Emily Ridgway, MD

I still can't believe how amazing the results are! I never expected for my breast to look so amazing again. Doctor and her staff are just very professional and talented. I would recommend anyone this doctor and this type of surgery with the right professional.

I am so much happier with what I have now than before. My only complaint is my nipples being higher than I would like. I do have another surgery scheduled soon to try and make nipples appear to be lower. I am debating on if I should cancel or not, just don't want to go through another surgery and afraid of possible outcomes. When I wear a bra I feel like my nipples are almost popping out of the top.

Updated on 30 Mar 2024:
This is only 4 days post surgery. So far the recovery has been overall pretty decent. I did have drains this time and got those out 2 days after surgery. Dr Ridgway and all the staff were very comforting and great to work with. It's always an adjustment changing your body image so I try not to make a judgement too soon, also I'm aware that changes happen after swelling goes down.

Updated on 15 Apr 2024:
So the recovery from 2nd surgery has been relatively easy. I have 3 small kids and have just needed to be aware of what I'm doing. This last pic is 3 weeks post 2nd surgery. So far I'm overall happier. I'm a little OCD so I have to try not to focus on the small differences.

Updated on 18 Jun 2024:
These will probably be the last pictures I post. I am so much more pleased with my outcome and happy I made the decision to move forward. I almost didn't get the 2nd surgery afraid of the unknown outcome. Dr Ridgway did a great job and I recommend her to anyone!

I started thinking seriously about breast reduction a year ago, called in March 2022 for a consultation (at the time, the consultation was out of pocket as Dr. Ridgway was out of network for my insurance, but highly recommended so it seemed reasonable to get the consultation and see how things went). The consultation was in late July 2022, during which Dr. Ridgway gave an extremely thorough explanation of the various degrees of reduction possible (surgical methods, what to expect for my body size, what I wanted to get out of the surgery, etc). She was clear with explanations, encouraged questions and extremely realistic. 10 stars out of 5; would highly recommend Dr. Ridgway and her office.

Morgan, the surgical coordinator, was incredibly helpful and provided quotes, options, and all the background/paperwork I needed to think things over. Morgan also texted/emailed, was helpful and responsive, but also very warm/professional in the process.

I scheduled my surgery for late January 2024 (by which time I had better insurance!!). I had a pre-op visit during which we again talked over my expectations and hopes, and what to expect during and post-op.

The surgical center was efficient and professional, and Dr. Ridgway once again discussed my expectations (and degree of reduction desired) again to ensure I would be happy with the results. Reduction (approximately 500g from each side, from a DD to a B/C cup) took about 3 hours, and I was resting at our hotel room (we had to overnight due to our remote location) before noon. They were spot-on about what to expect (discomfort, but not unbearable pain), and the worst part was worrying about the drains (that was just me, really; it wasn't a huge deal).

My first follow up was the next morning - after reviewing the drain outputs, they were removed (whew...) and off we went.

The first week was slow-going (move slowly, rest a bunch, minimal lifting) and I lived in my surgical bra and pajamas. Next follow-up appointment was one week post-op, and I was getting around pretty well by then; easy follow-up appt.

I'm just over 2 weeks post-op, and I absolutely LOVE what I'm seeing (despite still being covered with steri-strips and wearing giant gauze pads to ensure no rubbing). I went back to work after ~10 days, and that too was just fine.

Overall, I would give SUPER high marks to Dr. Ridgway - her manner, professionalism, skill, communication, etc, were above and beyond. The office staff have all been competent, professional, friendly and helpful. Awesome place!

