After several years of debating and trying to convince my husband, I am finally "taking the plunge". I am in my mid 40s, and have breast fed two children. I never had much to begin with. Currently I am a 32B (maybe).I have had two consultations with two different doctors. The first consultation was not as informative or comforting as I would have liked. However this doctor is closer to my home. She did not seem very happy and told me that the day after surgery, I would just "give them a call" to let them know how I was doing.The second consultation was with Doctor Kerner in Plano, TX. (3 hours from my home) I was extremely pleased with how much information and how thorough she is. She is wanting me to stay close and have a follow up the next morning. I will continue to see her for the next two to three weeks. Since I was so comfortable with her, I made my appointment for surgery! Updated on 1 Nov 2020: I have been hesitant to update my status. Not sure why, just procrastinating maybe? I am 46 yr old 2 adult children that I breastfeed a LONG TIME AGO! 127lbs. Pre surgery 32 A/B. Post surgery 32C To start off, I was unsure if the surgery was even going to happen on my appointment two weeks before surgery date.Because of COVID, we were unsure if she could get my implants. Three days after that appointment I received the call that we could move forward. Now, here I am eight days post surgery and so happy. Surgery was not as bad as I expected. Getting to the hotel after surgery was a different story. Because I cannot take acetaminophen, whatever they gave me for pain made me very nauseous. (The zofran did help.)I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. Dr. Kerner had to lift some muscle that was attached to my ribs on the left side. Because of that, there was some bruising. Considering all, I did not need any of the Vicoprofen, just muscle relaxers and tramadol for the first couple of days and ibuprofen after that. I think the most uncomfortable feeling was adjusting to the extra weight. Lol That kept me from being able to stand straight for any length of time. I am very happy with Dr. Kerner and my results. (I didn’t not want to go big). Updated on 14 Nov 2020: It has been 3weeks and 2 days and I have been doing great. I have been completely back to work for the past 2 weeks. (Hair stylist) And doing almost all of my normal activities except exercise. At my 1 week check up, I was already starting to have sensitivity as the nerves start healing. They are softening up nicely. I have an appointment next week and will discuss the right breast being slightly larger. Updated on 17 Jul 2021: I am 9 months In and enjoying how they turned out. They have dropped and fluffed nicely in my opinion. I don't "feel them" or notice them anymore, they now are just part of me. These pictures were taken a couple of months ago, March to be exact. But I was having trouble with my phone uploading them. My recovery was super easy. I'm not sure if that is because I have a very high pain tolerance or that Dr. Kerner is that good. Maybe a little of both. I am still very happy with my decision. My husband is also happy.
My Search for a Dallas Plastic Surgeon: I did a LOT of research and think the information may be useful to others. I had thought about having my cosmetic surgery procedure done for decades. As I'm approaching 60, I decided I really wanted to have it done if I could find someone I could completely trust. Dallas has LOTS of plastic surgeons. I was looking for certain qualities that are important to me in a Dallas plastic surgeon: 1. Experience - I wanted a surgeon who had performed lots and lots of procedures over many years - not just a doctor who's done lots of procedures all crammed into a few years 2. Knowledge - a surgeon who would answer my questions in detail, ask the right questions of me, and make the right recommendations for me. 3. Skill - a surgeon who is very detail-oriented and takes great pride in their work and their patients' outcomes and well-being. 4. Patience - I had a lot of questions and concerns and I wanted a surgeon who would meet with me personally and make me feel genuinely cared for. 5. Thoroughness - I did not want a surgeon who rushes through as many patients as possible, to make as much money as possible, in as short a time as possible. I wanted a surgeon with a keen attention. 6. Price - I was not looking for super-cheap bargain basement surgery, but also not over-priced. 7. Integrity - I wanted a surgeon whose words match up with their patients' outcomes and who respects my time and schedule. If my appointment is at 3, I expect to start at 3. Someone who will tell it to me like it is, so I would know what I am getting into, and what to expect and whether or not my expectations were realistic. 8. Safety - I was shocked to see a number of practitioners out there I felt uneasy with, some with very questionable records of safety, disciplinary actions and lawsuits. Their websites made them sound great, but often left out worrisome facts that I found only after careful research on the internet. 9. Trust - from past patients in the form of good, believable recommendations. I'm not looking for hundreds of unrealistic reviews. I wanted to hear the truth, both good and bad. 10. Location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area or North Texas for my convenience. I was surprised to find surgeons who claim to have locations they do not actually have, or who list their location multiple times under different names with just slightly different addresses. I wanted someone who is who they say they are, who goes by their own name so that I can look into their background, and who is located exactly where they say they are located. 