I was a 38 G and i have been wanting a breast reduction for years i finally did it I’m so pleased with my surgeon he was amazing I did have some complications but I’m praying to heal and recover fast.
First off, I'm 41 and I stand at 5’5”. I have no children, and currently weigh 155 pounds. I've seen something similar to my story repeated on here by so many women. This is a bit long, but it's partly for me to just get it down, like a journal of sorts. I got my breasts as a young lady, and they came in fast. When I was 11 I was starting a new school, and I was shopping for “back-to-school” clothes with my mom. There was this tank top I wanted badly. It wasn't something I normally wore. She splurged and got me two! It gave me a little confidence going in, which I needed because I had social anxiety. As the year passed I made new friends, and as the year passed my boobs started to grow. By the end of that school term those tank tops became half shirts that barely covered the bottom of my matronly bra I was now forced to wear every day. The next year was another new school where I quickly became “that girl with the big boobs”, and was receiving unwanted attention from the boys and the girls. I started wearing larger shirts to try to hide my still growing bosoms, but they were always apparent. Time passed and my breasts continued to garner attention, only sometimes I was flattered and able to use them to my advantage. C’mon, we've all done this at some point. During that time I often wore the wrong bra size, because going that size up meant nothing at all stylish was available. And forget going into VS with my friends to try something on. That was a lesson in embarrassment. Nope, I'll just wait here with my soft pretzel and people watch. As I got older I began to work in finance, and was suddenly required, as I climbed the ladder, to step up my professional clothing game. Okay, nothing with buttons would work, so certain blouses and jackets were out. The tops I could wear had to be big enough to cover my breasts fully, which meant the clothing was too large for my size 10-12 frame. Jumping to years later, every time I go in for my annual physical my physician asks “is this going to be the year you decide to have the reduction?”. I always say “no” and consider it for, like, a second and then drop it from my mind. However, I turned 41 last year. The previous 2 years some depression had caused a 20 pound weight gain, and although I was trying hard to eat clean and work it off, I was having trouble because working out too much was painful. My back and neck were always sore, I was getting those underside rashes, and my migraines were getting worse. This year at my physical when my doctor asked me that same question again I said “sign me up!”. He gave me the name of a plastic surgeon he had heard good things about (A. Gupta) and I called the next day to make an appointment. Once I met him I felt very comfortable, and didn't seek a second consultation with another surgeon. He told me I was a 36 G (holy crapoli I had never bought a G bra before), and I was an excellent candidate for the surgery. Just had to get a mammogram, and in the meantime he would contact my insurance in order to get the approval we needed to move ahead. Mammogram was fine, but I knew the insurance was going to be a battle. Aetna refuses everything initially, and you then have to fight to get it overturned. His office staff knew this and were on to the next step before I even got my denial letter in the mail. Awesome job ladies! My insurance finally said they would approve the surgery, but only if the doctor removes at least 745 grams from each breast. That was considerably more than my doctor had proposed. They use a standard calculation based on your height and weight (remember I had gained a few pounds and at that time was at 168) to make the determination. What's funny is on the Anthem BC website the same calculation would have required the doctor to take at least 500 grams. Told you Aetna was the worst! Finally discussed it with him and said I just want this pain to stop, so let's do the surgery. I'm shooting for a decent sized C cup, but I'm getting whatever satisfies the insurance and he deems to be symmetrical, while staying closest to my goal. He's also doing liposuction under each arm to make sure they are “streamlined”. (I laughed at that). That way the incision won't ever be visible if I have a top or bra on, and there won't be any flap of skin hanging out when I wear a tank top or sleeveless dress. I've seen some of the photos on here where the surgeon tried to cut back farther than the actual breast and remove tissue. They do not look, cosmetically, like what I want to have. So I'm getting an anchor incision, and underneath it will be completely hidden in the crease. Since I'm already paying for the underarm lipo, I am having him do my stomach and flanks as well. A) the machinery will already be out, and B) I am eating clean and have been working out diligently until a couple of weeks ago without seeing a huge improvement in my belly. I know there are some sort of abs under there. So, my pre-op appointment is 05/25/17, and my scheduled surgery date is 06/02/17. I thought I might as well start posting my story now because journaling, and making lists and/or spreadsheets, soothes my anxiety. My goal is to be prepared because I don't want to worry as the day gets closer. I'm excited (that might sound weird), and I feel like going into something knowledgeable and with a positive attitude can make a huge difference in your recovery. I'm now compiling a list of questions to ask at the pre-op appointment. So far I have about 40ish. Really. Lol. RealSelfers are there any questions you wish you had asked your doctor prior to your surgery but didn't? Updated on 16 May 2017: Just over a week away from my pre-op