I have had saline implants under muscle since 1995. Decided to have them removed. No problems with the implants just wanted to go natural. Dr. Breit removed the implants under local anesthetic. The capsule was thin so no additional surgery was done. The whole procedure took less than 1/2 hour. I had no pain. The incision is a bit tender. Just took anti inflammatory for discomfort. Dr. Breit and the entire staff were awesome. The cost was affordable and not covered by insurance. My breasts are small and hoping to fluff after time. I am very happy with my result. I am so much more comfortable with the implants OUT.
I can not brag enough about Dr. Tony. At 61 years old - I probably wasn’t the typical patient. Tummy tuck - arm skin Removal - thigh skin removal etc. I had lost a significant amount of weight. Spent two years in the gym - trying to tighten up the skin - w/o success. I also had ovarian cancer - had two surgeries at age 37 - that ran vertical from my belly button to pelvic bone. Basically I was a hot mess. My tummy looks like that of a 16 yr old. Amazing. Arms!! No teacher arms on this girl any longer. I’ve always been limb heavy. The thigh skin removal - nothing short of amazing. I use my own scar cream - and can not believe already how finished my scars are. The staff - loving - caring - personable - and make u so comfortable - I want to adopt a couple of them as children. This drs. Attention to detail - is unbelievable. Look no further - he’s the one you want. Thanks Dr Tony - Lance and staff - u have no idea what an impact u have all made on my life! Updated on 7 Mar 2021: Thot I wud add a couple of more pics of my weight management and skin removal journey. Happy to share any info bout the weight management system I used. At age 57 I lost 57 lbs and 40 inches in 9 months. For exercise - all I did was a little walking.
I had Dr. Breit perform my muscle repair and tummy tuck. He did a great job! I’m on the Fb group for TT and was able to compare my recovery and results to others who had surgery at the same time. After 5 kids my tummy was a mess and I had a gap several inches wide. My scar is gorgeous and low, he made a beautiful new belly button, my skin is tight, he did great! They definitely go cheap on the extras that other practices offer- I had to buy a garment for compression. No free scar cream etc. however their staff is compassionate and helpful and the entire experience was what one could hope for.
I started this journey last summer and had one complication after the next with my first consultation, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise I think! Now, I had my consultation with Dr. Breit last week and he has been such a pleasure to work with! Cigna, my insurance, got back to the doctor’s office within 3 business days approving my reduction (310grams quoted to be taken off of each breast)! (Side note: I am 23 years old, 121 pounds.) Yippee! It was such a simple process! I will be going from a (Victoria’s Secret) 32DD/32DDD to a full B or small C, the doctor is predicting! I can’t even imagine how great that’s going to be!The office also quoted the surgery as costing around $10,000, so I will pay my deductible of $3,000, then Cigna will pay 80% of the remaining costs, with the other 20% covered by myself until I reach my out-of-pocket maximum of $5,000 for the year. So, I’m expecting to reach my out-of-pocket maximum and pay $5,000 for this surgery, but it’s so worth it to me it doesn’t even matter! I’ve been saving up for this very moment!The surgery will include an “anchor incision” method as the doctor felt this is the best method and most liked by patients in the long-term. My previous doctor recommended a “lollipop incision” but Dr. Breit explained that this can often give the breasts a “bullet-like” or “ski-slope” shape, and he explained that this method has the highest percentage of people who come back asking for a revision. So, although the anchor method will include one more scar-line and a little more of a watchful eye while healing, he conveyed that it would result in a natural shape that is generally more well-received by the patient in the end and most appreciated in the long term. Also, he said with my skin complexion scars usually fade to a barely there appearance, which is fortunate. My last doctor wanted to close the “lollipop” or vertical incision with staples (eek! Talk about some scars, right??) but Dr. Breit assured me he would be using small sutures located mostly under the skin. Also, no drains! Hooray! I am excited to begin my journey in early June! I will try to remember to post pictures of the process, I know how helpful that was to me up to this point! Updated on 20 Apr 2020: My surgery date was moved to next Thursday, April 30, and I couldn’t be more excited! Woohoo! I will try my best to post updates for anyone interested. :) Does anyone have recommendations for post surgery essentials? Also, they told me they’ll wrap me up in an ace bandage rather than a surgical bra, anyone else have similar experience? Did you like the ace bandage or did you get want a bra? Updated on 25 Apr 2020: For anyone interested, these are the photos I plan on showing my doctor as “goal photos” :). I’m hoping to get to a full B or small C. I’d love to have the option to not have to wear a bra with certain tops or dresses. Right now that feels so impossible, but I can’t wait to hopefully have that as an option in the future! Updated