Get the real deal on beauty treatments—real doctors, real reviews, and real photos with real results.Here's how we earn your trust.

POSTED UNDER Breast Fat Transfer REVIEWS

Fat Transfer to Breasts - Charlotte, NC

ORIGINAL POST

I'm in my mid thirties and after breast feeding...

Colleen3000
WORTH IT$8,500
I'm in my mid thirties and after breast feeding two children my previously 34B breast turned to saggy stretched out sad little things. After the second child I couldn't even create cleavage with a good push-up bra because the laxity of the skin and not enough breast tissue they looked like pushed up prunes :(. I've never considered implants an option because I didn't want anything fake in my body. However surfing the net I learned more and more about fat transfer and learned a premier surgeon that performed the procedure was in my area. So I said why not invest in me for once and I went for it. I had my procedure done on May 1st. I had been reading reviews and comments on this site for months so I thought I had a good idea of what to expect but the recovery so far has been painful and a challenge. It's hard to be forced to slow down when I'm used to going 100 miles an hour. However if my results are great and I retain 70% or more of what was transferred it will definitely be worth it. I had the stem cell fat transfer without Brava. About 700ccs were transferred into each breast which sounds like a lot compared to what I've read other ladies here have had done. However I think the amount was based on the volume required to give my breasts the right shape and size. The fat was liposuctioned from my hips, lower back and thighs. I'm excited to see what size they remain after the swelling goes down more and the fat settles.

I'm on this site daily now and I look forward to going on this journey with all of you that are in the same boat as me. The uncertainty of how things will turn out makes this procedure in particular more nerve wrecking but also a little more adventurous. Good luck to everyone out there going through this or considering it. This site was a great resource for me and so hopefully my experience can also add to the information here.

Colleen3000's provider

Edward J. Bednar, MD

Edward J. Bednar, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.6 | 237 Reviews
PROFILE

Colleen3000 rating for Dr. Bednar:

Overall rating
Doctor's bedside manner
Answered my questions
After care follow-up
Time spent with me
Phone or email responsiveness
Staff professionalism & courtesy
Payment process
Wait times

Replies (34)