11. Reputation - in the form of exceptional standing with regulatory agencies and their colleagues. No disciplinary actions, suspensions or lawsuits. 12. Education and certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and not some other similarly-named outfit. Until I started my research I had no idea that some people practice plastic surgery who aren't even plastic surgeons. Dentists, internal medicine specialists, plain old doctors - lots of kinds of medical professionals can seemingly just start calling themselves a plastic surgeon and they're off to the races. I was really surprised to see how many plastic surgeons are out there who say they are 'Board Certified' rather than certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which I found is verifiable online. 13. Respect of peers - I wanted a surgeon who other surgeons respect and admire who is known in the plastic surgery community as having a reputation for excellence. 14. A great staff - In my experience a doctor's staff can make or break a practice. I wanted to find a surgeon with superbly qualified nurses and assistants who mirrored the qualities of excellence I was looking for in my plastic surgeon. I didn't want do deal with a staff who raised my blood pressure or left me feeling uncertain before going in to have my plastic surgery. 15. I wanted my procedure to be done in a very safe, accredited, rock-solid facility. Not some odd hole-in-the-wall place in a strip mall by the side of the road, or right there next to some off-putting location. I was hesitant when I saw the actual offices of some plastic surgeons was very different than the impressions they made and the photos they had posted online. Again I was surprised to see so many plastic surgery outfits setup in a location where you'd expect to see a barbecue joint. I did not want a surgeon who cuts cost with their facility - perhaps at the cost of my safety. I wanted to be sure I was in the best environment possible in any contingency. 16. Lastly, I wanted to find a surgeon who is a good, solid 'whole person'. I wanted to find a doctor who not only excelled in plastic & cosmetic surgery but who was also active in their community, church, family, charities, organizations - whatever. Someone who contributes back to the world and community they are blessed to serve. I carefully researched over 30 Dallas plastic surgeons and cosmetic surgeons also in Plano TX, Frisco and Fort Worth. When I was done with my research, I finally chose a female Dallas Plano plastic surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Kerner. Having treated thousands of patients over 30 years in Dallas and Plano she has a rock-solid reputation. That meant a lot to me. Her experience speaks for itself in the quality of her work and her attention to detail. It was after lunch when I came in to their West Plano office for my consultation. Dr. Kerner had just come back into her office from a busy schedule of surgeries that morning. She was wearing a backpack and a black t-shirt, and she looked like a spry busy kid bouncing in from class. She looked fit, sharp, centered and very nice. I thought to myself, "So this is Dr. Liz Kerner, the surgeon I've heard so much about." I could picture her in the operating room effortlessly commanding respect, calling all the shots, running a tight ship, and making everything happen perfectly. She had a good presence and youthful energy about her, and her people clearly regard her very highly. Her staff immediately met her as she came in, took her back pack for her, exchanged briefings quietly in the back office area, then helped her into her white lab coat. In a few minutes one of her nurses opened the door to the waiting area, called my name and walked me back to one of the examination rooms and took my vitals. Dr. Kerner came in, right on time, introduced herself and treated me like I was her only patient of the day. Though she is clearly a highly-skilled doctor and surgeon, with amazing technical knowledge, she reminded me a little of my Mom: A high performer who makes the difficult seem easy and understandable, with a very quick mind and an easy, friendly, straight-forward demeanor and enjoyable humor. She was very personable and connected easily and personally with me, asking all the right questions to understand exactly what I wanted and what my preferences were. She took some measurements and recited some technical remarks and directions to her nurse who entered everything into their computer. After she fully understood what I wanted and asked questions to help me even better refine my vision of what I wanted, Dr. Kerner showed me and explained exactly what she could do, and exactly what to expect in my procedure, recovery, and my outcome. She made it very clear that my satisfaction and the outcome I wanted was paramount. The procedure went perfectly. I was impressed with how very detailed she is in her work, as well as her nurses' knowledge and skill. There was nothing at all that seemed rushed or imperfect in any way. Even when I came back to have my stitches removed I loved how meticulously and with such supreme delicacy she worked - like a jeweler faceting a fine diamond, and yet how relaxed and personable she is. She is so experienced and good at what she does, as I was asking questions while she worked, she never broke her concentration and was easily able to converse with me while maintaining that very skillful laser focus on what she was doing. My outcome has far exceeded my expectations, hence this long review. Everything she had told me turned out to be exactly true and accurate but even better than I expected.