on 30 Apr 2020: Today was the big day! The day I’ve been waiting years for! I can’t say enough great things about my doctor, anesthesiologist, and the nurses! Everyone at Plastic Surgery Associates of South Dakota was so kind, thorough, and worked hard to put me at ease! I was excited this morning but also very nervous! I had taken a Benadryl the night before to help me sleep and I’m glad I did. I still only got 4 hours of sleep though. The anesthesia I was really nervous about, especially when they brought me into the operating room to begin the process. Seeing the room and all the lights made me nervous, but they started the process really quickly. At first, I felt really relaxed, my nerves were gone. That took only a few seconds. Then the anesthesiologist told me the next thing he was going to give me should work pretty fast. It sure did because that was the last thing I remember before waking up 3 hours later in the recovery room! For those wondering how the process went I’ll give you an overview. Of course every surgeon’s office is different but I’ll give you my perspective. When I arrived a nurse greeted me and took my temperature (as a precautionary measure for covid-19). Both my husband and I “passed” with regular temps. Then a nurse went over some aftercare instructions and had me sign a bunch of disclosure forms. Next, they took me back and had me change into a gown, grip socks, and a surgical hair net. But they told me I could keep my sweatpants on, which was nice! The nurse then asked if I was able to give a urine sample as a safety measure to make sure I wasn’t pregnant. That came back clear and the nurse then got my IV started, gave me some Tylenol, and had the anesthesiologist come back to meet me and allow me to ask some questions. After that, Dr. Breit came to go over my goal size once more, gave me a chance to ask questions, then really took his time drawing on me. Before I knew it I was being brought back to the operating room and without seconds I had the best “nap” of my life! There was no reason to be scared of anesthesia! It was so easy and honestly pretty refreshing! I woke with a bit of a start, I was momentarily unsure where I was, but I felt calm and really comfortable. I had a heated blanket on my lap with was nice and a regular blanket on my upper half. I was in my sweatpants and the ace bandage. Once I remembered I had just had surgery I heard the nurse greet me and ask how I was doing. At that moment I felt really good but had a difficult time seeing clearly. I sort of felt like the room was swimming and my eyes kept watering making it hard to see. That went away after about 15 minutes though and it wasn’t painful. I could feel my chest was pretty sore and the nurse gave me some painkillers to help. The one thing I wasn’t expecting was how itchy I felt all over my body! The nurse said that was normal for some people and gave me Benadryl via my IV to help. This helped tremendously and acted pretty quickly! The doctor said the surgery went well, and took about 2 hours in all. He thinks I’ll be at a full B! Just what I wanted! It was difficult to get to car, because I felt a bit dizzy and disoriented, but once I got in I was comfortable and slept for the hour drive home. I had no nausea so that was great! The anesthesiologist told me he gives his patients some drugs to help prevent that and it must’ve worked because I do get carsick and motion sickness pretty easily! Now, I’m taking it easy, I’m pretty tired, and still a bit itchy. I’ll probably lay propped up in bed for today as I find standing is pretty sore! The doctor gave me all subdermal sutures which should dissolve on their own! He said 24 hours after surgery I could take off the ace bandage and even shower! I have steri-strips covering the incisions (though I haven’t seen them yet) and he said those can get wet as well as long as I’m not purposely trying to soak them. I’m nervous to take the bandage off tomorrow! Eek! I hate stitches! But I’m so happy I did it! I can immediately feel a difference in that I feel lighter and my shoulders don’t feel like they’re slumping forward! The pain is more than I thought but is very manageable. I’m also coming up to the time when I’m supposed to take my pain meds again, so that is probably the reason I’m feeling extra sore right now. I will try my best to keep you all updated! Updated on 4 May 2020: I am about 4 days post-op now and the past few days have been a doozy. I felt really quite good the day of operation and once I was out. I felt sore but didn’t feel like I needed too much of the pains meds. The itchiness all over continued into the next day and I felt myself getting more sore trying to itch my legs and back. I upped my pain pills to the full dosage and that helped a lot. I was not prepared for the searing migraines I would wake up to. My mom has surgery last summer and the same thing happened to her. So, I’m sure this doesn’t happen for everyone and maybe even has something to do with my genetics. But the pain was excruciating. I was nauseous from it and even the pain meds weren’t helping much. Luckily, I was able to sleep a lot to try to fight through it. Now today, I just have a manageable headache and a bit of nausea. But overall I’m feeling much better compared to yesterday. I was able to take a full shower today and feel much better after that as well. I’m hoping to keep improving through tonight so I can feel back to my