What I would recommend: have pre-made meals ready for at least a week ( my husband went on a Costco raid with a list & got enough to keep us fed for a while - it took the pressure off for meal prep/cooking), have snacks & drinks easily accessible (Nuun tablets, Gatorade, etc). I borrowed a recliner from a friend to sleep mostly upright - that has been an absolute life-saver!!! It's keep me sleeping on my back, and I'm sure minimized swelling. Use lots of pillows to get comfortable. Stock up on zip-up/button-up tops (to avoid pulling things over your head). Get a spare inexpensive zip-front/front closure bra without any underwires ( I found some on Amazon after not finding anything in stores where I had my surgery). Get one of those long-handled grabbers (that you'd use to pick things up off the floor, or off shelves); it helped minimize bending over and also reaching over my head. Use a small pillow to pad the seatbelt strap in your car. Hmm... that's all I can think of right now!

Pros - I'm elated with my new mini-boobs, despite still having some swelling. They're located where "normal" breasts belong, not dragging down midway to my belly button ;) I feel more proportional to my height (5'1") already!! And I wish I'd pulled this trigger at least 10 years ago.

Cons - be ready for some downtime, but it wasn't as bad as I'd suspected it would be (but we're all different, so YMMV). Sleeping is a bit tough, but I had ample warning there.

Think that's it for now. I really don't have any good before/after pictures, but may add some later on. No regrets!!

Dr. Ridgway took me on as a patient following some complications from a surgery performed by another provider out of state. She has been so helpful and supportive while navigating a difficult situation. I am so grateful for her and the clinic staff there.

I got 2.9 cc's of fat from my tummy transferred to my lips and about 0.8 also put into my smile lines. I got tired of paying for Juvederm, I wanted a more permanent option for voluminous lips. Heard too many horrorific stories about the implants, and Dr. Ridgway suggested the fat grafting instead. So, I saved my coins, and got it done today.
This will be a post in progress; I'll make an effort to update it with pictures.
The procedure was uncomfortable but bearable - Dr. Ridgway asked me periodically if I was OK and I felt comfortable telling her if I was in too much pain, and if I was, she would immediately stop and try a different area for the fat collection which I really appreciated since I'm apparently prone to fainting. She has a very comforting presence, I felt comfortable enough to joke around just a little but at the same time I knew that she knew exactly what she was doing, which I think is an ideal combo of qualities for who you're trusting with your face and features! Dr. Ridgway maintains a great balance of bedside manner with precise expertise.
So, I will post more pictures of the swelling over the next few days then update this a little less frequently as the fat settles into my lips. Even though my lips are crazy swollen right now, it's just a part of the process and right now I feel pretty confident and happy with how this procedure went.

Updated on 4 Jul 2019:
Slept with my head elevated for the first night but didn't ice my lips at all since that affects the fat's ability to "take". My tummy, where they took the fat from, is bruised and horribly achy, that does require frequent icing for pain relief. On the bright side, lips are less swollen today! Feel super silly being seen in public but I also prepared myself for that.

Updated on 5 Jul 2019:
Much less swollen today which is great! Tummy only hurts when I'm in a certain position. With how swollen I've been the last couple days I'd say it's really important to take some time off work to let yourself heal.

Updated on 15 Jul 2019:
These are the photos Dr. Ridgway's assistant took of me for my follow up appointment. These are my lips exactly a week after the procedure. Still slightly swollen here, a little bruising but everything was settling down in my face.

Updated on 26 Aug 2019:
In a week from tomorrow, it will be 2 months since I got fat transferred to my lips and smile lines. Keeping in mind the final result isn't observable for another month, my lips have been the same size basically this whole time, starting two weeks after my procedure day. So, I'm expecting them to stay the same through the next month, although of course I could be proven wrong.
I'd urge anyone reading this who is looking for an alternative for fillers to be aware that this procedure will likely give you a much more natural looking result than Juvederm. Of course it depends on your surgeons technique, how much fat they put in, and your individual body's reaction. I was looking for an effect that resembled 3 syringes worth of Juvederm - as you can see, my result was nowhere close to that. I'm still happy with the results, because I can tell a difference in volume. But make darn sure you're going into this with realistic expectations. Fat and it's ability to form a new blood supply in the area receiving it is unpredictable, and you must know that before having this done if you don't want to be disappointed.

