Thomas J. Bitterly, MD (retired)

I would like to start by thanking all the women who have had the courage to post their experiences so that others may be helped! I so appreciate all the information! I am 40 years old, 5'5" and 180lbs. I am a 34 FF and hope to be a C cup when finished. I had my initial consultation at the end of August and just found out today that my insurance company approved payment for my surgery. I was initially declined which was really disappointing but my PS called the Dr at the IC for a "peer-to-peer" and they approved it. My advice is if you are declined, appeal! My IC was really good about explaining the appeal process so it was pretty easy. Getting the insurance approval made it very real to me so now the nerves start! Even though I'm terrified, I know I really want the surgery because of the disappointment I felt when I got declined initially. I know I'll have tons of questions but right now I'm letting the reality set in. I've been looking at C cup bras in stores and they look so tiny and cute! Not to mention they are a fraction of what I pay for the harnesses I wear now! It's really happening!Updated on 2 Oct 2012:I had my pre op physical/history/bloodwork, etc today. Very thorough. I'm a little nervous about the amount of tissue the insurance co needs to be removed in order to pay for it. 525g per breast is the number. The Dr is confident that he will be able to do this. Any numbers out there anyone would like to share? He is saying I may be a full B/small C. Was kind of hoping for closer to a C. I don't know... all bras look like they should be on babies compared to what I'm used to ..Updated on 3 Oct 2012:I have a few bra questions for all you post-op ladies out there. How long did you wear the surgical bra after surgery? How long did you wear the sports bra ? Did you buy a sports bra before or after surgery and what did you find to be the best sport bra out there? Did it take a while to wear an underwire after the surgery because of the incisions or did you give up on the idea of an underwire entirely? Thanks in advance for feedback!Updated on 7 Oct 2012:Well, if I ever had any second thoughts about this surgery, they are out the window! I've had terrible back pain over the last two days! I can't even take a deep breath. The 24th can't come soon enough. I'll get a massage tomorrow and hopefully will feel much better.Updated on 22 Oct 2012:Well, I'm two days away from my surgery and it's all I can think about. I'm so excited that the waiting is awful! When I feel scared, I just go over all the ways my life will be better post-op. Any last minute advice out there? I'm also posting some "before" pics. It's more difficult that I thought it would be and makes me even more appreciative of the women out there who did it before me.Updated on 31 Oct 2012:I'm a week past my surgery and finally feel well enough to take some post-op pics. I'm a pretty queasy person so the tightness from the sutures and the numbness makes me a little light headed. Therefore, I had a hard time keeping the bra off long enough to take pics. I'm not sure what I thought was going to happen, I just felt better being "held in". Today is by far my best day yet. I got up, took a bath and washed my hair (again, the queasy feeling happens when the water hits my boobs in the shower so I'm bathing) did my hair and make-up for the first time in a week and am also dressed in something other than a bathrobe and sweats. It feels good! I'm fortunate enough to be able to hire a cleaning service while I'm recovering, so they're coming today. I'm really looking forward to that! I think I'll also go out to lunch with a friend. I'm ready to get my life back! I don't feel the need to take a Percocet but I may later on. I've weaned myself off the Percocet almost completely although I still take a Tylenol PM at night so I can sleep. I do well on that. I'm still being ultra careful but this lying around all the time is getting to me. Oh! I almost forgot! I had my post-op check up with my PS yesterday and he was very pleased with my recovery so far. The PA also told me that they would "round out" in time. They seem a little wide right now but I'm not complaining! I think he did a wonderful job. Check out the "after" pics and let me know what you think. I couldn't be happier!Updated on 6 Nov 2012:Help! I'm 12 days post-op and am having a bit of depression. Has anyone else experienced this? When I look at myself clothed, I'm thrilled with the results. Aside from that I feel terrible. I'm tired of the discomfort and not being able to do the things I'm used to doing. I know I would feel better if I could go to the gym but I'm still at least 2 weeks away from that as well. The scars are so dark, I can't visualize the end result. I also have a thickness on my side, under my arms that wasn't there before. Is this just swelling? I'm trying not to be whiny but I've been teary all morning. Just have a good cry and get over it? I don't know. It's not as though I can take the surgery back. I keep telling myself all the reasons I had the surgery in the first place but the positive self-talk isn't working so well today. Any words of encouragement would be so appreciated. Thank you...Updated on 6 Dec 2012:Here I am on the "other side"! I went to the Dr last week for a check up and they say I'm healing nicely. The PA removed the remaining adhesive so my scars are pink but looking much better. I have started my scar treatment. I massage a vitamin E oil 2-3 times a day and use Vaseline on my "T" where it is slow to heal. The PA said I would have a bigger scar at that junction but I'm not worried about it. The "T" is still seeping a bit on both sides but they say it's normal. I'm still a little uncomfortable and can't reach up high or stretch really well but it's getting better