normal self! Updated on 7 May 2020: Phew! I’m finally feeling good enough to get up and walk about! I am no longer on any painkillers or antibiotics and I think that was the key for me in finally feeling back to myself! Days 1-3 of post-op are all sort of a blur of naps, medications, and a whole lot of itching?! (Thankfully I was fully stocked on Benadryl!) Day 4 of post-op brought me a terrible migraine. Day 5 of post-op I couldn’t stop vomiting (pretty sure it was the painkillers, since I upped the dosage to the full amount for that AWFUL migraine). Day 6 I had some sort of allergic reaction to something I touched or ate and got a rash all over my back (luckily Benadryl cured that in a few hours). Now day 7 I finally feel alive again! I was able to eat “real food” again last night, after being careful to eat only mild foods while on the antibiotics and painkillers. Overall, I had quite the week, to say the least! However, I still wouldn’t change it for a thing because I love my results! In fact, I only mention the things above to be totally transparent with you as to my own journey. However, I really doubt that most people experience even half the side effects I did to anesthesia or medications. So, for those of you considering a breast reduction just know that it probably won’t be that bad, and if it is, well...it gets better! I figure that a week of being miserable is worth it for the life-changing results I’ve experienced already! I can already feel my shoulders stand straighter and taller, rather than slumping forward. I feel lighter. My clothes fit better. My back and neck feel less strained. I don’t even get me started on how much I can’t wait to get back to the gym and experience that as well! (PS: No photo updates because I look the same still :) Steristrips are still hanging in there!) Updated on 7 May 2020: Dr. Breit and his staff were awesome! I can say this with confidence because it took me nearly a year and a nightmarish experience with a DIFFERENT (not in any way associated to Plastic Surgery Associates of SD) doctor and office staff left me feeling like I would never be able to have this operation, and if I did the results would be expected to be sub-par. Unlike that particular office, Dr. Breit listened carefully to all my questions and concerns and made me feel at ease during my consultation as well as the day of surgery. His team of staff members were also so kind and GREAT about keeping me in the loop with my insurance and answering any other questions I had leading up to surgery. Speaking of the day of surgery, it really was a breeze and I felt very well taken care of. The nurse was so kind. The anesthesiologist made me feel at ease, and Dr. Breit took his time drawing measurements and made me feel much less nervous for the operation. Updated on 13 May 2020: For those who may be interested, here are some before and afters wearing the same bra. I still have the tape on on the afters, that’s why you see some unevenness in the pictures compared to before. :) Updated on 19 May 2020: Tape is all off! Saw my doctor yesterday and everything is healing great! She said this will pretty much be their size as I don’t seem to have too much swelling, but of course, they’ll continue to change slightly in shape/size as they continue to heal over the next few months. No underwire bras until 2 more months, but other than that I’m cleared to start slowly getting back to the gym and can wear whatever sports bra or bralatte is most comfortable (or none at all!) I’m also cleared to start scar treatment. I put some vitamin E on last night but will probably pick up something more at the store later. Updated on 17 Jul 2020: Everything has been going super well the past couple of weeks. I did have 2 sutures “pop” perhaps 4 weeks ago. They felt a bit painful and looked a bit like a blood blister. When they popped a tiny bit of suture stuck out of them. I called my doctor and was told to give it a bit of a tug with a tweezers. One came right out, the other took a bit longer. I wasn’t too fond of that whole process, it makes me want to pass out having to deal with that sort of thing, but those “trouble spots” are all healed up nicely now! I did take a lake vacation 2 weeks ago and avoided going in past my waist to still be careful for any infection in case there were any other slight openings where sutures might be making their way out. Better to be safe than sorry! Also, still no underwire bras until I get cleared after my mid-August appointment, but I would guess I’m a 34C after doing a bit of swimsuit shopping! Which, by the way, was so fun and exciting! I could actually fit into the same size top and bottom! And, get this, I can even wear strapless/bandeaus now, no problem! Updated on 10 Aug 2020: Got approved for underwire bras again! Yay! However, Covid made it a bit difficult to go bra shopping. I really wasn’t sure what size I was. I ended up at a Victoria’s Secret (I’m a creature of habit I suppose) and they fitted me at a “Victoria’s Secret size” 32C! I’m very happy with these results! I would guess I’m a 32b at most department stores. The attached pictures are in a 32C Victoria’s Secret bra. Maybe one of these updates I’ll remember to take pictures in the day with GOOD lighting, but in the meantime, sorry for the lighting quality! My scars are still pretty red so trying some silicone strips to help with the Mederma and vitamin E oil I’ve already been using daily.