appointment and I'm anxious. I have been getting supplies I will need together so everything is ready for surgery day. Want to make sure my mom has what I think she'll need to take care of me, and want to ensure I have whatever is going to make me comfortable after the surgery. I've probably gone overboard with the planning at this point, but that's just who I am. Haha. Herein lies the anxiety...while I am really excited about my upcoming procedures, it's hitting me how much things are costing that I hadn't really thought about. On top of what I have to buy pre-surgery, then there will be the expense of new bras (regular wireless, then underwire and exercise) and new tops that aren't XL (basically my whole closet), and possibly new skirts/shorts/jeans if the lipo changes the size in my bottom half. It's adding up to more and more each day. I don't know why the thought hadn't occurred to me sooner, but now it has me worrying. Updated on 25 May 2017: Today is my pre-op appointment and I couldn't be more excited. I've got my long list of questions to have the doctor answer today. I'm so ready for this surgery! I've stopped taking my multivitamin and fish oil supplements. I'm now only on Vitamins C & A, Zinc, Iron, and a probiotic (to counteract the effects of the antibiotic I anticipate he'll prescribe). I'm making sure I eat adequate amounts of protein and fiber as well. I plan to start my Arnica two days pre-op, and will begin the Bromelain supplement after I get home from the procedure. The day or two prior to my surgery I'm going to start replacing some meals with nutrient dense semi-liquid, or even liquid, foods to help combat the constipation from the anesthesia and pain meds. I can't imagine having the pain from the liposuction and being constipated. Yuck! So skipping off to the pre-op I go! Updated on 11 Jun 2017: I know I haven't updated since my pre-op appointment. Had my surgery just over a week ago and couldn't feel better! (Will post pics). The first day there was nausea, which has always been an issue for me with anesthesia. The anesthesiologist gave me 3 different anti-nausea drugs via IV during the procedure, and a Scopolamine patch to go home with. There was discomfort in the breast area. I'm not sure I would actually call it pain. It was easily controlled with the meds the doctor gave me, as long as I didn't wait too long between doses. About 4 hours apart worked. I downloaded an app that helped me keep track of when I took all of my supplements, as well as the pain medication and antibiotics. It turned out to be very useful. There was bruising on the places where I had lipo by the end of the day. Unfortunately this bruising, and swelling, traveled down below my abdomen to my pelvic region. That was uncomfortable. I slept in a recliner in a semi-upright position to limit swelling in the breasts, and applied cold packs (frozen peas work wonderfully for this as they mold to your body shape) in a 15-20 minute on and 1 hour off interval. I walked around as much as possible to prevent any blood clots, and to basically get my body to start working on healing. Day 2 there was pain, but mainly a soreness. I was bruised all over which explains that feeling. The pain meds did their job and it wasn't too rough. I was back to eating semi-solid food instead of broth. Day 3 I was up walking and eating regularly with minimal pain. Overall the hardest part of this experience has been the lipo, which is exactly what the doctor told me would be the case. I got to shower this day and was so scared I would do something wrong. My stitches are covered by tape that will stay on for a month, so there really wasn't a lot I could do to mess them up. I washed by myself, gently and with the same chlorhexidine soap I had to use the night before and day of surgery. My breasts are so little, which was a surprise when I looked in the mirror after my shower. Like I said, the incisions are covered with tape, so I didn't get the shock of seeing them. But I did get to see my nipple, and the outline of the incision around it which has decreased my areola size. It looks completely proportionate to my new breasts. Since then I've felt fine, just the bruised feeling all over. I have been using Arnica and Bromelain and the bruising in some areas is healing relatively fast. I've actually felt so good it's it's been hard to remember not to do certain things that could rip a stitch, like reach up too high or try to get a full gallon of milk out of the refrigerator. I saw my doctor 6 days after the surgery for my post-op and he is happy with my healing. I go back in one week to get the sutures from my lipo out, and to make another appointment for him to remove the tape on my breasts. Overall this has been easier than I expected, which I definitely owe to the skill of my surgeon (Gupta), and I believe to the strict vitamin, supplement and nutrition regimen I've been on since a week and a half before my surgery. I truly believe it's the reason I had no adverse reaction to the antibiotics which usually tear my stomach apart, and the reason I've had so much energy and so little pain. It helps to plan ahead!!! Updated on 20 Jun 2017: I'm 18 days post-op. These are updated photos since I never posted any immediately after surgery. Little if any bruising leftover from the underarm lipo. I noticed three days ago my nipples started getting hard in the cold again. While I appreciate that it's a little uncomfortable at the moment. Everything has progressed well according to my surgeon, and I get the tape off in one week. The I will finally get a look at the incisions. Updated on 17 Aug 2018: This is the regimen I followed before my surgery to prepare my body. I believe this protocol was a key reason I had minimal side effects/complications. Pre-Surgery Vitamins/Nutrition is essential... Zinc, Arnica, Vitamin C, Iron, etc.
