After 3 C-sections and nursing my babies over the course of a ten year span, my breasts were sagging and my belly was stretched. At 39, I decided to gift myself with a “mommy makeover” to restore my body and my confidence. Although the journey was an emotional rollercoaster... at 3 months post op, I’m SO glad I did it and consider it totally worth it. Dr. Kulkarni at DC Plastic Surgery Boutique in Washington DC was AMAZING. Her practice is a “for women, by women” concept that had me feeling comfortable from the consultation stage all the way through post op care. Dr. K is knowledgeable and honest about all of your plastic surgery options. She isn’t pushy about additional work that could be done to “improve” your body, as I experienced with other doctors I consulted with. She’s a skilled and talented surgeon with the added bonus of feeling like your best friend when you’re in her care. I can’t recommend her enough! ALLLLLL the heart emojis.
Great doctor and a pleasure to work with. Results are amazing. Dr. Kulkarni was very thoughtful and caring during all of my appointments and made me feel very calm pre-surgery and was available to answer all my concerns post surgery. I would happily recommend her to anyone.
I decided to have a double mastectomy after I found out that I am positive for the BRCA2 mutation, which puts me at a high lifetime risk for breast and ovarian cancer. I wanted to have breast reconstruction because I thought I would feel more like myself and have more confidence. I needed to find out more about the different types of breast reconstruction and what my best options were.
My first surgery for a bi-lateral mastectomy started in February of 2016. During the entire pre-surgical visits, surgeries, and follow-up visits, Dr. Anita Kulkarni, her wonderful staff of nurses and office staff treated me so lovingly and showed so much empathy. Dr. Kulkarni is so professional and highly qualified to perform the necessary plastic surgery after the my mastectomy and all breast reconstruction . Whenever I see her, she is so full of light, happy, treats me like a good friend, and when she has to talk about the medical side of things she is so professional and makes the transition seamless. I cannot thank her enough for saving my life and being unbelievably terrific!
My Boobs have always been saggy and they got worst after childbirth and breastfeeding. Before Surgery I was a 38DD. After my second baby I decided to go ahead and get it done. In pretty sure I am done having kids. This is the best decision I have made! I'm so happy so far and I'm only 4 days post op! My boobs were very saggy so just my removing skin my doc said my the actual size of my boobs will decrease even though she only did a lift. I can't wait to see what the size will be.
Getting a breast reduction had been a thought for several years. Wanting to have smaller breast and feel normal is want I longed for but never saw myself going through with the procedure. Although, I never publicly stated I was unhappy with having large breast and a discussion with my family and friends regarding my desire to have a reduction was never a topic I chose to bring up. I had a war going on within me, lots of questions for myself, what questions would others ask, how do I seek treatment , will I be denied the operation and how do I live my life afterwards if I were to go through with the procedure? I had a consultation with one physician about 3 years ago, who was nice, polite, respectful in her delivering of a dressing my concerns and even measured me. I felt relieved, extremely hopeful and one step ahead until....I was told I have to loose 60 lbs and come back in 2 months before she would consider doing the procedure. I was crushed, leaving feeling worse than I had before going in the office. I had started a weight loss program already, doing well but I know my body and exercise is what was missing. It was almost impossible to run, jog, do jumping jacks or even lay flat on my back to do sit ups without, feeling like I was about to choke. I then dismissed the thought of having a breast reduction until a year later when I had an opportunity to schedule a consultation with another physician, at a different office and separate entity...year two (2). I didn't go through with it because I didn't feel support from the staff at this office, no drive or thrive in serving me, I felt no connection. And then there was year three, 3 times the charm, 3rd consultation and instead of 3 strikes and you're out...3rd time having a passionate feeling about having a breast reduction and I was told yeeessssss. My sugery date was scheduled immediately! I use to have to buy larger size coats and shirts, I wore three bras...an under wire, soft cup and sports bras ALL at once. Not to give me better support alone but also an effort to hold my breast in place. I was a 38fff, I know unheard of right, 9 out of 10 stores do not carry a 38fff and staff who never heard of the size. I'm now a 38dd...BIG difference. I feel GREAT, AMAZING and ALIVE all over again. Most people who I have talked to regarding having a breast reduction worried mainly about loosing sensation, I didn't care, I would rather take a chance with having no sensation than wrestling with trying to live a healthy and more sociable life for the rest of my life. Did I mention already....I feel ALIVE!!! My family and friends were shocked to learn of how I had been feeling for many years, my trio of bras, etc but they supported me by cheering and rooting me on. There were a few who thought having a breast reduction was not necessary and my signature. I had already prayed about having the procedure before talking openly about and there was no room for any discouragement. I have no regrets and feel passionate about supporting others in making the decision that's best for them. Having a breast reduction or any other major operation takes maturity, commitment and responsibility. One must have a support system of people to bed at your bedside before and after surgery, and while home recovering. Not having a support system can interfere with one being able to heal properly as well as results. I followed the doctors orders and I'm truly thankful to my family, friends and medical team! Updated on 13 Dec 2015:
I breastfed 3 kids and my boobs paid the price! They were totally deflated, I used to be a 34C, and I was barely an A after the 3rd kid. Dr. Kulkarni did my breast augmentation with silicone implants and I absolutely LOVE them! It's been almost a year and they look awesome. My clothes fit so much better and I don't look like a little boy when I wear tight stuff. I would definitely recommend getting your boobs done if breastfeeding wrecked them like it did to mine.