May 9, 2013
Congrats on your decision to do fat transfer. I had fat transfer done on March 15th and am happy that I did it. You really had alot transfered and if your skin was loose there was no need for brava. Did your ps tell you how much he thinks you will retain? I can tell you the recovery time is worse for the lipo than for the breast. It's almost 2 months for me and I still have some soreness and numbness on my hips. I guess it will go away in time. Just take it easy and give yourself time to heal.
May 10, 2013
Thank you! It reassuring to see you and others are pleased with your results so far. I think the surgeon likely makes all the difference. At my initial consult he said I would probably retain between 350 and 420 and I said that's awesome put as much in as you think will look good. I had no idea he would be able to transfer as much as he did so who knows I may end up retaining more. I have my first postop on Monday and that will be one of the questions I ask. My breasts had no pain or bruising at all. It's the lipo that's sucking the life out of me literally. He took a lot of fat from my thighs and hips but the back of my legs are so tender it hurts to walk, sit, laydown, anything! I worked from home this week but next week I'm traveling and I'm so nervous about sitting in a chair all day. I may cancel if I don't feel I'm going to be up to it.
May 14, 2013
Colleen who was ur doctor. I'm in SC and would love to check him out
May 14, 2013
Inbox me an I will give u that info
May 9, 2013
Congratulations Colleen!!  From your pics above, looks like you will get a nice result.  I like how you said the surprise of it all makes it a little more adventurous, so true! LOL  My sister asked me "What size did I get"?  I said "Oh, its not like implants where you can pick your size, that remains to be seen!" LOL  I had my transfer just 1 month ago today and I am VERY pleased with my results thus far.  After a week, you should feel good, after 2 weeks-very good and there will still be a little soreness over time but nothing that keeps you from doing what you need to do.  I was tired for almost a month and found myself falling asleep very early until most recently.  It takes the body a while to recover so if you are used to going much faster then it is time to take some time for yourself and know your body needs this.  Please keep us posted on your progress and pics.  We appreciate you joining the forum and being part of our little support group! Amelia
May 10, 2013
Thanks for the welcome! I'm so glad I found this group, it's cool to have a group of women that understand what you're going through and don't think I'm nuts for doing this to myself, lol. My husband was supportive but he really didn't get why I was going through such "extremes" for cosmetic purposes and I have only told my closest family members I had this done. So I'm really happy to have this forum.
User Avatar
May 10, 2013
oh amelia ur here lol! Colleen congratulations UR looking great btw! I hope ur feeling great as well and wish u a speedy recovery :)
May 10, 2013
Yes Colleen, it is best to have people who understand exactly what you are going through, for sure.  Did I tell you that Colleen is one of my favorite names?  How are you doing today??
May 10, 2013
Hi Amelia, I'm doing better today, I went to Kohl's and found a spandex contraption similar in style to the compression garment I received after surgery but without the metal hooks and no zippers and it feels like heaven! I also started taking Advil today instead of the pain meds that were prescribed and they seem to be more effective, maybe because ibuprofen helps with the swelling. I have hope now that by next week I may be able to finally sit comfortably! Thanks for asking.
User Avatar
May 10, 2013
my husband is the same he is supportive but he doenst get why i would go to "extremes" for cosmetic purposes, its exactly the same phrase he told me! what a coincidence! and yes this group is very helpful indeed! how r u feeling health wise?
May 11, 2013
Glad you are feeling a little better Colleen.  It will get better each & every day so it is fun to wake up knowing that every day gets better, LOL!!!  Kohls-aren't they the best?  The high waisted spanx that I got from there are great.  I have been doing compression for 4 weeks except the last few nights, I started sleeping without any garment.  I also treat myself to a few gym workouts now with no compression.  I think I could stop wearing it now but I kinda want to do extra.  Your results are really impressive.  Your doctor has excellent reviews and a very neat website.  How did you find him? Amelia
May 11, 2013
Hi Rockstar it's too funny that our husbands were thinking the same thing. Health wise I'm feeling good. I'm usually very active and no history of any health concerns. As done of the others have described I've just felt generally tired and wiped out easily. Thanks for asking.
User Avatar
May 11, 2013
am so happy for u and glad ur feeling great thiz is awesome! men r practical mostly,and logical they think y take arisk wen u dont have areal health issue lol so its understandable. also my hysband wouldnt see a dr unless he is dyinf g from pain or sth too serious happrnd lol. i might get around 600 cc injected and i have seen amounts like this with befores and afters of my dr. the results are very much comparable to implants only natural. which is awesome!:-) congratulations colleen
May 11, 2013
Rockstar, You will look awesome with 600cc's, cool.  Did not know they were injecting that much for you, you go! Amelia
User Avatar
May 11, 2013
thanks! well my doc said maybe 600 maybe less at my examination he found lots of loose skin and he said all thsi area can be filled up, I lost 88 pounds since my heaviest so i do have the loose breast skin ! also because of loose skin else where, he decided to use vasr on me, and not to suction too much fat so i wouldnt end up with bad skin rectractions, or iregualrities or anything, he said we will just suction enough for the fat transfer i am tall so even though i could aopear slim and like i dont have much fat, i actually do have alot but its spread out on my height! lol even after the ujltrasound cavitation he said we can easily suction out 2000cc or 2500 cc without over doing it!
May 11, 2013
Wow, 88 lbs, congratulations!  You are gonna look awesome..I just have a feeling! My one friend lost 167 lbs & had lipo and she had a little loose skin but at 10 months it continues to tighten.  Have you heard of cellulaze? What time is it there?  Shouldn't you be asleep by now?  LOL I posted pics for you!
User Avatar
May 11, 2013
oh yeaah ? thats awesome! well my loose skin isnt even even showing but its teh stretch marcks and the skin laxity that happenes with this much weight loss, but teh dr assured me i shouldnt worry at all! :D I will check em now!!! :D
May 10, 2013
Wow..700cc, i think you're the most cc that i've heard in realself. Congratulations!
November 21, 2014
amazing results. im so jealous. what did the fat tranfer cost? Im planning on doing fat transfer as well :)
January 4, 2015
Thank you for sharing! Your post really helped me. I am a breast cancer survivor! And I had a mastectomy on my right breast! Now it's time for reconstructive surgery! After reading your post, I know this is what I want!
UPDATED FROM Colleen3000
10 days post

I have a question for the ladies out there that...

Colleen3000
I have a question for the ladies out there that have done fat transfer. Have you made any lifestyle changes in hopes of getting a higher retention rate? There's not a lot of info that I've found on what the patient can do but I'm not drinking any alcohol or caffeine and I'm taking GNC's complete iron supplement and eating a high protein diet. Although I'd like to jump back into an exercise routine ASAP I'm nervous if too much activity will disturb the fat so I'm thinking of only doing walks and gradually increasing the distance for the first 3 months. I'm also not doing any type of calorie restrctions because I want to nourish the fat. Is this crazy? Am I od'ing? Have you all tried anything that you think has led to better results post transfer?