every day. The most bothersome thing right now is the bottom half of my breast is totally numb (which is just a weird feeling) but my nipples are ultra-sensitive! I keep a piece of gauze covering them as an added layer of protection under my bra. Has anyone else found a way to deal with this effectively? On the plus side, I wore a wrap dress to a brunch last week that, in my other life, I had had to pin closed so the girls weren't on display too much. Now I just put it on and wore it! Extra room up top as a matter of fact! I marvel every day at the drastic change for the better in my appearance. I was so focused on getting rid of the back pain that I didn't fully realize how much better I would look. It's such a huge boost in my confidence. I forgot how it was to put on an outfit and look in the mirror and actually like what I see rather than just see a giant set of boobs. The confidence boost is remarkable. I was so much more miserable with my appearance than I realized. I used to think people who used plastic surgery to gain confidence were shallow but I get it now. I feel so grateful that I was able to have this wonderful gift not only for my physical health but my mental health as well. I took some pics that I'll be posting shortly. The best I can figure is that I'm a C cup. I haven't tried on any bras that have a cup size since I'm still waiting for my swelling on the sides to go down. I'm not sure if we're allowed to mention brand names but Fruit of the Loom sells a great bra at WalMart that has about 5 hooks in the front and it's all stretchy cotton. Not a sports bra per se but a really comfy, supportive bra that I've been wearing ever since I was allowed out of the one they gave me at the hospital. It goes by band size so I got a 36. I'm usually a 34 but I went up a size and was glad for it. Just an FYI.Updated on 25 Dec 2012:I received a great Christmas gift... My "T" finally stopped leaking! No more gauze pads in my bra, yay! I inadvertently slept on my stomach for the first time last night.and have been sore all day. I'll have to concentrate on still sleeping on my back for a while yet. I'm continuing to heal nicely and now that the holidays are mostly over, I can concentrate on losing a few pounds! I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays. Stay safe!Updated on 24 Jan 2013:It's been a little better than 3 months since my surgery and I am amazed at how good I feel. I love how I look and how my neck and back pain are non existent! I can now sleep on my side and stomach with little discomfort. I still get little "darts" of pain randomly but it's nothing alarming. The scars are healing nicely. The only negative is that since I've been out of the gym for a couple of months, getting back into shape is not fun! But I'm coming along slowly but surely. This surgery was totally worth all the time, money and discomfort.

I am 40 years old. Have 3 boys ages 17 to 6. Have thought for many years of having this done. After reading many helpful posts on this site, I have done it and couldn't be happier. Was done Friday, June 11. I remember them giving me a sedative at 9:25am to help with my anxiousness. Then I was being awoken at 2:40pm telling me I was all done. I was in longer than expected, but Dr. said he wanted to do it right and did repair the muscles of my lower belly above pubic bone. Had to be at the hospital yesterday morning at 8:30 for a 2 day checkup. Said everything looks good. I am still shock for how flat my stomach is. The Dr. kept telling my husband, "well, she now has a tight abdomen". It is more painful than I expected. Taking 2 pain pills every 4 hours of Oxycodone. But stopped taking the Oxycotin yesterday. I am definitely not a fan of narcotics. Any questions, just ask! Updated on 16 Jun 2010: Today is post op day 5. Seeing the PS office this morning to hopefully have drain tube removed. Developed a fever yesterday. Ibuprofen seemed to halt it. Doesn'st appear to be incision or surgery related. Hoping it was a 24 bug since I spent a lot of time in the bathroom and stomach cramping as well as the fever. Will give an update later after appointment. Updated on 17 Jun 2010: Post op day 6 update. Thanks to all of you for your comments. I was surprised at how good I was feeling on day 3. I have some good and bad news to share. 1st off-day 5 yesterday - had an appt. at PS office. Saw the PS, PA and nurse - all of which are wonderful. And I got my drain tube out! YAY....had no idea how good it was to lay in bed and forgot how good a shower is. I admit, I was scared to death to get it out too, like many others. It was nothing. Sounded a bit weird, but didn't have any burning sensation that some have commented on. She asked me to take a deep breath and when I blew out - she quickly pulled it. Took 1 - 2 seconds. I was so mad at myself for causing so much anxiety. 2ndly - I had asked about the pain in the right side of my back that had developed the evening before. Had hoped it was muscle due to sleeping in the recliner. The PA checked with the stethoscope. She didn't hear anything, but I was still running a low grade temp and she decided better safe to run an xray. Shortly after we got home, they called and I have developed pneumonia. No idea why or how. She did say this is not typical and it came on rather sudden. I almost question if it hadn't started prior to surgery. It is mid lobe so she could not hear it and they would not have been able to hear it either on the morning of surgery. So now on a new antibiotic for 10 days. I have to take 10 deep breaths per hour that I am awake and trying to promote a cough. I have a pillow to hold on to, but I have not had one successful cough yet. Very frustrating. Tomorrow will be one week since surgery and if it hadn't been for this new development, I would feel fabulous.

