BRAVA and fat transfer to breast

I wasn't worried about the liposuction, although is retrospect I really should have been. I had my kids crawling all over me day 4 and beyond. It was basically horrible, but I think when you are a mom you can handle anything. My arms and breasts were actually the LEAST sore. My back, legs, and abdomen killed me. I am not sure how I managed, I guess you can deal with anything if you don't have a choice. The BRAVA was crazy, but you can hold a child on your hip with BRAVA on.... not much fun. I hope that helps.

I did not appear to loose any fat from the transfer. Absolutely no complications. Successful increase 2 cup sizes.

Flat2fake2free'n'fab When you say you did not consent to this you are saying you did not sign any consent forms before having your surgery with Dr. Khouri? I had to sign a stack of them including one explaining the procedures about to be done to me. I find this very odd that you did not sign anything before having surgery.

There are absolutely no devices or mesh placed in my breasts. I am a doctor and feel confident to say that I would be able to palpate or discover any foreign material in my breasts. I also had an MRI performed after the procedure and no foreign material was noted. I have absolutely zero pain or complications. I hope that answers your question.

I would like to emphasize that the Refine procedure and the RAFT procedure have some similarities, but are essentially completely different procedures with different indications. I also did NOT invent the Refine device, but I am one of the few physicians in Florida to use it when I think it is indicated. The Refine device is a specially designed suture with small barbs designed primarily to provide a small amount of lift and help with upper pole fullness. The RAFT procedure is a much more extensive procedure used mostly in breast reconstruction to help shape the reconstructed breast (usually with fat transfer), create a breast fold, and pull up some of the upper abdominal tissue under the breast to help provide more enlargement of the breast size and at the same time tighten the upper abdomen. RAFT stands for Reverse Abdominoplasty with Fat Transfer. It involves using larger stronger sutures that go all the way around from the muscle above and around the lower breast and upper abdominal area. It is definitely a more uncomfortable procedure but can be extremely effective particularly for breast reconstruction. My own wife had fat transfer for bilateral breast reconstruction after mastectomies with the RAFT procedure as part of her fat grafting multistage process. The first month after the procedure was difficult for her, but the final result after almost 3 years is excellent, resulting in a natural small D cup result, using only her own fat. Like every other procedure the RAFT procedure and fat transfer to the breast, have advantages and disadvantages, just as do all the procedures we do including breast implants and breast lifts. Most surgeons like myself and Dr. Khouri do our best to meet or exceed patient expectations, as we all understand that happy patients refer their friends. Unfortunately we do not always meet these expectations, particularly in some of the more difficult cases.

I wore BRAVA 24hrs after surgery and for 3 consecutive days (only removing to shower). I am 4+ months out and every day I am glad I had the procedure. I still have soreness on my upper butt when I run, but that is all. My scars continue to shrink and lighten. I'll update and post pictures at 6months.

Thanks Jakho!  Thats exactly what I did, waited 24 hours to put on and only wore Brava for 3 days straight after surgery as I got really sick after that & could not wear Brava any longer.  How come you only wore it for 3 days post surgery & not longer?  Or, did you wear it longer post surgery but at night only?  Yes, I am 1 month out today and I am so glad I did the surgery as well.  My results are awesome!  How many pants sizes did you go down?  I went from a size 4 to a size 0 in 1 month!  It is crazy good! LOL  Can't wait to see your results at 6 mths.  I tried to run a little today but my hips were sore so I stopped.  Is 1 month too soon to run?  When did you start running?

I did 3 consecutive days and the 10-12hrs a day for 3 more weeks. My size didn't change as much as the muffin top was gone and no more saddle bags. I was unable to run for several months. The elliptical and bike were fine for me after 1 month, but high impact running is still "uncomfortable". I have a mud run in August and Tough Mudder in November so I have to start running. My upper butt area is sore after I run but I am working through it. I hope this helps. I am holding steady at 34C and size 2/0. It only gets better!

Thanks JaKho.  Wow, I have to wait months before I can run comfortably..that is stinky!  I am mostly a walker but I love to put in little running sprints for the high/low combo.  Poo!  I am glad you are holding steady at 34C & size 2 or 0, that is what I want to hold steady at since I am that now.  Okay, so I missed those 3 weeks that you did after the 3 days but I seem to be okay.  I am thinking positive! LOL

I think with this procedure you can only do your best and then let it go. I am glad that I don't think about my boobs anymore and can focus on other more important things than my body. It is draining to worry. I think after 3 months you can feel settled with the results and not worry. The swelling from the liposuction took 8 weeks to really go down.

You should be cycling after 1 weeks of BRAVA wear (once your skin gets used to the domes). The black bulb should have come with your BRAVA domes and is not something extra the doctor provides. The extra equipment would have come with your BRAVA domes package. The guidelines I used are described in my posts and so there is no need for me to rewrite them at this time. It sounds to me like you may not be using the BRAVA under the guidelines of a doctor, as this stuff is very basic to the procedure and handouts are provided by the doctor when you get the domes. I don't mean to sound snippy, but this procedure is best used by individuals who are informed and overseen by their PS and staff. Your outcome may be poor if you do this without the proper guidance and compliance. Regimens for cycling may be different if you had implants, had a lump removed, are asymmetrical, or have other issues with the breast tissue. Good luck.

Thabks for your response i just wanted to make sure i didnt miss anyrhing thst you didnt post. Actually, I'm scheduled with your surgeon Dr. Hartog on may 29th. Brava has been a nightmare due to the recent recall and closure of the study. They stopped selling it through dr's offices and disallowed the bulb. The FDA is reconsidering and will be opening the study again shortly but I am in a bad window. I know you had a great experience with Hartog and his office but I am finding their lack of support frustrating. They have not made a bulb or the medela machine available to ma and seen annoyed at my attempts to find some on my own. That is why I am trying to figure out cycling on my own. Thank you very much for your time, and your response . Jen

That does sound super frustrating! My sympathies, I now look totally *itchy! I hope everything turns out ok. Good luck. J

Thank you for this kind response.

Hey Amelia, Yes I am so happy. Looking back, the process was a huge commitment. However, I am only 32 and want to enjoy my body and lifestyle. Even though it was really hard to wear the BRAVA, I can now look forward to my 30s without thinking about my boobs all the time. Best Wishes J

Depends on your issues. I just bought the big size and cut to the shape I needed. Best wishes.

Make sure you get that Aloe Life Gel, it is a life saver. If you can't sleep in the BRAVA try some Benadryl (it helps with itchy domes and knocks you out so you can sleep).

The first photo is me before ANYTHING. I am a 32A, 5'4" and 120lbs. My boobs are basically sacs of skin. The second set of pictures is after wearing BRAVA (my boobs were actually bigger than that right before surgery). The final picture was post op (lots of swelling). I am 3 weeks out right now and have not worn BRAVA for 48 hours plus and I seem to be holding steady at really nice 34C. My PS did a great job enhancing by cleavage are, so even without a pushup bra my breasts look great.

Wow! That's great that you're holding onto the transferred tissue! Thanks for explaining the chronology, it's helps a lot. The Brava seems to be a key player in this procedure. Do you think the increase from the Brava alone would stick around if you had stopped wearing it? Did your doc do any Stem Cell treatments to the fat? Thanks for sharing!

It was a rental through my PS. It is not necessary but really helpful. I got tons of more cycling done with it in the last week. The more expansion you have before the fat transfer the more fat you can get in and the better survival. You had implants so you probably have a lot more space than I did. In the end I was expanded to a 34D and am now a 34C so I think it helped.