I developed at a really young age - about 9 or 10. The people around me made me feel so uncomfortable and awkward about my body. Ever seen Carrie where the mom called her breasts bdirty pillows"? That's what I felt like being sexualized so young . I even think a family member called them that once (jokingly). I had very large pendulous breasts since high school, very hard to find bras, had severe back pain, shoulder groves, and even shortness of breath especially during exercise from the weight alone (Didn't help my asthma any). My breasts have always drawn far too much attention. Friends and strangers wanting to play with them, comment on them. Getting all sorts of cat calls mostly from nasty old men. I couldn't go to the grocery store without stares. Recently I was at the mall and a group of teens walked by. One of the boys in the group muttered "look at them overgrown a** [RS bleep]!" This has been a common occurrence in my life. It was time to get surgery. I was horrofied at the idea but my mom pushed me so hard to and I realized it was a necessity. Several consultations later, I found a great PS. I was upset that the only available day to get the operation was right before Christmas and my birthday because we met our insurance deductable and it had to be done by the end of the year to be covered. But I knew it had to be done and will be well worth it. Not sure about grams per side but had 9 lbs. in total removed and still a nice D cup. I honestly cannot believe I was carrying that much weight around. Updated on 30 Dec 2015: Hi! This is me 6 days PO. Even went I'm for a half day at work. Also had sutures removed. Still feeling pain and tightness/fullness in chest which affects my breathing every now and then. (Kinda of the same feeling as wearing a bra that's way too tight). Doing well overall!
Thanks to all of you that have shared your experiences! Your blogs have been SO helpful in making this decision! Had my consult for a BR over a year ago and then changed my mind. Flash forward a year later and the thought of buying yet another bathing suit that costs a fortune, barely covers the girls and has NO appreciable lift and my mind was made up! Life is too short! I am 51, 5'3'', 153 pounds and wear a 34HH. I would lilke to lose some weight, but really don't see a realistic weight for me being much less than about 135 pounds (as I do enjoy good food and wine!). At that weight, I am still a 34G and all boobs! Menopause has really seemed to change the weight of my boobs, I have some constant neck and shoulder pain, nothing intolerable but annoying! Didn't think my shoulder grooves could get any worse but they have! Trying to walk 3-4 times per week, lose about 3 more pounds and drink lots of water between now and surgery. I am SUPER excited, not nervous at all yet, poor hubby is the nervous one I'm sure! One of my BFFs had BR about a year ago, so she will be a big help! Updated on 9 Apr 2013: Had my pre-op today, just really love Dr Kerner! She is so calm and reassuring! Was thrilled to find out all stitches will dissolve! Told her I'd like to be a 34D, said she'll do her best, but said there is only so much she can do about the width of the breast. So guess I could end up more like a 34DD or 36D. Has anyone else heard similar? LOL, I am way more worried about size and shape then surgery and recovery! Hubby and I and the nurse got a good chuckle out of me trying on the surgical bra, makes me realize just how humongous these boobs are! Can't wait to reduce!!! Updated on 9 Apr 2013: Had my pre-op today, just really love Dr Kerner! She is so calm and reassuring! Was thrilled to find out all stitches will dissolve! Told her I'd like to be a 34D, said she'll do her best, but said there is only so much she can do about the width of the breast. So guess I could end up more like a 34DD or 36D. Has anyone else heard similar? LOL, I am way more worried about size and shape then surgery and recovery! Hubby and I and the nurse got a good chuckle out of me trying on the surgical bra, makes me realize just how humongous these boobs are! Can't wait to reduce!!! Updated on 19 Apr 2013: So 5 days until surgery and woke up with a pinched nerve in my right shoulder blade and neck area, arg!!! Getting massage and taking muscle relaxers. SO hoping this will go away after surgery! I am SO ready to be on the other side! Updated on 23 Apr 2013: Count down mode! Laundry done, groceries purchased, house cleaned (mostly!), prescriptions filled, can't wait to be on the other side!!! Thanks to