I am very pleased so far with how I feel after my brachioplasty and medial thigh lift on 02/12/19. I haven’t looked at anything yet, but Dr. Breit and his staff(Becca and Rebecca are who I remember most prominently) were so kind and efficient. I have my first post op appointment today and I’m looking forward to getting to maybe see everything. Thank you PSA for your work!
I had thought about CoolSculpt to get rid of my tummy area. And, I felt totally comfortable after my consultation. The scheduling process was seamless and overall it was a great experience. I would highly recommend.This reviewer received a gift card from RealSelf in exchange for their review.
Great results with abdominoplasty-still a few months out to see full results with liposuction. Great expierence with the whole office-very professional and helpful. From the front desk to the staff during recovery-they are all top notch! Dr. Breit is very professional, he takes the time to listen and is an awesome surgeon!
Best experience ever! Dr. Breit is so amazing, kind, knowledgeable, professional, easy to talk to and makes you feel like number one. He took his time to answer all my questions and explain everything to me. His staff is also amazing. The moment I walked into the clinic I felt comfortable and at ease. This place is the place to go! I will be recommending Plastic Surgery Associates to everyone I know!
I had been thinking about a breast augmentation for about 10 years and had my first consult when I was in college. At the time, I couldn't really afford to do it and put absolutely zero time into researching docs, the procedure itself, etc. I'm so glad I waited and did it the right way. I could not be happier with the outcome. I had consultations with 3 surgeons before choosing the right one for me. I met with my general doctor and my OB-GYN to get their professional opinion. My concerns were mostly with screening after implants. My mom and aunt both are breast cancer survivors, and while there is no link genetically, I still needed reassurance that I wasn't putting myself at risk by making detection difficult. Every doctor I spoke with said the same thing - implants would not have an impact, or they may make feeling changes easier to find if the implant is under the muscle. I had other questions as far as scarring and anesthesia and all of the other scary things that go along with having any surgery. Ultimately, I believed the reward outweighed the risk and I was right. Pre Op: I met with my surgeon, Dr. Breit at Plastic Surgery Associates in Sioux Falls. I had met with him nearly two years prior, but decided that it was not the right time for me. I met with another local plastic surgeon and one regional surgeon but didn't feel as comfortable as I did at PSA. They kind of made me feel like I was just another set of [RS bleep], excuse my language. ;) I felt very comfortable with Dr. Breit and because I had done my research, including many helpful posts on this site, it was very easy to describe what I was looking for as on outcome and I felt like he immediately knew what my goal was. I scheduled my op appt. a couple of days later for Nov. 13, 2014. In the days leading up to the surgery, I was terrified. I thought so many times of backing out. I was lucky to have friends that had had the operation and that were so supportive and encouraging. The Day of the Surgery: I was scheduled at 2:15 - man, it was hard not to eat anything until then! I met with my nurse Ali who was super sweet and made me feel so comfortable. She went through all of the post op instructions that had been emailed to me a week prior, got me in a gown and booties and introduced me to the nurse anesthetist who would be putting me under. I was very happy with him and before I knew it I was heading to the operating room and that's pretty much all I remember! Waking up was awful - by far the worst part of the whole experience. I was so nauseous and threw up the whole way home and for hours afterward. Other than the pain from getting sick, I didn't have any other pain at all. My boyfriend helped me sit up that first night and the next morning but it was not painful. The next day I took the bandage off- wow did they look strange! I took a shower and had no problem lifting my arms to wash my hair. We drove 3 hours that day to a Garth Brooks concert - its GARTH BROOKS, DUH! - and I was back to work the next day! Post Op: I've had so few complications, well, I wouldn't even call them complications. I had a little bit of this morning boob thing I've read about. I developed Mondors Cord, a thrombosed vein that was kinda nasty looking, but it went away after about a week and a half. The worst pain I had was some really intense back pain, but I'm a stomach sleeper so it was most likely due to sleeping differently and has subsided as well. The last few days I've had some sharp pain near my incisions but I think that's just part of getting all of the feeling back and will see how the next few days go! I'm 40 days post op today.
