Breast Lift: Stories

Yes, I taken pictures I just have to get on my laptop, as Realself won't let you upload from cell phone

Sadly I developed capsular contracture on my right breast. Im having a revision to remove the capsule . My surgery is in 10 days. I just took some new pictures and will update my blog tomorrow.

Zsuzsika me too! U developed a capsule in my right breast as well. I had it removed and it has developed again ; ( in 12 days I having is removed again.

Hi ladies! I am sad to hear of more girls with CC. I have it in my left side as well and was diagnosed at 5 months post op. I have researched a lot and would suggest that after the initial "regular" capsulectomy if you get CC again, dont do another regular capsulectomy. You really should consider a capsulectomy with strattice. It reduces your chances of recurrence to less than 1%. It is more expensive , but so will continuing to get capsulectomies and getting CC over and over. If you have a regular capsulectomy after the initial BA and dont get it again. You will be the lucky ones. Please consider what I say and ask your doctor. If he doesnt know how to do it or much about it, see someone else. Good luck ladies.

Hi Scrappy! Did you get the strattice?

Scrappy! Yes I'd like to know if you got strattice as well? That is what my doctor is recommending I do. I am just a little concerned about putting a pig skin in me : ( but I have to do something. The other option is a human skin??? Which is even more scary. In last capsulectomy my doc used the same implant again this time I will get a new one. I wonder if that would have prevented me from getting the CC again if he would have use a new one? I wish there was another option to the skin.

Sorry to disappoint ladies....I have not had the surgery yet! My doc is charging me an arm and a leg so I have to wait ($8,000!). At the time I wasnt working, now that I am I have to save some money as my student loans have come due and have a pretty large monthly payment. I believe my PS will do a good job so I dont want to consider going to someone else. He is just expensive, unfortunately. But I believe that I am paying for quality. He will only do 1 capsulectomy on you without strattice and if you get it again (which is a 33% chance- 1 in 3 people will get it again) he will not do another capsulectomy on you without it. FitDiva, I would not worry that it is "pigskin." It has been used on many other types of surgeries for many years in preventing rejection of implants... including hearts. It is our only chance in not getting CC again. Just try not to think about it. In the research that I have done, studies have shown that bacteria is usually present in CC cases. In my opinion every PS should ALWAYS use a new (sterile) implant, remove the whole capsule, re-wash the pocket, and apply antibiotics in the pocket again. They dont know that the bacteria causes it, but it is definitely there once you have CC. I think the method I just stated gives us the best possible chance. But again, there is no definitive cause of it. Anyways, I feel like I'm rambling. FITDIVA- I am curious, how much is your doc charging for the capsulectomy with strattice? Please read this article it really explains it well. And if either of you get the strattice please let me know. But from what I hear it is basically "the fix" and worth the cost. READ>>>http://www.cosmeticsurgerychronicle.com/success-with-strattice/

Scrappy i heard great things about it but just can't pay for strattice. My ps said he uses strattice and he saw the cc coming back, seldom but it does. He uses new implant, drain, and ultrasound therapy but still, for some it will come back. I just got divorced with 2 small kids, using all my 3500 savings to do this . Already paid 9300 for the lift and implant a year ago. I decided if the capsulectomy and fat transplant won't work and get cc again I'll explant. I just can't spend all that money for 'rolling the dice' . Wish I could wait for another year and save up for new implants and strattice but my right breast is so deformed and grossly ugly that I am embarrassed to wear bathing suit or as newly single do any kind of dating. My ps has pretty good success rate with fat grafting around the implant so I try that. We will see. I'll update you how it went. Surgery is on the 14th :-)

Hey Z, so sorry to hear about what you are going through! I can really sympathize about the money issue too. Early on I had considered explanting as well b/c I felt like I would just get CC again and again and there was no guarantee. But strattice is the best bet. I will prob. be able to keep them if I do that, otherwise I would have explanted as well. Just make sure you check out the explant forum and see pics so you can know what to expect if you explant. It could be shocking. Many gals are depressed for a while. All that could be hard on the dating scene too. What is the price difference in what your PS is charging for the regular one and the strattice?