Ever since I started developing at age 9, I’ve been mortified of my breasts. I remember laying in bed and feeling my sore chest, confused by the hard discs that had appeared. Too embarrassed to go to my mother, I consulted askjeeves on the family’s Windows ‘95 and found that I had sprouted “breast buds.” Horror. By the 5th grade, my chest had become noticeable enough to warrant wearing a training bra; I felt ashamed and coveted my peers’ lack of development. Flash forward to 8th grade, I fill out my small chested 19 year old sister’s bikini top better than her... I probably wore a C or D cup and began to worry that I may grow to the size of my very well endowed older cousin. Throughout high school, finding clothes that would accommodate my DDD chest and fit my size 4 frame became a challenge. I hated my boobs— it was around this time that I heard of breast reduction; I saw it on an episode of a docuseries called “My Surgery Story.” I knew that one day, I wanted to get one. They continued growing.By my sophomore year of college, I had developed back problems and began seeing a chiropractor regularly. The idea of a breast reduction became more and more appealing but seemed like an unobtainable dream. Now, at 29, clocking in at a whopping 30JJ (which is impossible to find, so I settle for a 34I), the physical and emotional toll has become too much to bear any longer. I experience chronic back, neck and shoulder pain which forced me to leave my job as a massage therapist. I avoid shopping at all costs and try to hide my boobs in baggy t-shirts. I know that this surgery will provide a better quality of life and it’s all I can think about. I had a consultation with a plastic surgeon a week ago and am waiting for approval from my insurance company. I’ll write about that experience soon! Updated on 28 Mar 2018: So, it’s been 8 days since my consultation and I just received a call from my insurance today that I’ve been approved! A little about my consult and what was sent to my insurance: My surgeon went through a list of symptoms with me and I told him which ones I’ve been experiencing; which included neck and shoulder pain, shoulder indents, rashes under the boobs, breast heaviness, difficulty participating in physical activities, poor posture and tingling in my hand. I also mentioned that it affected my work as a massage therapist. He asked if I’d ever seen a chiropractor or physical therapist (for at least 6 months) and I gave him the name of my chiropractor. He also asked about any pain medication (even over the counter), and I told him that I’ve used tiger balm (a topical analgesic). He sent all of this info to my insurance, along with photos he took, my measurements, his findings, and records he got from my chiropractor and primary care doctor. When he examined me, he said right away that I was a great candidate and should be approved; and if not, to appeal. I was doubtful that I’d be approved (especially so quickly!), since it seems like insurance companies always try to do all they can to avoid paying for anything. The financial aspect of this, and not having insurance that would cover the cost (when I called last year they said they don’t cover breast reductions under any circumstances) has been a hurdle in my mind for so long. It’s a major reason this has always felt unobtainable, like a “maybe someday” dream put on the back shelf. So, this is good! It’s surreal that I’m actually closer to reaching that dream. Updated on 30 Mar 2018: I got a call from the plastic surgeon’s office yesterday to schedule my surgery! Their first availability was June 27th, though they asked if I wanted to wait until September (my referral expires mid-September) since I wouldn’t be able to go swimming for at least 6 weeks or until they’re fully healed. I took the first slot and asked if I could reschedule if I change my mind. They said absolutely, and they’d let me know if anything opens up sooner. Now, I just have to make sure that date doesn’t conflict with my work schedule and tell my boss my plans. I’m not sure how to bring it up... I feel awkward. I’m a chiropractic assistant and I just started this past January. Hopefully, being a chiropractor, he’ll understand the physiology and won’t be phased. I guess I don’t even have to specify what kind of operation I’m having. Well, that’s all for now! Updated on 13 Apr 2018: When I originally scheduled my surgery, they said they’d call if there were any cancellations earlier— well, that day has come :) My surgery is now scheduled for May 25th! I’m so happy. Now, I’ll be able to enjoy some of the summer with smaller boobs for the first time since high school! Can’t wait to wear and do whatever I want. I’m planning on taking 3 weeks off work (my job is moderately physical) and perhaps going on light duty for a few weeks after that. I feel so fortunate— it feels like everything in my life has aligned to allow or this to happen. Yippee! Updated on 30 May 2018: So, I’m on day 5 post-op. Today, I got a sponge bath and got dressed in “real” clothes. I’m feeling a lot less sore and better in general. Yesterday, I was awake a lot more than days prior and taking less pain meds; so I was starting to feel uncomfortable laying down so much but not really comfortable to be up, either. Today, it feels good to be out of bed and moving more. I’ve been staying at my parents’ house and my mom