all of you for your support!! Updated on 25 Apr 2013: I made it!!! Surgery was yesterday and went great! About 1000 grams removed from left breast and 900 from right! I came out around 1:30 and was off morphine pump by 9p! The pain relief was very good but didn't like the way it made me feel. Never had any major nausea and no vomiting. The anti nausea meds given during and after surgery worked like a charm! I am VERY sore, pain level about a 3 in recliner and 7-8 when I get up and walk (on hydrocodone). Switching to Percocet when next pain meds allowed. Starting miralax tonight. I am so pleased that my surgeon believes she got me from 34HH to 36D! Will post pics in a couple days!!! Updated on 26 Apr 2013: Just got my drains out, woo hoo! Get to take a shower tomorrow! Running low grade temp, likely due to not taking deep enough breaths, so need to use the incentive spirometer more often. PS says no sign of infection! Kind of coned shaped, but that will all change. Posting some new pics! Updated on 27 Apr 2013: Day 3 post-op: shower felt great and for the first time, couldn't cre less about styling my hair! Can't believe these are my boobies, love them! Taking it easy, hubby has been very helpful! LOL, he's like "they're so small", I'm like "that's cause they were SO big"! Updated on 28 Apr 2013: 4 days post-op! Shower was easier today, letting them air out for a while! Soreness better today, boobies feel softer laying down, very tight (which I think is a good thing) when I get up and walk. I continue to ice, rest and do loops around the house. Updated on 30 Apr 2013: Had basically a one week post-op visit today and everything looking good! Also enjoyed lunch and bra shopping with a friend and bought one of those Fruit-of-the-Loom front closure sports bras. Gotta love spending under $10 on a bra!!! Drove for the first time and just feel great in general! Still icing as much as possible, Tylenol during the day and Vicodin and muscle relaxer at bedtime. No more miralax needed. Life is good!!! Updated on 5 May 2013: Day 11 post-op, soreness getting better, may stop Vicodin at bedtime and just do muscle relaxer and Tylenol or ibuprofen. Size and shape do not seem to have really changed, not icing as much, easier to reach itchy areas!!! Updated on 12 May 2013: Took a 3 mile walk with hubby, taking it a bit slower than normal, but felt great! Sleeping braless now and enjoying that! Happy Mother's Day friends! Updated on 21 May 2013: I'll be 4 weeks post-op tomorrow and had a doctor's appt today. Steri strips are off for good and I can begin scar massage. She was fine with Palmers Cocoa butter so I think I'll get that. She did not think I will need the silicone strips. I am fully released to do any activities including upper body, but I'm not quite there yet! Will continue my walking for now! She said I still have quite a bit of swelling which is normal at 4 weeks but should improve quite a bit over the next 2 weeks and pretty much be gone by 3 months. I feel very blessed to have had such a smooth recovery, no open areas and all stitches dissolving without any issues. My breasts are softening up nicely. I can even wear an underwire bra now if I want to, but I'll stick with the comfy genie bra for now! Will post some pics later! Updated on 21 May 2013: Updated on 21 May 2013: Updated on 21 May 2013: Updated on 25 May 2013: Updated on 28 May 2013: Got measured at Nordstrom yesterday. 34DDD for now, little bit is swelling remains. PS predicted final size of 36D (similar to 34DD) so I'm close! I was a swished in 34DDD back in my 20s and early 30s, but let me tell ya, they looked nothing like these!!! SO happy!!! Updated on 2 Jul 2013: Hard to believe its been 10 weeks! Loving my boobies and enjoyed not being remotely self conscious at the beach!!! Ended up buying 4 colors of the Cheyenne bras, not cheap but fit me like a glove (34DDD and slimming) and SO soft! I am blessed to have had a very easy recovery! No complications really at all, Dr Kerner did great work! Could not be happier! Posting some pics, Happy July 4th all, God Bless America! Updated on 25 Aug 2013: Hard to believe it's been 4 months since my BR! Best thing ever!!! No neck or shoulder pain whatsoever! Blessed with a very easy recovery and no complications! Dr Kerner's work was fantastic! Bought my first strapless bra (36DD) to wear with halter maxi dress and got SO many compliments, felt awesome! Still lots of work to do on shaping up the rest of me, but all in good time! Cheers to all my boobie sisters out there!