Strattice would cost about 8 grand total. He would only do it with new sets of implant. So it all adds up. I keep the fat grafting option plus he'll do a little internal bra lift as my left lost a bit of fullness . Yes, explaining is my last option. I kinda wish I only did a lift without implant. But now I love the full and little 'fake' look it's hard to go back to flat hanging boobs. If I have a bra on that keeps the girls in place the cc is not noticeable . But wouldn't take my bra off front of a new date .The scarring from the lift plus the cc is not very appealing I'm sure... Lol

Ouch! I was hoping for your sake your doc was charging less than mine. But I guess not! To finance it through care credit makes a huge monthly payment, so I am going to try to save up for a while and finance the last 3 grand if possible. I know what you mean about loving the fullness. Hard to go back. Is your CC painful yet? I confess I am worried about you getting this next surgery. You dont think it would be better to just save that money and wait to get the strattice instead? Just keep your bra on or turn out the lights. Lol. Or better yet, just give him your good boob. =)

Sorry, that last part I meant your date. =)

Lol.. I'll keep the bra on for now:-) luckily I don't have problem getting attention from men and my boobies are not the only thing I get noticed for but it deff. helps for my confidence. Did not help my marrige tho.. Yes , actually my cc is getting painful. Not constant pain but little sharp occasional pain. My ps specialize in fat transfer and saw some of his work he did with cc. I told him if cc returns I'll explant and do fat transfer to fill up naturally. But really that's my last option

Thanks scrappy! My PS isn't charging me anything for the surgery. More than likely I will have to pay anesthesia again though. My ps has been wonderful and is making sure I'm happy and satisfied with this procedure he's been there every step of the way...for that I'm soo grateful. Originally I paid top dollar for a mommy makeover including implants, a lift and a TT it was 19k. Technically according to my paperwork he can charge to redo for "complications" which a cc is considered a complication. But I'm happy that he is not. I'll try to forget its pigskin and just go for it I guess. What about alloderm? Do you know anything about that one? That's the human skin. It's supposed to be better but more expensive. Hate that I'll have to do a drain again. Really??? All this for boobies?....Yep! Lol! ; ) I do not want to think about explant as I'm all in now! I've Invested too much at this point. May as well try this last resort to fix it. Still there are no guarantees. I pray this fixes everything. I can't imagine life without my twins so no explanting.

Z, so your doc will do the Strattice and a new implant on the left side even though its ok and without cc? I told my doc not to bother the left its perfect. He agreed it was no need to touch that one. Scrappy is your doc gonna do the non cc breast too? And Z so u can see your lift scars? Post new pics so I can see what they look like. Mine have healed pretty good. I got the lollipop incision. Did you get the anchor or lollipop?

No, I get my old implant back and can't afford strattace, I get fat transfer from my legs to both boobs and he will do a little internal suture to lift up both a bit. Fat will make it fuller and little lift make it higher. I think mine dropped a bit , the good soft one and would like to get it higher . I will post new pics when I get to my laptop. Scarring is so so..my left did not heal the best but that's my least of the worry

Scrappy! Lol at turn out the lights and give him your good boob. Lol! Z, my marriage went thru a rough patch after implants but getting better now. My cc is big hard and high. I can't hug people because it feels like a softball is between us. I have to reject hugs or side hug on my good side. I can't wait to get this done. Occasionally I get a sharp pain but I haven't in a while. Z, so your doc will do ultrasound therapy too? Is it that Aspen machine/technique? Scrappy, I need to read more cc stories how can I find them on here? Is there a forum? Maybe we should start one. I'll ask my ps at my appt this week what grade I am. I think I'm a 4. Z, I'm excited to see your results from fat transfer.

I'm sorry Z I was referring to the quite for 8 grand. Did that include the left side as well or just the right side?

I don't know what machine he has. But we will start doing the therapy ASAP after surgery . I'm not so lucky my original surgeon is not helpful, don't give a crap about me. I got fed up with him, and found a new ps right here in my small town literally 5 min from my house. He is wonderful, wish I went with him the first place, instead travelled all the way to Tampa. I still think my new doc is reasonable even tho he didn't do my first surgery. Deff. don't want to rip me off, given me all options... My marriage was a mess before and boobs didn't help to fix problems. But all is good now, and I couldn't be happier as a single mom:-)

8 grand would be replacing both implant( for high profile )and going under muscle. Plus strattice on right side only.

Hey FitD, no I havent heard too much about using allerderm for CC. I imagine it's basically the same and has the same results. But for the price I would just do the Strattice. If you read that article it goes through a process and there isnt much resemblance left by the time they are done processing it for use. Being charged for anesthesia is fair although it is still disgruntling to those who have already paid an arm and a leg. As far as pain goes I am getting little aches here and there. I think it is getting a little worse, but lucky for me it has been slow. We were hoping the US therapy slowed or stopped it from progressing. It did last me a while I guess. 7 months later...and pretty much the same. I would like to know if one of you do the Aspen therapy how that works out. There is a explant forum here on RS. Just go to the top of this page, on the left click "reviews" and go to "implant removal" i think its called. Mine is $8K for ONLY the left side. We are leaving the good boob alone.