Breast Reconstruction My second stage II breast reconstruction for dcis grade 3 b/c, is good to go with talented, (board certification+experience) soft spoken, ( concerned +focused )micro-surgeon Dr Gupta. He will complete a reduction and lift on both breast. Finding that trust we placed in our doctor's... deep inhale long slow breath...it's big, but I also think the knowledge of our own intuition., it is just as powerful and should be respected . Soooooo marching on with this mantra “ my surgeon's is blessed with skill and integrity, I shall be just fine.' In 2011 I had unilateral skin sparing mastectomy and a free tram flap by different surgeons in the OC. It was a big surgery I think, but in time my body& mind healed. I took a break from having the second aesthetic part of surgery, trauma, funerals and family stuff to grieve and recover from. So moving forward , I'm ready.....feeling physically fit (tennis)and mentally strong ( yoga&meditation) . :we are like a little branch that quivers during a storm, doubting our strength and forgetting we are the trunk of a tree,.... deeply rooted to withstand all life’s uphill. Dodinsky Updated on 11 Jul 2015: You can only ring that bell so many times before you hear" OK what do you want now "--haha my husband, I call him nurse Nancy said I already look 10 pounds thinner, he's is so cute! Updated on 13 Jul 2015: Today went for a walk by the ocean, beautiful day, felt good, healing fast. Updated on 13 Jul 2015: Updated on 13 Jul 2015: Just a pic Updated on 16 Jul 2015: Back scratch-er ( daughter bought it at the one dollar store... so sweet) All finish with antibiotics, stop prescription pain meds now just on Tylenol. So today’s prescription are.... develop healthy relationships,exercise regularly, eat healthy foods, help others less fortunate than you, laugh more, play more, learn to relax. Stay away from negativity and look for the positive even in challenging situations. Updated on 27 Jul 2015: So today felt good to be back at my regular tennis, had no problem it was really fun and fast game. Still a little swollen in my free flap breast, but I know it will take awhile to settle down. All my tennis pals were pretty impressed how fast I healed and back on the courts playing... better then ever! Updated on 5 Oct 2015: Live life.
I had an extremely disappointing experience with Dr. Abhay Gupta. Initially I came to him for help and relief. I had experienced acute discomfort when one of my breast implants failed. I went through an extremely problematic process and an unsuccessful treatment by Dr. Gupta, but he would never acknowledge this reality, though it was confirmed by second opinion. I felt and looked disfigured/lopsided. My areolas were different sizes, as were my breasts. When wearing a non-padded bra my right breast did not fill the cup so the material on that side wrinkled. I told him that I was ashamed to allow my husband to see my post-surgery breasts and that even I avoided looking at them in the mirror. In fact throughout the many months of my association with him he never displayed any degree of compassion, though he witnessed my pain and suffering. He repeatedly told me to just be patient. I always found it odd that, although he took “before” photos, he never took “after” photos of my surgery. After six months I asked him about revision surgery and he stated that he could do that but it was up to me. It appeared that in his eyes my results were satisfactory. At that point, I had lost all faith in him. I appealed to him later for reimbursement telling him that I planned to have revision surgery with a doctor I could trust, but received no response. The revision surgery I had with my new surgeon was excellent but it will take an additional correction to rectify the damage done to me by Dr. Gupta. I have yet to hear any response from Dr. Gupta. I had trusted him to do the right thing. Now I believe that his counsel to be patient was motivated by his desire to avoid a malpractice lawsuit (which I had not considered). I now know that the time limit to file such an action in court is one year under California law.