So I figured it was time to start out writing my story. I first developed breasts in the third grade. Up until the 7th grade I wore sports bras to try to keep them minimized, since almost all of the other girls hadn't even developed yet. By seventh and eighth grade I was wearing a C cup, and high school I moved to a D, then DD. Of course, since my breasts were large, I was chased after by older boys, ogled by the boys my own age, and hated by many other girls because of it. By the time I was done nursing my son in 2012, My breasts were a size 36J. At this time, I weighed 210 lbs at 5'4". I have considered a reduction since college. My boyfriend at the time was highly against it, and I was naive and let him talk me out of it before really even looking into it. I'm not sure what my real size has been during this time. I know I had a 36D bra that I absolutely spilled out of. Most of the time I would wear a D or DD cup, but wear a shelf camisole underneath to try to tame the "double boobs" that would inevitably spill out of the cup. Before I was pregnant, I finally wised up and measured myself out to be a 34F. I ordered a specialty bra in this size, and when it came it definitely fit better than my other bras, but I was still spilling out of the top! Fast forward to when I finally ended up measuring as a J cup. I was very overweight at this point, and decided to lose some weight and go head off to the PS to see what could be done. In September I had dropped my weight down to 195, and only managed to go from a 36J to a 34J. I indicated that I would more than likely be losing quite a bit of weight over the next few months, as my thyroid medication was now at a good dosage and the weight was now practically falling off. We filed with insurance, and they said to re-file again after the new year after my weight loss to see where we were at. At the beginning of the month, I went in for a re-consultation. Now, I've dropped back into my normal range at 167 lbs, but my bra size only moved from a 34J to a 34H (GG for the bra I'm currently wearing, but I don't think there is much of a difference between GG and H). It was pretty evident that even when I lose additional weight, my breast size will hardly be affected. I received approval from the insurance company on the 25th. I went from really excited, to very, very anxious in a matter of seconds. Although the procedure will be covered by my insurance company, I have a high-deductible plan, so I am going to have to pay $2,500 out of pocket, and 20% of the cost after that, bringing my estimated costs to $4,000. of the $14,000 price tag. Thankfully, the office said that as long as I make consistent monthly payments, they have no problem letting me pay off the balance with $150 payments each month, but I absolutely cannot miss a month or the balance in full is due immediately. So now, I am at the stage where surgery is in a week, and I am extremely nervous--no, make that petrified. I'm worried about recovery, if I will heal normally and quickly, if I will have complications, all the way to will this hurt my family financially? I'm now waiting for my PS's instructions to come in the mail. My pre-op physical is Tuesday. I decided to squeeze an eye appointment in on the first as well to get it out of the way. My fiance is extremely supportive. He owns a construction business and works very hard long hours to help support us. Since he can't take time off, my sister will be coming to help me. I guess I'll update more after my pre-op physical. Updated on 5 Feb 2013: Updated Feb 5, 2012 So here I am, surgery in five hours. My pre-op physical was surprisingly quick and easy. My doctor has been my family doctor since I was 7, and the only reason he hasn't been since birth is because our original family doctor moved away at that time. He made sure everything was normal as per usual (blood pressure, heartbeat, breathing), asked about my family (of course), and sent me on my way. Once I got to work, my nerves were going crazy. Yesterday, my PS's nurse called to go over some pre-surgery stuff for me. She first ran down some basic medical questions, and told me to be sure to remove all jewelry and not to wear contacts to the surgical center. She also said no eating or drinking anything including water after 6AM (8 hours before surgery), and that she had called all my prescriptions in to the pharmacy to pick up--an antibiotic, Vicodin, and the nausea patch which I had to put behind my ear by 6AM as well. I was also instructed to wash with an anti-bacterial soap before surgery, which I've yet to do, but will be jumping in the shower soon. Looks like I'll be taking my Dial hand soap in with me today! And of course I was advised to wear a zip sweater for comfort, and to bring pillows and a blanket if I want to help with the car ride home. I asked her about what types of bras I should wear post-surgery, and she said no underwires for six weeks, and that they will be giving me a