Updated on 16 Jul 2020:
Yesterday, in a second round of fat transfer, 5 cc's of fat was added to my lips, about 2.5 cc's on each lip. This is about 1.7x the amount on each lip that was placed in my first round. My goal is for my lips to resemble 3 cc's of Juvederm at the end of my fat transplanting journey, so my doctor explained to me she needed to overfill my lips with fat in order to compensate for the large amount that will inevitably not survive and not stay in my lips.
Like last time, numbing injections were given in my tummy, and numbing dental blocks were given around my mouth. It took about an hour, same as last time.
Slept with my head elevated but I'm still mega swollen today, as to be expected! Taking normal strength Tylenol for the pain and that's been fine for me so far.

Updated on 20 Jul 2020:
All my pain is gone, both at the harvest site and injection site. I'm still swollen but that's normal. Feeling a little nervous about my final result at ~4months, because I always love how they look when they're a little swollen! The next time I update this will be in a few months so I can show you what the final result of my second fat graft turns out to be.

Updated on 11 Jan 2021:
This is my healed result from my third time with fat transplant. The results from my first and second times were not noticeable enough for me to be satisfied as most of my day died off. I knew fat is unpredictable especially in the lips where there is so much movement. We decided to try one more time.
Prior to this third round my doctor had been breaking my fat cells up into as small of pieces as she could (as is standard procedure, it minimizes your chances of getting lumps or uneven results). This time we decided to make the pieces slightly bigger since my desired results are pretty big, and she had no issues with lumping in her patients before the standard shifted to very very small pieces. I believe using the bigger pieces of fat this time helped me get more of a noticeable result.
I think I'm going to leave them alone at least for a few years since I'm pretty happy with how it turned out this time! They're definitely more voluminous.

Anyone thinking about having this done should really keep in mind that even with the best surgeon around and with everything done properly, fat cells are unpredictable in how they will take, if more or less will survive the transfer process. Therefore you will very possibly need a second, third, fourth or even fifth go of it if you want big lips and you're starting out with small ones. Be prepared to spend money and to be patient.

Updated on 11 Jan 2021:
Whoops I messed it up. Decided to edit my after photos side by side my old ones and apparently you can't add new pictures to an existing update post. Here's the pictures mentioned from my last post.
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I was so nervous going in. But dr Emily and her assistant made me feel comfortable and safe. She was welcoming and explained the procedure so I understood it. She made me feel good about the brand choice and size of implants. And I am happy with my results. In hospital experience with her was calming and she did her best to make things go smoothly.

I have been told I suffer from the infamous "resting [RS bleep] face" so I decided to see if Botox could help that. My eyesight isn't great so I find that I end up glaring at people a lot, unintentionally but it still can make me seem unapproachable (or so I've been told). Botox completely changed that. I know I am still pretty young to be too worried about wrinkles, but it is more than that. People smile at me on the street now and are much kinder to me looking funny at them. My doctor recommended 25 units in my glabella. My first treatment was relatively painless, took about a week to work, and lasted about 4 months. Definitely recommend.