I sprouted large breasts at 19, that varied from D to DD depending on the season. Constantly had sore shoulders and back. When I turned 29, I started have serious issues with candida from exercising and it got worse when I used the prescription strength deodorant under my breasts, broke out with eczema.
So far I've had 3 different insurances. 2 of which have said they won't cover anything until my 6K out of pocket is maxed out. My newest insurance says that my breast reduction is covered and i only have to pay $250 out of pocket! After this confirmation, I have seen 2 different surgeons. The first was in Maryland and I really wanted to do the surgery with her (Dr. Kulkarni) but since I go to college full time (pursuing my BS in Cell and Molecular Biology) I couldn't afford to take time off and I wanted the surgery done ASAP. So I decided to look at another doctor where I live (Dr. Greenwald) and their customer service was the WORST EVER. So I kicked them to the curb and went back to Kulkarni since my graduation is coming up and I have no job lined up yet (fingers crossed) and I have my surgery scheduled for May 21. I am very excited but still worried about getting approved for the pre-certification as I have not gone to any physical therapy (b/c its expensive AF and I'm broke) nor have I gone to a chiropractor (for the same reason). I have gone to the clinic multiple times for my back and have been prescribed cyclobenaprine (muscle relaxant) multiple times for my horrible back pain. All of the surgeons and my PCP have all recommended the surgery for me and have said I'm likely to be approved due to the years I've had it. I'm a 5 foot 1 petit girl and I've had 32DDD/F since high school (when I was 109 lbs) and ever since freshman year I have had terrible shoulder pain. I would be in marching band and my shoulder felt like it was in searing pain. It inhibits me from standing, even sitting for long periods which is a pain when I need to crank out a study session. Now I still have the terrible shoulder pain but also a sharp pain in my spine (around me neck area at one of the vertebre). The pain is terrible, All the clothes I wear either engulf my whole body or it looks like my boobs are about to pull a Micheal Schofield and bust out my clothes. Without a bra it looks like I have no torso because while the nipples are perky, they boob itself hang all the way down to my belly button, and I'm really short so I barley have a torso to begin with. My body looks like Neck line -> Boobs -> Legs. My underboob looks like the gobi desert and I've tried lotion/vaseline but its still discolored and often times very dry. I cant run because it hurts too much. I don't double bra it because then I cant breath well so when I exercise I just keep to bike, rower, and swimming. In 2017 I was 139 pounds and as of March 30 I am 130 pounds. I am trying to get down to at least 120 before the surgery. Updated on 9 May 2018: Monday: I went in for my pre-op appointment with the surgeon and my father forgot to tell me that the insurance was expiring and there was a 30 grace period before re-enrollment. PANIC! It's 2 weeks before the surgery...What am I going to do with out the insurance?? Everything was ready to go and they were going to pay for ALL of it. I started crying in the doctors office because of the HUGE mess. The rest of the day was spend trying to find insurance. Dad bought another insurance, won't be active until Friday (latest Monday, praying it doesn't come to that). Mom put me on her insurance, won't take effect for a few days. All of this technology and yet it still takes days for information to process?! Wednesday: Went in for my physical with my PCP, insurance hasn't been processed yet AND they lost the paperwork that the surgeon sent. So, I have to go back on Monday. At this point I'm praying that the surgery will still happen! I'm still salty but it is literally out of my hands now, there is nothing I can do but be patient. If insurance still hasn't kicked in by Friday, then bye-bye to the surgery. Surgery still scheduled for May 21st. Updated on 10 May 2018: I was not approved for the insurance because I was consulted for the surgery before I started the insurance...This is a real disappointment. I still have the other insurance, but the deductible needs to be paid before they will pay for the surgery which is about $6,000. I'm going to have to wait another year before this happens, which is extremely upsetting. Updated on 29 May 2018: I was able to be put back on my mother's insurance and I have the money to cover the expenses. My new surgery date is June 11th, which is coming up quickly! I'm really hoping everything go smoothly this time. Updated on 31 May 2018: The surgeon called yesterday and told me I was approved for the surgery! It is sort of unbelievable that this is actually happening after all the sh*t that I went through before. I was so lucky that she had an opening so soon after we had to cancel the other one. I'm planning on going from a 32DDD/F to a 32C. I'm really excited, only 10 more days! Updated on 10 Jun 2018: Very excited for my surgery tomorrow. I'm going to get there at 12 and the surgery happens at 2:30 PM. I'm opting to go for a smaller size, around a full 32B/ small 32C. I had a little scare with the insurance, with the doctor possibly being 'out-of-network' but that was thankfully cleared up and we are back on! I have started bathing with antibacterial soap "Dial Gold". I'm washing my outfit tonight and my sheets tomorrow morning. The worst part about having an afternoon surgery is that I can't eat breakfast/lunch. One of my main concerns is the nausea that I have been reading about. I hate being