Breast Reconstruction: Stories

who is the best surgeon to go with? Adamson in sarasota.?? Soler in tampa or Albear?? I am new here from calif and NJ. thanks Deb i had a r mastectomy 14 years ago never had it fixed now need to do it.

I like this blog and this site thanks for shearing…….?????

Hello all! I was 26 when I was dx with IDBC and had a double mastectomy with grafting of the nipples. I am now three years post sx and treatments. I had a few sx's on my chest to try and get the look that made me most comfortable. I am 5'4" around 145lbs. I was a small B cup before being dx. I have 650 cc's silicone implants. I love big boobs and I would love to go back in for revision. One of my implants looks like its coming thru the side of my boob. When you press on the piece sticking out it almost feels like an air bubble. I hate it, but not sure if insurance would pay for a revision or not. I also do not want to go to my previous surgeon. I live in New Port Richey and that is where my surgeon is. So If I knew insurance would pay for a revision I would love to have a consult with a new surgeon and discuss my issues with the current implants. I also had the skin grafting done for nipple reconstruction and am very unhappy with it. When I first had the surgery they looked so real and so great! I felt like a real woman again. Unknowingly that the they would slowly start flattening out and you wouldnt be able to even see any nipple sticking out. The skin grafting was taken from the skin on my hip area. So now I have two est 6inch thick scars on each hip bone and they are so ugly. Sometimes Im bothered by how they look in a bathing suit when they happen to show. Okay well Ive babbled enough. If anyone has any suggestions on a great plastic surgeon that has a lot of experience with double mastectomy patients please let me know. If anyone has any insurance information on if the ins will pay for a revision, let me know. Thanks so much for all the help to whoevers out there reading these.

I am a Permanent Makeup Artist in Tampa bay area, (palm harbor) and i have had the honor to perform areola repigmentation on many mastectomy and breast lift clients. I must say re-establishing the color and shape of areolas is as big a part as the correct implant. The areola can establish better symmetry appearance, and using the correct shading techniques can make the nipple appear as if it's protruding even though there was no nipple! Often clients have better looking breasts and areolas than ever before, and it makes me very happy to know that I am seeing them when they have reached the end of their cancer fears. I refer to it as the icing on the cupcake. If you wish to Private message to address any questions that are too personal for this forum, please feel free!

Absolutely - fat grafts are very commonly used methods for filling in lumpectomy sites or just low areas that sometimes occur after reconstruction. My PS recommended using fat from the hip/upper thigh area as it doesn't disappear quickly when a person loses weight. In other words it has "staying power." My fat grafts have worked out just fine x 1 year.

I know that there are some portions that are flat on my chest. and they are not nearly as perky as I had hoped.. matter of fact they look like my old breasts.. slightly sagging but it's because I had a skin sparing. They removed alot of tissue from my chest walls and my doctor has explained to me in depth that no matter what I do.. I will never have pam anderson or perky breasts. he explained it like.. laying an implant on a mattress... it has something to support it and give it a level floor, but when you place an implant where all the tissue has been removed it has to serve as the mattress and the implant.. I have the largest silicone mentor that they make and it can't go up any higher in the pocket because of it's size.. so I hate the indentations that are concave at my collar bones but all in all i'm lucky to have what i have.. However, I have to admit I love them best right after surgery.. they have the fuller firmer appearance then.

I would talk to your doctor again, tell him what makes you unhappy and ask for options. At some point and time you will probably need to have your implants replaced and you could switch them out then..

Best of luck ladies.. I wish you all the best.. I wish it for all of us!

I am going through the same thing; I am unhappy with the flattened look of my implants. Insurance will pay for a re-do and I am opting for the High Profile Smooth round Mentor implants. They have more projection, but if you want a "natural" looking breast, you may have to opt for the diep or flap procedures. You may want to get a 2nd opinion before proceding and make sure your Dr. in "in-network." Good luck.

If unhappy with emplants they look flat and have no shape Very unhappy with results, how to make the Dr understand I wanted round perky breast after removal of both can the Dr be liaable to replace as my i don't think my insurance will pay again. It was cancer related and I feel he did a poor job in slecting the implants I feel awful about how they look.'Thanks