I am 40 years old and have wanted larger breasts for several years. I was a 34 B/C cup. My BWD is around 12.5 I believe. I decided on 465cc for my left breast because it’s slightly smaller and 450cc on the right. I like the look of the moderate plus profile but would have had to stay below 400cc due to small BWD and I was wanting more volume. I have never had children and my skin in fairly tight. I am happy I didn’t go any larger for implants as my surgeon said it would have been a challenge getting them to fit on my small frame. Also, I have a physical job and am very active outdoors and athletically and anything larger would have felt too large for me. I decided upon getting the Exparel shot for pain which I believe limited my need for post op pain medication. I only needed 4 (total) Oxycodone polls in the first 2 days in combination with Tylenol. Arnica gel topically helped minimize bruising. I also found ice to be helpful. I chose to limit narcotic pain medication due to the bloating and constipation it can cause. Even though I only took 4 oxy I was unable to have a BM for 5 days after surgery. Senna herbal tea and chewing gum helped alleviate my symptoms.
Overall the process has been very smooth and nothing out of the ordinary to other people’s experiences in which I’ve read and heard about. I strongly feel like the time I spent doing my research prior to surgery has been a big factor in how well the entire process has been for me. Also, my surgeon was amazing. I am an active health care provider and I found Emily Ridgway and her staff at Ridgway Plastic Surgery in Bozeman Montana to be caring, professional and fun. My experience had been an excellent one and I’d recommend them to anyone looking for plastic surgery in Southwest Montana.
I’ll try and update again in 5 weeks after my next follow up appointment.
Best of luck to everyone!!

I must say, this was hard for me just to get to this point. I started my journey in may, I looked into my insurance plan and found that they do cover reductions under necessary surgery..I noticed that i needed a mammogram at my age(required) so i went ahead and got that done. It was painless but awkward! the nurse spoke to me like my boobs were another person, i tried to help place my huge breast on the x ray table thing and she said"put that down!" LOL because thats how i feel, they are like two entities of their own! so my results were fine. I made an appointment for a consultation and that happened on june 16 and i did not meet the doctor i met the a lovely lady who is going to assist the doc and she basically did my pre opt there! i got all the info a video even the type of surgery i am getting... bilateral breast reduction wise pedicle, i am also an out patient kinda sucks because i have to travel home then back again the very next day! 1 1/2 hours away! so I am currently looking for a place to stay over night after my surgery, i actually waited for the hospital to submit my b/r to my insurance for 6 weeks! as soon as they did I called my plan and I was APPROVED!!! It feels so weird i almost think they are going to change their mind or something is going to screw it up! in the last 13 years i have lost both parents to cancer and no grandparents, my husband also has no family to speak of, we have two kids a girl 13 and a boy 12...this is soooo important to me to have a better quality of life, for them! I will actually want to leave the house! I will actually not dread wearing a bra! because they hurt and i wont feel like i am wearing a strait jacket with wires cutting into my flesh and ribs! I cant keep up on a perfect weight due to my age, i am in a size 2 pants so i look like i am falling over..i will think about photos??

Updated on 6 Sep 2015:
I apologize about the time gap. I have had a few things to do such as an ekg because i have a hole in my heart that i was born with and a few blood test and a pre opt physical..i passed all the test! yay. I have never been a smoker so I dont have to worry about that. Being the hottest summer on record its been very uncomfortable to say the least ! I am at the point where i just want to "get her done!" I try not to get negative thoughts. My husband and kids all have colds"seriously?" so i have been a germaphobe. My husband rented me a recliner chair and bought me a wedge pillow and very soft back rest pillow with the arm rest. I am ready to go. This Tuesday at 7:30 am is when i will be put under. I lost about ten pounds so i hope that will help to heal and have better results. I will let you all know the rest of my story most likely after I get home,,, wish me luck as i hope for the best for all of us : D

Updated on 7 Sep 2015:
so its the night before and I have to leave a little before 5am. I just read all of the papers they gave me that go over all of the possible complications and i must say that it got me scarred : [ so I keep telling myself that they have to go over everything to cover their butts Lol. its just hard to boggle my head with so many things and I should just take it as it comes, I wish I wasnt so far away from the hospital that i am getting the procedure from. I also having a hard time putting pictures on tjhe site but i have some that i took on my phone, before shots so again i will hope to get them all on at once. This is the time i wish that i had parents still alive because even at my age I need them, even though I know they are looking after me from above. My husband also lost his parents and all we have is each other and our two pre teens, so this is going to have to be fine....in a way I am still blessed : ) i am going to try to rest (sleep?) pray,,,night,