Surgery was on 11/4. I got a tummy tuck and breast aug. I'm 97lbs and 5'0". I had two very large babies. The first was 9 lbs 3oz, my second baby was 9lbs 15 oz. I have a short torso so by about month 4 of pregnancy I looked like I was 9 months pregnant. It was clear that I would need to put in the work to get back to my pre baby body so I worked out dieted. I got down to 98 lbs which was back to my original pre baby weight. It was frustrating because I wasn't seeing a change with my tummy . The loose abdominal skin and the deflated boobs weren't getting better. I decided to make a consult with number of plastic surgeons but my search stopped with Dr. bolling. I'm so glad I'm in the other side of this journey. I couldn't sleep at night because I was so worried. Today is day 2 post op. I can shower today and when I do, I'll take some pics and list them. I leaned on this real self website for pics/personal experience. I thought id share my notes as well. Pain was fine Thursday night, Friday was a bit rough. Now here on Saturday I'm feeling better and can get up to walk to the bathroom. But that's about all I can't do. I have no appetite but I'm hoping I will soon. I'm very sleepy from the meds. Lastly, I was going to go with 300cc's but made a game time decision. With 350cc. I'll send more pics and update my story each day. Updated on 7 Nov 2021: 350cc. 1 drain with tummy tuck. No liposuction. I hope these suckers drop a lot. They're sitting so high. And they feel really big for my shape. I wonder if I should've gone smaller than 350cc? The drain is starting to bother me today. I'm still taking pain meds every 4 hrs Updated on 17 Nov 2021: Update since my last post: - I stopped pain pills and muscle relaxers on day 6/7 - Day 9 was where I started feeling better/more energy -I'm incredibly itchy - my back, stomach - I'm hoping this gets better - Day 13 and got my one and only drain I had removed - not painful - I have mostly dissolvable stitches but I do have a few black stitches in belly button and along incision line that will need removed - I'm hoping that my breasts will continue to drop - 350cc was the size - there is swelling and a bulge around incision that I'm told will stretch and reduce over time - based on my size pre-op (petite, 97 lbs) I was told there would be a small vertical incision off of the bikini line horizontal incision - I believe this was because there was not enough skin originally to pull my belly button all the way down and would need a vertical incision along with the horizontal one
Dr.Bolling did my tummy tuck and breast augmentation last year and was amazing! Beautiful work and the friendliest staff! He has given me so much confidence and I honestly couldn’t be more pleased! Very highly recommend!!!
This will be a bit long but I want to give a review worthy of my experience with Dr. Bolling and his staff. In Sept 2020 I began looking for a surgeon. By Jan 2021 I happened upon Dr. Bolling in a random internet search. I obviously spent quite a bit of time researching and checking out surgeons. I live in Nashville and like road trips, so decided the 3 hour drive to Fayette wouldn't be so bad to check him out as I wasn't sold on the previous surgeons I'd met with.I went for my first consult with him on Feb 2. When we got to his office I immediately felt at ease. Fayette is a super, small town, like very, very small. You get that small town feel going to his office and I really preferred that over some of the stuffy plastic surgery offices I'd been to. Nurse Jen took me back to the consult room. And I'll take this time to speak about her. She's a gem. I think its safe to say Dr. Bolling does the cutting but she runs the show there, which is good because she is just wonderful! She spent almost an hour with me, going over all the things I wanted done. I never felt rushed. In fact, it was like sitting down with your best girlfriend and just chatting. I can't say enough good things about her. Dr. Bolling then came in and we went over my wish list of procedures again and what I could have done in one round etc. Once we left the office I just felt in my gut this was the right surgeon. I called a few days later to schedule my surgery. The office staff was very patient with me with regards to finding the perfect date. Between kids activities, vacations, etc and Dr. Bolling having 2 locations he goes back and forth to, it took a few phone calls to work out the perfect date. The office staff was great in helping to give me options that would work for me.I scheduled my surgery for April 29th. About a month prior to surgery I was admittedly getting a bit nervous. I called for a second appointment just to go over everything and they didn't hesitate to have me come back and go over my procedures, what to expect, etc.Because we are out of state, we arrived the night before my surgery. We stayed at the Bolling Recovery House which is situated in front of the office. It was super comfortable, a cute remodeled Victorian house. Just like staying at a bed and breakfast. There are 3 private rooms and a shared kitchen and living area. I had a very large private bath and everything was set up nicely. Coffee and plenty