I'm going to get 485 cc silicone implants, my surgery is in about 8 days and I'm really excited to finally be doing this. Getting a breast augmentation is something I've been wanting to do since I was 17 and after 3 breast fed babies, my husband is making my dream come true. This week I'm going to prep everything I need for the surgery and the weeks following for my recovery. N
Hello. Examining your pictures, you do have some ptosis (drooping or sagging) of the breast tissue and the nipples are pointing downwards. In my opinion, this would require a breast lift to correct the nipple areola position and restore your breast projection. A breast implant alone would not correct your breast sagging, unless you perhaps had a very large implant placed over the muscle, but I would not recommend that treatment. There also seems to be a small amount of tuberous breast deformity and a breast lift would be the better option to correct this at the same time. You can choose to have an implant placed at the same time (I would recommend under the muscle) depending on your desired breast volume, upper pole fullness, central projection and medial cleavage. Good luck with your surgery!
Hello, although it is quite expected to have areas of tenderness and pain in your breasts so soon after breast augmentation surgery, including bruising and swelling, these can also sometimes be early signs of a complication. I would therefore recommend that you contact your surgeon's office and speak with his staff about your concerns. I am sure your surgeon has arranged for a nurse or another surgeon to cover his practice while he is on vacation.
Hello. Thank you for your question and helpful photos. I'm sorry you're not happy with your breast appearance. To me, it looks like you have a mild tuberous breast deformity, which is actually very common. It is due to some tight skin and tissue that does not expand enough to allow the developing breast tissue to achieve a natural shape during puberty. Since it is a developmental breast deformity, tuberous breast reconstruction is often covered by medical insurance, so check with your insurance plan before you pay for any surgery out of pocket. One of the keys to correcting tuberous breast deformity is to release the tight tissue envelope. In my practice, I would recommend a periareolar (aka donut) mastopexy to lift the nipple-areolae and correct their size and shape. Through the same incision, the tight tissues underneath are cut or scored to allow the breast tissue to expand and assume a more natural shape. Depending on your desired breast volume and shape, a breast implant can also be placed at the same time or another option is fat grafting if you do not want a breast implant. In my practice, I usually do this (fat grafting) as a second stage. Hope that helps, and good luck with everything!
Hello. Thank you for your question. Examining your pictures, I see some breast asymmetry and some ptosis (drooping or sagging of the breast tissue). Both of these would be corrected by a breast lift and I would personally recommend an anchor type lift based on your breast shape. Breast implants alone would not correct your breast sagging but can be used at the same time as a lift if you want more upper fullness, central projection, medial cleavage or just more volume. Based on pictures alone, it is difficult to predict how much breast volume and upper fullness you would have after a lift alone. That would require examination in person but it does appear to me that you have a reasonable amount of tissue in your breasts. Ultimately the choice of implants or no implants would depend on your desired postoperative breast appearance and volume. Good luck with your surgery!
Hello ashlwar84,Thanks for your question and a big congratulations on your remarkable weight loss achievement!For the best results from any post-weight loss reconstruction surgery, it is best to wait until you reach your weight loss goal and your weight is stable for several months. For most patients this usually takes between 12 and 18 months from the date of the bariatric procedure, but in your exceptional case it may take longer.Basically, you do not want to undergo major body contouring surgery if you are still losing weight. Any fluctuation in weight after your reconstructive surgery can result in a recurrent droopy skin pannus and therefore significantly compromise your results. It is therefore much better for a long-lasting result if your weight stays stable after surgery. You are the best judge of what weight you can achieve and maintain long-term.Good luck! Sincerely, Abhay Gupta, MD.
