on my abdomen. My breast are still really swollen and painful to touch. Next week is my 1 month appt hope you get approval for the gym.

Updated on 11 Nov 2018:
OMG it’s been 6 months already! First off I feel great, still a little swollen and tender! My breast are huge still, like I said my dr went with 500cc instead of 300cc bc of all my breast tissue. My scars look amazing I’m exercising on a regular am am gladly seeing improvement. No regrets at all