of snacks were provided. We left super early the next day for my surgery. I have to also mention Fayette Medical Center. This is a small town hospital but the staff are top notch. I felt very comfortable and knew I was in safe hands should something go wrong. All the staff were wonderful. I wish I could remember the evening nurse supervisor that cared for me my first night. She was especially patient and kind. I was insistent on getting out of bed and she helped me all night with lots of patience. I also had quite the meltdown prior to them rolling me to the OR. My nerves got the best of me. My anesthesiologist, Joe, came right over to me and began to make small talk and calm me down. As a healthcare worker myself, I know it's easy to forget we are supposed to treat the whole patient, not just the physical. And that's exactly what he was doing. I'm so appreciative that he took the extra minute or two to calm and reassure me. I think my surgery was about 8ish hours total. My husband was allowed to stay in my hospital room, which I was thankful for, and he told me later that the OR nurse called him every hour with updates on how I was doing. My family appreciated being kept in the loop. Due to the amount of procedures I had done, I had to stay in the hospital overnight versus the typical outpatient process. I was still a bit nervous to go home on my discharge date so we went back to Bolling recovery house for a night. On Saturday I was set to go home. Dr. Bolling stopped in and checked on me, removed some of my drains, and made sure I was okay. Later, Nurse Jen stopped by to help me get my garments off and remove all the gauze for my first shower. I was especially nervous on how to take off the garments, I was afraid any movement would tear something. I don't know if most plastic surgeons and nurses make house calls on Saturdays but Dr. Bolling and Jen didn't hesitate in stopping by to make sure I was set to go home.I'm about 7 weeks post op now from an extended tummy tuck, arm lift, and lower face and neck lift. I am still amazed at the results. They continue to get better each week as the swelling subsides. He worked magic me on after a 120 pound weight loss. I cannot recommend Dr. Bolling enough. I look better than I ever have in my entire life. I'm so excited to go back for round 2! I would highly recommend a visit if you are considering any type of plastic surgery. Dr. Bolling, his staff, and Fayette Medical Center will take care of you! Updated on 22 Jun 2021: More before and after photos. 320 pounds at highest weight, 199 day before surgery. Extended tummy tuck, arm lift, lower face and neck lift. Could not be more happy with results, they continue to get better! Updated on 27 Oct 2021: Still very happy with my results! It's been a process and journey but so fun to get my life back! It was a fun summer of tank tops and bikinis (which I haven't worn in 20 plus years). Very excited for round 2 with Dr. Bolling. I know I'm in good hands! So glad I made the trip to Alabama to see him and Jen. Video made for my plastics groups but thought I'd share here :) It's not nearly as scary or painful as it all looks and I'd do it all 100 times over again.
Dr. Robert Bolling and his staff are top notch! They are extremely professional, friendly with excellent bedside manner. Dr. Bolling and his staff made every step of the process a pleasant and welcoming experience. From my consultation to post op everyone has been fabulous. I couldn’t recommend this practice enough! They made me feel like family throughout my entire journey, turning my desires into exactly what I imagined. My results are phenomenal, and couldn’t be more pleased. I highly recommend Dr. Robert Bolling and his team for your needs and wants. He is definitely a miracle worker!
First off the date of my procedure is off and I can't change it. I should've reviewed him years go. And yes, I am still loving my boobs!!! I still remember recovery, it was a breeze and I'm not one to tolerate pain well at all! His wife Jen is the best and staff was kind and helpful! Everyone there had such a great attitude and very professional. I plan to go back for lip injections and breast implant overfill in the near future but my desire is to have a nice round, soft butt!!!! I wish he performed butt implants as well! :( Feel free to leave recommendations for any Docs who perform butt implant(semi-silicone) procedures well! I've been searching for an experienced surgeon at a reasonable price for months now! Thanks! Updated on 26 Jan 2021: 3 years later and I still love my boobies! I’m thinking about going bigger! I was so nervous but his wife was amazing and helped calm my nerves. My recovery was smooth, no complaints, I’d definitely go back!
From beginning to end, Dr Bolling, Jenn, and the rest of the staff have been absolutely amazing! Dr. Bolling did more than I could’ve ever imagined! I absolutely love my body now!! I’m 30 and have had three kids. Two of those via c-section and at only 5’1, it really took a toll on my body. I’m so excited to see my final results as I’m only 3 days post op. I recommend Dr. Bolling 10 out of 10 in every single way! You will not be disappointed!