You could go either the liposuction route or abdominoplasty. Liposuction is easy, with very few risks. But it will not tighten your muscles or remove extra skin. Abdominoplasty will rejuvenate the entire abdominal wall- tightening muscles, removing extra skin excess fat. But it comes at the "cost" of a long scar and usually numbess below the umbilicus. So it really depends on how flat you want to be, how much time you can take to recover, how much money you want to spend and if you can accept the long scar.
as the other surgeons have answered, insurance coverage is dependent on multiple variables: your symptoms, conservative treatment such as physical therapy you may have recieved, but most importantly the total number of grams of breast tissue removed. From your pictures, and your small body frame, you may not meet the gram removal requirement. the only way to know is to schedule with a BC plastic surgeon and be evaluated. if you want to go into a 34-B final size, and your breast tissue is thick and heavy you might meet criteria. if you want a fill 34-c and less is removed, you probably will not. If insurance does not cover, you would be a good candidate for a cosmetic mastopexy, and those fees are usually less than a reduction. best of luck.
The answer to this will largely depend on your inherent tissue characteristics, how much native breast tissue you have and the look your are trying to achieve. When placed under the muscle with a normal amount of SQ fat and at least a B cup size volume, I usually fill to 100%- if my patient desires just a touch more projection and roundness. If I want the implant to hug the contours of the rib cage better, so no side shelf of implant felt ,I will fill to full.. Remember though, volume differences are just in tablespoon(s) range, so this isn't a huge decision to make. Your best answer will be communicating your wishes to your surgeon and letting her/him make the decision.
As other PS have said, once you have recovered from your fall and the stroke, you should certainly porceed with removal of the implants, the free gel and the capsule. Silicone left in the tissue will generally progress to one of two course: 1) the body will scar around the silicone ( granulomas) which are very hard, oftentimes hurt and interfere with mammography and breast self exam. or 2) your body will try to get rid of the free silicone, either through the normal lymphatic systems or by extruding it out throught the skin. Usually a ruptured implant has far too much silicone for the body's healing mechanisms to absorb this amount. If you immediately replace the implant,especially in the same space where your exisiting implant is now, the rate of re-encapsulation ( implant gets hard) is extremely high. If you just must have new implants, because of desire or breasts look disfigured following the implant removal, it is best to wait 4-6 months before re-augmenting. Even waiting this short a time will decrease the risks of encapsulation- but not down to that of a first time augmentation. Best of luck to you.
The two main categories are silicone and saline breast implants. Silicone implants have an internal gel contained by a silicone envelope. The internal gel is now more highly viscous, which means less potential for leakage across the implant envelope. There are also fully cohesive implants (“gummy bear” type) in which the gel is formed, much like a block of Jello. Saline implants are either a single silicone envelope containing salt water (saline), or the Ideal® implant. The Ideal® is a new structured saline implant in which the saline is distributed between nested shell. This creates a softer, more natural feel, and early statistics show the rupture rate and encapsulation rate are lower than standard saline implants. One also has a choice of round or tear drop shaped implants. You may also need a mastopexy (breast lift) component. Many women are still able to breastfeed after breast augmentation, but be aware this is one of the risks associated with the surgery. Wishing you well,Dr. Kerner