nauseas and I hate throwing up. I'm thinking about getting a nausea patch from CVS. I'm picking up some easily digestible foods, and foods with fiber even though the surgeon gave me a prescription for a mild laxative. I'm staying with my mom so she is going to be making me soup. I have a history of bad acid reflux after taking a lot of medication at once, so I plan on eating a lot of yogurt to stabilize my gut microbiome. Also, I plan on taking daily vitamin as well as Bromelain to help reduce swelling. Updated on 13 Jun 2018: Let's start with operation day: I was not nervous, just excited. Right before going in, the doctor told me that the smallest she would go would be around a 32D/34C in order to keep my nipples alive. They marked me up, gave me the anesthetic and I was out like a light. Next thing I knew I woke up with no nausea (they told me they would give me anti-nausea medication) but I was in a lot pain (8/10 or so) so they gave me oxy via IV. They kept me in the post-op area until I could fully open my eyes and talk and drink. I tried using the bathroom but couldn't. I don't remember the drive home but once I got back home, I was able to pee a little bit, I drank some apple juice and ate some crackers and took a nap. Day 1 post op: I was taking 2 oxy every 6 hours along with anti-nausea medication. Eating was limited to oatmeal, fruits, and soup. I was able to have visitors and could go down steps. I can't sit up without support for too long. The part that hurts the most are under my boobs and the side. In order to minimize the pain, when I walk I tend to walk like a t-Rex. I am able to straighten out my back but it has to be done slowly. I can already feel the weight off my chest and shoulders. Already the best decision I ever made. The drains are going great and have slowed down in fluid production. I don't have any headache, fever, or chills. Just the pain in my boobs. Updated on 15 Jun 2018: I got my drains out today. It hurt a little bit but mostly just itches like crazy because of the stitches. The incisions look really minimal and my boobs are just the right size! I have full sensation in both my nipples (if not more sensation than before) which is a huge plus! I did come down with a cold and a slight fever yesterday so they pumped me full of an IV and oxy with acetaminophen. I still have the head cold and have been drinking soup and a lot of fluids to cope. I'm going to start taking the oxy at night time and Tylenol extra strength during the day with a lot of rest. The bra they gave me is very comfy if not a little itchy because of the sutures. I'll be showering tomorrow, finally, and she says I'm well on the road to recovery. I'm just hoping this cold goes away soon
The T-junction is the tightest spot in a tummy tuck and that can sometimes cause skin breakdown and an open wound. It looks like your wound is healing fine- no signs of infection and there is beefy red healing tissue at the base. At this point, you just have to keep it clean, moist, and allow your body time to heal the wound. It should heal just fine. Your scar may be a little wide at that point, but you can have that revised at a year if it doesn't end up looking exactly the way you want.
Hi! It has only been 6 weeks, so definitely give it more time before evaluating your results! There are 2 factors contributing to your swelling- the swelling under the skin and the bloating inside your belly from anesthesia/ fluids during surgery/ constipation. It can take months for all that swelling to normalize, so I would give it at least 6 months from surgery. In the mean time, try to get your bowel movements regular, reduce bloat-inducing foods, and wear your compression garment to improve swelling. Good luck!
Congratulations on your new baby!After a C-section, or any delivery, your body will continue to change for a period of time. Every woman is different, but in my experience (personal and professional), most women continue to change for about a year after childbirth. This is especially true if you are breastfeeding, as breastfeeding changes the shape and size of your breasts. -If you are breastfeeding, wait until at least 6 months after you stop breastfeeding before having breast surgery (lift or augmentation). Your breast volume will likely continue to decrease after you stop nursing. For most women, breast changes stop about 6 months after you stop breastfeeding.-If you are not breastfeeding, wait 6-12 months after delivery for your body to get to its final weight. If you are actively trying to lose weight, you want to be at your goal weight for about 3 months before you have surgery.It may seem like a long time to wait, but surgery is a big commitment and you want to get your best possible result the first time around. The last thing you want to do is have a great result from surgery and then lose 20 more pounds only to find yourself with sagging skin again!
First of all, you look fantastic for having had 4 kids, not everyone is so lucky! :)Any woman who has carried a pregnancy has changes to her belly and breasts that are nearly impossible to reverse with diet and exercise alone. I would recommend a short-scar breast lift, also known as a vertical mastopexy, to improve the shape of your breasts and nipples while leaving you with less scarring than the traditional wise-pattern breast lift (anchor scar). Your tummy looks like it has some bulging from stretching the muscle layer with pregnancy. This can be fixed with a tummy tuck with rectus plication, which is sewing the muscles back together where your babies pulled them apart!You're a great candidate for a mommy makeover, and I'm sure you would be thrilled with the result!Good luck!