It took me years to find someone's I was comfortable with. Also took a while to find a surgeon to be able to remove the extra axillary tissue. A few said there in no such treatment. Some other surgeons try to convince me to do a stage surgery. I came across Dr. Bolling he was absolutely knowledgeable in his field of expertise. I expressed all of my concerns. He told me upfront what we could achieve vs we cannot. He never tried to upsale me on unnecessary procedure. I tend to get very anxious and nervous before surgery. (Or anything) He some how eased my mind. I was never anxious the night before or day of surgery. I suppose that is what happeneds when you know you are in safe and good hand. He was extremely polite to both my husband and I., again I am only 4 days pst op. I would highly recommend him to anyone. Updated on 15 Mar 2020: I have been doing extensive research for a few years on what I wanted from another breast surgery. I had a lift with implant exchange and axillary fat removal. After 3 kids and breast feeding for almost 7 years. It was time. After 2 consults with Bolling and many consults with other doctors. I decide to go with Bolling. He is very knowledgeable, extremely honest, upfront and patient. He made me feel safe, comfortable and secure in my decision. I have seen several other doctors that seemed to be in a rush and one that gave me false information all the way around..I'm only 5 day post op but I am very delighted in my decision to go with him. My husband also felt extremely comfortable with Dr.Bolling as well. Bless it..we will always use him for all of our plastic surgery needs. I just wish he was in the Gulf Coast full time. Updated on 13 Apr 2020: At only 5 weeks post op I have not started any scar therapy. I’m amazed at the scars that I was most concerned with. When having a lift the scar going around and down the nipple often looks bad. Personally I’m happy with the scars in that area
Dr Bolling did a mind blowing job! I am a mom of 3 and I had gastric bypass 6 years ago. I have maintained my 120lbs weight loss, it was finally time to complete my transformation. I am an RN in Birmingham and did many consultants but Dr Bolling came highly recommended. After meeting with him I knew he was “my doc.” On October 28, 2019, I had a breast lift with augmentation and abdominoplasty. He is truly an artist with a scalpel. I literally stand and stare at my body in the mirror with amazement. Look no further for your doctor. Dr Bolling is the absolute best!
I have had a mommy makeover scheduled since February 2019. I had done everything possible to get my body in shape to the best of my ability. From Zumba, weight lifting, kickboxing, and combat training. I received my orange belt in kickboxing and trained for races including competing in the spartan and terrain races. I had 2 csection babies and gained 80 lbs after I gave birth to them. So I lost that 80 lbs and gained so much confidence. Nothing had changed the torn muscles and saggy skin in my tummy nor my flat pancaked breast. So I opted for a mommy makeover. My surgery date was November 25th 2019. I am now 20 days post op and I am feeling excellent. My PS was Dr. Bolling in Foley AL and Fayette AL. I had decided to go to him after reading all of the amazing reviews and his tummy tucks/ breast lift and implants looked the most natural to me. Their office is top notch and the Fayette medical center staff was so professional and friendly. I am only day 20 in my post op but I see such a huge difference and I know I still have more swelling to go down. Couldn't be more pleased! Updated on 30 Dec 2019: As Far as soreness goes, I don’t have any sensation on my incision line. I still feel a little pulling and soreness on my ab area. But that is very small. It’s usually just when I am standing up or bending over. Other than that I am recovering very well. As far as scar treatments, I have not started that yet. I have purchased some Maderma gel and some silicone strips. I intend on using those at the six week mark. All of my incisions are closed I just wanted to give it one extra week to finalize the healing on the incision area. I have not been in the clear to start working out yet, I do see my doctor January 16. I think next week I’m going to do some light walking on the treadmill and stairclimbers and introduce some light weights. I have started using some light weights at the house and I don’t feel any pain at all. However, I am an avid gym junkie and I am used to working out to the fullest. So I think my body already has some of that left in it LOL. This last week has been super hard with Christmas careers, so I am doing the best that I can as far as my eating plan. I have overindulged on a couple of things over the past couple of days but I plan on getting on track after the New Year’s is over. A lot of my swelling is gone down especially in the morning. I noticed that in the evening, my swelling is really bad around my incision line and my mons pubis. I don’t really have any swelling above my belly button. However, when I overeat I feel swelling in the area. Other than that I’m doing great and I am feeling a little bit better every single day. Updated on 6 Jan 2020: Finally able to work out! I had my first workout today and I felt amazing. I did kickboxing at a local private gym which involved running laps, bagwork, kicks, squats punching, burpees, push-ups, sit-ups etc. lots of good stuff. I skipped all of the floor work. I already knew I couldn’t do push-ups and sit-ups. Other than that I was able to keep up with everyone. I am definitely in swell hell at the moment and I’ve been exhausted all day! However, my body tummy isn’t sore so that means I am safe. I am happy I listened to my body and didn’t push it beyond the limit. Just happy to be back! 6 weeks has been a tuning point for me. I no longer have any pain. I feel good sleeping on both sides. I still swell in the evenings and I’m still wearing my faja and when I’m not wearing that, I am wearing a waist trainer or spanx of some sort. I started my scar therapy Friday of last week. I bought silicone strips and I can already see a more fattened line on my tummy tuck incision and breast incision: they work well! Can’t wait to get rid of this swelling and see the final results!!!