dressing that is somewhat like a tube top to wear. I will not have drains, and my stitches will be internal and will dissolve on their own, which I like the idea of. I asked about surgical bras, and she said they don't really use them, but that I can wear a sports bra with a low band if I'd like to, or a camisole with a built in shelf support. I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing a combination of these things when going back to work. She also told me as long as I'm wearing pants and underwear with no metal components to them to surgery I can have them on the whole time and only be exposed from the waist up, so fleece pants it is. As for last night, I spent it playing with my son and reading him a few extra stories before bedtime. I also got in touch with one of my good friends and my son's godmother and asked if she would be willing to stop over a few days of the week to help my fiance out with things around the house and with my son, since I knew he would never ever ask for help, but knowing he will also have me to tend to at least for a few days as well, I'm thinking he'll need it. Spent the rest of the night watching TV with my fiance and just staying close to one another. At this point, I was still wavering between feeling OK and confident, and really doubting my choice. I woke up at 5:45 this morning and had a bowl of cereal followed by a glass of water. This stupid patch is making my mouth dry which sucks, because I can't drink any water until afterwards! I then got up shortly before eight and got my son ready to go and to daycare. After that I went to my gym and had them put my membership on medical hold for about a month, since I don't need to pay $40 for this month to walk on a track, I can walk outside or in my apartment halls thank you very much! I can't wait to get back into the gym though and be able to really hit it hard, very much hoping that this will help make my workouts so much more effective! Also looking forward to only wearing ONE sports bra! My fiance is working a job this morning but coming home at noon to get me and take me to the surgical center. I am to report there by 1, and surgery is scheduled to begin at 2. Until then, I'll be taking a lot of my fat clothes to a consignment store in town to try to get some money for them, and donating what they wont take, and cleaning our bathroom to make sure I am comfortable this week. I will update if I can tonight or tomorrow. Wish me luck! Updated on 6 Feb 2013: Now that I am a little more lucid and aware, I can update this a bit. When I got to the surgical center my PS's nurse went over some of the consent forms with me, and gave me my gown and these socks to wear underneath some machine things that would help keep circulation going in my legs. The doctor came in and made markings and explained a lot of the procedure to my fiance as he did so, which I think was really nice for him because he is very detail oriented. Since I'm more of a "big picture" kind of girl, I'm usually not a lot of help for him when it comes to repeating back all the little details or asking the little questions he wants to know about. Then the anesthesiologist came in and just ran down some of his questions and explained what he would be doing and what kind of breathing assistance I would have. Even though the nurse said I'd have a tube down my throat, he said I would actually have a tube that basically rested at the top of it and not all the way inserted DOWN into it, which is supposed to be more comfortable for me afterwards. They put an IV into my hand and I went back into surgery and they hooked the anesthesia up to my IV and gave me an oxygen mask to breathe into. I don't even remember falling asleep, but the next thing I knew I heard my nurse saying, "Wake up MissLC86 its all over now". I definitely felt a bit of pain in my chest area, and I felt as though I'd had a long night with my son the night before and now my fiance was trying to get me up to get ready for work exhaustion-wise. She gave me a cup of applesauce and some crackers to have so she could give me my first Vicodin dose, which apparently isn't the greatest thing to take on an empty stomach. My fiance was already back in the waiting room and even had my little boy with him, so they let them come back into recovery while they helped me into my shoes and my zip sweater. I was pretty impressed at how good my son was being, considering he's only 17 months old! We drove home, but I think the car ride made me very very sick, because on our way back I was saying that I think I could definitely eat something when we get there, only to throw up my water and crackers when we pulled in. Yuck. He helped me inside and I went straight to our room and lay down. The next thing I knew my fiance was rousing me to see if I wanted to eat dinner with them. Since I didn't feel nauseous at all, and in fact pretty hungry after not eating all day long, I enjoyed some dinner and didn't feel