Replies (17)

May 11, 2013
you look awesome. 700cc does sound like a lot. Please keep this updated especially with regards to reabsorption and if you encounter any cysts.
May 11, 2013
I love the side shot!  You look "wow"!
May 11, 2013
Hi ladies, yes about 690 was injected in one and 720 in the other which is a lot but I've seen on Dr. Placik's website and a few others that they have injected similar amounts with good results. I swear when I took off the wrap two days after surgery and saw them I swore they had to be implants because I didn't think you could get that effect with fat transfer. I even checked for an incision, lol. I'll keep you all posted. I was pregnant two years ago and breast fed for about 12 months so I think that had a similar effect to Brava'ing in that my breast had been expanded and more vascular from that relatively recent experience which may have accommodated for the large transfer and will hopefully allow for good retention. I expect I could lose up to 60% and this will still be a very good result.
May 11, 2013
Thanks Amelia! I really couldn't good a goo front shot they look bigger in that front pic than they really are.
May 11, 2013
I agree.  Also, you may not have to worry as much about protecting your fat since even if you lost 50%, you would still have an awesome result!  You've got cushion to play with!!
May 11, 2013
I think it is good you are trying to think of the best way to nurture the fat but it does not seem like there is much data on eating, etc at this point.  I have lost weight since surgery & I am not having a problem with retention thus far.  I went in weighing 128 and the last 2 days I've weighed 122.  I went in with a C cup from using Brava and I am maintaining a C cup.  I chose my doc b/c a girl from real self posted a review on her on her real self reviews and I emailed her.  After emailing her, I met her & saw her results.  She has not done a blog on the forum due to her husband's request but she is now 14 months out and she told me that she saw NO changes to her breast size after 1 month.  Since I have used the same doc, I am hoping for the same thing.  The standard the docs say is 3 mths & I've seen reviews where women have had changes even after that but I am hopeful since I used the same doc to follow what my friend said & see a similar pattern. It seems like you would be safe with your exercise almost at normal after a month to me but maybe check in with your doc and trust your own instincts as well.  What does your doc say about this?  He has some nice fat transfer pics on his site.
May 13, 2013
You look great compared to what I went thru with my fat transfer to the breast. I caught MRSA Infection with my procedure. I had to have 2 surgeries to remove the infection, and I'm not the only one... Wish I had your Surgeon...
May 13, 2013
Hello, I read your review and I can't imagine what it must have felt like to go through all you did. I hope you are feeling better and thanks for sharing your story. It's so important to have the good, bad and the ugly represented so people can be educated and finding the right surgeon makes all the difference.
May 14, 2013
I agree w/ everyone else, you look fantastic! And even though your breasts are, um, pretty darn big, they still look natural and good on your figure. I think your doc was really smart to round you out that way, incredible job counteracting the post baby sag. Congrats!!!
May 14, 2013
Thanks! It's still too soon to know what the final size will be but I should have a good idea in 12 weeks according to my doc. So it'll be interesting he says they won't remain this large but I will try to post updates monthly.
UPDATED FROM Colleen3000
27 days post

Update 4 weeks post surgery!

Colleen3000
Hi ladies,
I can't believe I'm at the 4 week mark! Time really flies. The breasts are doing great. I'm a DD right now and before I was a barely B. The lipo areas look good too. Since he took fat from the back of my thighs upper snd lower back I now have a booty protrusion illusion, lol. So my butt looks nice and round even tho its not really bigger. I wish I could say I'm back to life as I knew it before the procedure but not quite. My lipo areas are still pretty sore. I'm functional but my hips, thighs and lower back are tender to pressure so even pulling clothes over my legs is naggingly uncomfortable. I found some shorts and capris that look like cargos but have a drawstring waist like sweats and I felt like I struck gold! Very comfy and casually stylish. Here are a few new pics. I think the swelling is gone now so I'm hoping I'll stay pretty close to this size.

Replies (2)

July 29, 2015
After this procedure, how long was it that you could resume daily activity? I'd like to know the time before going back to work.
July 29, 2015
At the time I worked from home so I only took one week off. I should have taken at least 2 because sitting in a chair 8 hours a day was painful since the back of my legs had lipo. I didn't feel halfway normal until 3 weeks. Depending on where u have lipo and your pain tolerance it's different case by case. Take at least 2 weeks if u can.