has been very attentive, so I’m very grateful to have her taking care of me. Yesterday, I drained 30 & 35 ml total, and today I’ve drained 5 & 10 ml. I have a follow-up appointment with my surgeon on Friday, so I’ll probably have my drains removed then. Well, I think that’s all for now. Updated on 1 Jun 2018: I got my drains out yesterday and was able to shower today, so I got my first up-close look. My left breast is more swollen than my right and is feeling tender to the touch; particularly on the top. I put a call in to my plastic surgeon because I was worried I might have a hematoma. They asked if I could see any fluid moving around when I press on it, have a fever, have redness spreading over the breast or if it’s gotten more swollen since my follow-up yesterday. Besides a little pinkness, my answer was no; so they reassured me that it sounds normal and that I looked good yesterday. I’m going to keep an eye on it and call if I experience any of that. Anyway, here’s my post-op pics! I found out they took 680g from my left and 610 from my right. Updated on 4 Jun 2018: I feel like righty is catching up in swelling to lefty, and the incisions on left are a little red. The PA at my surgeon’s said it’s ok to sleep on my side now, so I have been the last couple of nights. Maybe I should switch to my back— could be why the right is swelling more. Updated on 9 Jun 2018: Feeling good, going back to work next week. I’m going to be working the desk for a week, then probably resuming my regular duties. Still a little tender in spots, and a little numb in others, but it’s not very noticeable. Also still swollen, but even if my boobs stayed exactly like this, I’d be happy. Just feel so good to have that weight off, and to be able to wear sports bras, and having my boobs swinging around down to my belly button! Updated on 12 Jun 2018: So, when I was taking my shower today, I peeled the glue off at the T junction and I think took some scabs with it. Does this look all right? The one with the black actually still has a scab but I’m a little concerned because it looks like it may be a little... weepy, or just not very healthy, and kind of deep in there. I’m afraid they might get infected. Updated on 2 Aug 2018: Updated on 11 Oct 2018: Ugggggghhhhh. Since surgery, I started having back pain again. I’ve gone back to my chiropractor on a bi-weekly basis for the last couple months. I figured my body still needed help since it had been under so much strain for so long, but now I think it’s because my boobs are still TOO BIG. I measured myself for a new bra, since I’ve only been wearing sport bras (I figured I might need more support)— I measure at a 30FF UK/30H US. It just came in and it’s too small! So disheartened. I am a lot smaller than I was, but even after getting almost 3 lbs. removed, I feel like I need another reduction.

Okay, so after 2 C-Sections I was still pretty happy with my mommy tummy. Then 2 yrs ago I had to have a colon resection...I was 50 and now at 52 it seems that the trauma to my belly was just to much for it to bounce back. I started contemplating a tummy tuck and checking out this website. I had also developed a hernia that has gotten larger over the past two yrs. So I'm thinkin, if I'm getting the hernia repaired, why not check on a tummy tuck as well. That's when I began looking at this site and wishing for a flatter tummy. I'm older than most of the folks who get them, but I figure heck, why not. Updated on 24 Aug 2013: Okay, so I'm wanting to schedule consultations with the surgeons. I'm thinking Dr. Louton and Dr. Moya Can anyone tell me about good PS in the State College/Altoon and Danville area Updated on 31 Aug 2013: Okay, so I made an appointment for my 1st consult with a PS. It's with Dr. Bitterly in Danville Pa at the geisinger plastic surgery center. I'm excited but I'm also second guessing spending the $ on myself. Guess when you are a mom you get so used to doing for everyone else that it becomes unnatural to do for you....wish me luck. Updated on 19 Sep 2013: Had my first consultation with Dr. Bitterly in Danville, PA. I liked him, he seems much older than I thought he would be, not sure why that sorta bothered me but it did. I guess on the positive side he has done lots of surgery! Due to my hernia he said I might have to have a vertical scar :((((( if he does it at the same time. He is sending me to a general surgeon do have a CT with iodine dye to see what exactly is going on and how big it is. Anyone here have a vertical scar? He also said that my eyelids are drooping enough that I may be able to get them fixed for very little as insurance will pay. He puts breast implants in through the crease under the breast, it's closer to the muscle he puts it under and he feels it is the best way to do it. I am sceduling my 2nd consult with Emily Peterson at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College. So, has anyone else had their surgery done by her? Thanks for any input!! Updated on 26 Sep 2013: Okay, my 1st consult with Dr. Bitterly at Danville, PA medical center. He said I need to get a cat scan to find out how big and where my hernia is. He seemed certain that I would have to have a vertical scar if I did the hernia and tummy tuck at the same time. I have had my cat scan and am waiting to see what he/general surgeon that will perform the hernia repair have to say.....