sick once! My alertness definitely comes and goes quickly. All of a sudden I will barely be able to open my eyes, and have to lay down and nap, others, like right now I feel very awake, but I can already feel some tiredness on its way back! The pain is much much less than what I had expected, but I'm sure this has a good deal to do with the fact that I am not missing any pain med doses whatsoever! I am taking the maximum dosage through these first couple days (2 pills every four hours), but will probably limit down to 1 or 2 every four hours tomorrow. I'm allowed to have Ibuprofen or Motrin between doses as needed too, which I think I'll be using more of tomorrow when I start slighly weaning from the Vicodin. I am already thrilled about the results! Both my fiance and my sister who is here with me now said I look much slimmer, and the pajamas I bought in a normal size (no accommodating for breast size!) fit me PERFECTLY. It feels SO nice to wear my real size and not two sizes up like I had in the past. They took 401 grams from my left breast, and 408 from my right. Minimum needed from my insurance company was 400 grams. Doctor said he estimates my final result to be a full C which to me is PERFECT. We had discussed how I will probably be losing anywhere between 10 and 30 lbs over the next six months or so, and he said in his experience that their shape would hardly change as a result, and should just continue to match my body as it also got smaller, particularly since I barely lost much cup size when I lost 45 lbs over the past six months. I'm going to be able to to remove my bandage tonight to wash off (with the fiance's help of course) and to change my gauze. He said it is my choice if I want to re-wrap with my ace bandage for now, wear a sports bra or a camisole with built in bra, or if I just want to go braless--just to do whatever is more comfortable for me. I will probably add a new picture tonight when I unwrap to shower, hoping to chronicle my recovery to be as helpful as I can for anyone else considering this surgery! I already feel like I look better, and I think it will only improve from here on out! I've decided to update my ranking to "worth it", even though it is still day 1 because I can already tell there is less strain on my neck and back, and I am hoping that is how it stays! Updated on 6 Feb 2013: Took my first peek...strange seeing them so small! Updated on 7 Feb 2013: Day 2 post op, I am still pretty much the same as I was yesterday. I am still somewhat sore and achy but it is really not too bad, and I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to pain! I've found myself able to do little things, like but some of the dishes away from the dishwasher, and my 1 year old has so far been pretty good about letting me read to him not on my lap. My fiance takes care of night time routine right now, as much as I like the "break", I really can't wait to get back to being the one there with him! I always read him two stories and then stay in his room with him until he dozes off. I can't really let him onto my lap right at this point because he doesn't understand that I am achy and accidentally getting hit by him wouldn't be a good thing! I have had a great support team around me since I got home which is really helping a lot. Obviously my fiance is here picking up all the slack while I recover, but my sister has been coming in the mornings to be able to be with me while my fiance is working since she works the night shift, and one of my best friends and my son's godmother was here last night to hang out with the little guy while the fiance helped me shower. That is when I took that first peek! I think for just one day out they looked pretty good, I'm excited to see what they will look like in a month! Updated on 8 Feb 2013: Today is pretty much like yesterday, but I am taking less Vicodin. Feels about the same. I took off my ace bandage and now have a camisole on for support. I now have bruising on my breasts, but nothing that I didn't expect. I also touched my nipples and I have feeling in both of them! I want to get a nice soft sports bra to wear and that should do nicely. Otherwise I've been really sleepy so I pretty much spend most of my day napping and healing. Updated on 10 Feb 2013: Not much of a difference between today and the rest of the week which is good, because that means it's been uneventful. Tomorrow is my last day home and then it's back to work. Thankfully my job is just a desk job, and if I need to go home early they'll have no problem with it. I just want to heal up now so I can get back to my fitness routine and get in shape for the half marathon this coming fall! Added another photo but I don't see much of a difference between this one taken yesterday and my first "peek" photo one day post op. still so weird to see them so small! Updated on 11 Feb 2013: Back to work tomorrow, hoping I will make it the whole day since my first full day without any strong