Dr Bolling did my tummy tuck, brachioplasty and posterior upper body lift in one surgery where other surgeons wanted to break up into three. If was going to be in pain I wanted one time, not three. I’m completely blown away with the results. I’m less than a month out and it’s crazy how good it all looks. And I have to say even though I have incisions in all directions the pain was minimal. My only regret is I wish I had done it sooner. Dr. Bolling, Jenn and Erin have all been so wonderful to work with through the process and I cannot express how grateful I am to all of them. The staff at the hospital were amazing as well. It’s a small hospital but you truly get very specialized attention for dedicated medical professionals.
Your goal and an intense conversation with your plastic surgeon will help you make the best decision. I quite frequently do augmentation alone in someone like you especially at a young age. You minimize your scar and have a very low chance of loss of nipple sensation and ability to breast feed. After the implants settle, you can then decide if you want a lift or not. In my practice 50% or less decide they want a lift and even if not, after you get through with having children you may want a lift which may buy you 15-20 years. I often see women who have had implants in their 20's who come back for lift in 30's, 40's, even 50's. I am not a big fan of subglandular augmentation but it is a valid discussion with your plastic surgeon and many would recommend that instead of a lift, however, it is not my preferred method. Please only see a board certified Plastic Surgeon. Cosmetic surgeons are not the same as we are.
Thank you for your question but every surgeon is different and there is no right or wrong answer. If you go to 10 different surgeons you might get small changes in opinions from each regarding dressings, bra, massage, etc. Don't overthink this. Go with the surgeon you trust. We all have little things which we feel work best for us in our practice.
Starfish3,Your breasts look very good at 3 weeks. As one surgeon says, "your breasts are sisters, not twins". No two breasts or areolas are exactly the same. Also, this is WAY to early to critique anything. The shape looks great and each breast will "settle" and heal a little different than the other. Again, you can't make them behave exactly the same. I'd recommend telling your surgeon he did a good job. I suspect you had a lift with implants from your pictures. When you do a lift with implants you have two opposing forces on the skin...one pushing from below and the other trying to pull in the excess skin from the lift portion. Somewhat distorted areolas and protruding nipples are normal and usually look pretty good in time, but this will take months. Also, look at 100 different areolas and they are all shapes and sizes. Most aren't perfectly round. Hope this helps, but you should not be embarrassed at all. Thanks for the question.
Jennydancer26, every surgeon has a preference for placements of implants. Most of us take into consideration a woman's goals, body type, breast shape, tissue quality, etc. Yes there are pros and cons to each. There is no "right" answer. I'm sure he chose the over the muscle because you are a body builder. I would probably do the same, however, I might change my mind after examining you. Again, there is no right answer. Don't get carried away reading what this patient or that patient says. Women get so much misinformation from "people". Go for another consult if you wish with another Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, however, you might get several opinions from different surgeons. We are going to suggest what would give you the results you want based on our experience. It is possible to get the same results via different approaches. Hope this helps.
I echo the above. We seldom get patient to come back a year later just for picture especially when many patients live out of town. Most pictures are within the first 2-3 months after surgery when the scars are in that "red" stage. Also, it takes a while for the breasts to settle after a lift. Most people scar well (some don't), however, if your goal is better breast shape, then you should accept the scarring that comes with it. What I tell patients is: "Better shape with a few scars or keep your shape with no scars". Good luck.