pain meds was pretty uncomfortable. Hoping tomorrow is better and will probably be taking as much ibuprofen as is safe! I stopped at Walmart and picked up these soft sports bras that don't have seams and are still low cut and will be versatile under my clothes. They so far have been comfy over my incisions and are really making me excited for when I'll be able to exercise at my normal pace again! One day at a time. Updated on 13 Feb 2013: Went to work the past couple days but came home a few extra hours early to rest. I think I might have my first full day back tomorrow, which is good, because our season is ramping up much faster than I had expected. My supervisor teased that I'm not allowed to have time off again! All in all everyone was very welcoming back, my first day I left early just because I was so exhausted by the afternoon, today I was pretty achy and thought I should relax a bit. My post op appointment is on the 18th, hoping this achiness goes away quickly. Also I'm able to reach overhead for things, lift my son (carefully!), and sleep on my side positioned just right on a pillow. So excited to lay and sleep on my stomach again! Updated on 21 Feb 2013: Figured I should update...I am now 2.5 weeks post op, and I have to say I love my new size. I could definitely do without this hypersensitivity though. I have had feeling in my nipples since I woke up from surgery, but now it's like my whole breast is a nipple and something is rubbing on it! Can't wait for that sensation to go away. I've also noticed my right breast seems firmer and has more pressure than the left. It's not painful per se, but it feels kind of like I need to nurse my baby or something, only my baby hasn't breast fed in almost a year. Some of my tape is starting to peel off, so I'm trimming off the end as it does. There are a few spots now missing tape where I can see my incision and they don't look bad! Reddish pink and a line down the center-so glad for internal stitches! I'm excited to see them tape off, but I'm being patient. Will update photos once that happens! Updated on 1 Mar 2013: Getting close to a month post op! Some of my tape is starting to come off. The scars seem a little prominent, but I know it'll be no big deal by next year. Most exciting thing that has happened is one of the stitches at the very end of my incision on my side was popping out, which got super annoying so I went to the PS office to have them handle it. We got it taken care of but OUCH! Reminded me that I'm still healing yet. I can lie on my stomach but I won't put my full weight on my front side lying down. Feels like any time now I'll be able to go get that long needed massage! And the chiropractor. My breasts have also "dropped" ever so slightly looking a bit more round and natural rather than boxy. I'm pretty pleased with how they look! Now that it's March my hours at work have increased. 50 hours each week, and every other Saturday on top of that until April, when I then work 66 hour weeks until the end of June. Glad I had the procedure done with enough time to recover before things got crazy! Still planning on not taking new pics until all my tape is off. Probably a week or two on that. Updated on 6 Mar 2013: Well all my tape is off! So much of it was flaking that I finally just went for it and gently removed all of the strips. Doesn't look too bad! I did notice though that my right breast seems bigger than my left, which it didn't when I had my first peek. My fiancé agrees that it definitely feels a bit more swollen so I'm hoping that corrects in time. I restarted my gym membership yesterday, and will be getting back into my cardio routine on the elliptical and my strength routine shortly after. Think ill still be avoiding Zumba for a bit though, still not comfortable with the idea of jumping! I can't wait to be completely healed. Updated on 7 Apr 2013: Healing has been going well. I am now a little over two months post op, and things are looking pretty good. I am still wearing sports bras, but have otherwise resumed my normal daily life, including weekly Zumba classes. I have had some irritation with my internal stitches, namely stitches coming out of my skin! So annoying, and one had a tough time pushing through which did not feel that great! Otherwise, I'd say everything is great. I'm still so glad I did it--my posture has improved a lot, and everything just fits so much better!
It is possible to have a breast reduction while overweight. The most ideal situation would be if you could get down to your ideal weight and then have a breast reduction. If you have a breast reduction and then lose weight, you are taking the risk of seeing your breast size decrease further or become droopy. There are some insurance companies that will require a minimum trial of conservative treatments, including weight loss, and must be documented by a physician. Check with your insurance company to see what their policy requires prior to proceeding.
