36 J Very Dense Breast Tissue and Tummy Pouch, 32 Yo

Breast reduction, Tummy Tuck, and small amount of lipo on flanks
Many surgeons treat breast reductions as purely functional surgeries. In other words they remove as much tissue as necessary or as dictated by insurance and then stitch you up faster than they should. As a result, I see a lot of after pictures of flat, pancake like boobies with bold and jagged scarring. Having a nice projecting shape with subtle scarring was not the focus of a lot of surgeons I interviewed. I saw four doctors in the Midwest and wasn't impressed with most of their after pictures. The boobs were smaller but most were not prettier and there was a lot of inconsistencies and uneveness.
I found the same problem with my local surgeons doing tummy tucks. Jagged incisions, and thick scars placed higher on the abdomen.
Dr. Rahban's work was much better than the average surgeons'. The breasts look fuller, perkier, and the scars more subtle. He hand stitches you closed repetitivly and evenly which takes a lot of time. You're less likely to have sutures pop open and ooze out and heal unevenly with his suturing techniques. He seals you up so well that the scars are thin and flat! He reduces your breasts based off of the width of your breast/chest wall. I think he gets better projection and fullness on the top of the breast by using the superomedial pedicle technique. Because of these things, that's why I choose Dr. Rady Rahban as my surgeon. I was willing to fly across the US to get my reduction and tummy tuck done by him in LA. The Skype calls made consults easy despite being so geographically far away. His office staff were always sweet and professional. They answered my many questions by email. He was honest about his cosmetic and functional goals. He is direct and at times intense, but in the end it's best that way. You are able to know what he really thinks. He wont make false promises that he can't keep. He doesn't give you a lot of choice in your end results, he does reductions and tummy tucks the way he has been doing them for years, making new tweaks and improvement in techniques along the way. So don't expect a lot of negotiating about your areola size or direction your nipples will be pointing. It's hard for him to make those promises anyways because it's based on what your body gives him to work with and how you heal. But don't worry his results usually look great! Consistently better than other doctors' results. Occasionally he'll get impatient with worry worts like me ( I had endless questions) or staff that aren't on the ball. He has a tight timeline and high expectations of his staff. Which in the end gave me great results and great after care. His anesthesiologist was amazing, as was the nursing staff that he worked closely with at the aftercare facility. I wanted to hug all of them because they were so kind and patient with me when I was miserable and vulnerable in the first 12 hours after a breast reduction and tummy tuck surgery done all at once. Those after care nurses were sure to do everything the way the dr wanted it done. That was such a relief.
If something is not right in Dr. Rahban's eyes it will bug him because he is a perfectionist and his work is a huge part of his identity. He'll go above and beyond because he takes his work very seriously. I'd tease him "you're so intense Dr. Rahban" and he'd respond with how important it was to him to have good results and that he took everything very seriously. I hope he meditates and takes nice long vacations because he works so hard for his clients. No wonder he has so many good reviews, he made me feel so cared for. He is excellent at such complicated work. I look forward to my follow up appointments with him and his staff. It's been a very positive experience so far despite having horrible nausea after surgery and feeling very tender/sore.

Dr. Rahban was a bit concerned about my left nipple getting enough circulation bc there was a good amount of swelling in the breast. The aftercare nurses put nitro cream and hot compresses on it to get more blood flowing to it. So although the left nipple looks darker than the right, we are hoping just a few layers of skin will slough off over time and eventually it will look closer in appearance to the right one.

I got my complete numbers today from Rahaban. 0.8 pounds (370g) removed from right breast and 1.2 pounds (532g) removed from left breast. 5-6 pounds removed from my abdomen from the tummy tuck and around a total of 200 stitches!

It was so nice to get my drains removed today and a fresh clean bra. The binder is nice, but so tight it makes deep breaths difficult. Now I'm working on standing up straighter and weaning off the narco and valium ( I'm almost out! Ahh!) My tummy feels so tight, I even have to eat smaller meals bc there just isn't enough room in there like there used to be!

I thought sleeping on my back would be terrible, but it's not as bad as I thought. I thought that having my stitches removed would be really painful but it wasnt. Removing the drains hurt the most. Dr. Rahban and his office staff are great. I was cautious to trust, but they have won me over and I'm so glad I was brave enough to go through with this! They have done everything they can to give me good results and I have faith in them.

I can't wait until my breasts drop and get a more natural shape back and my abdomen gets less swollen.

So I was given a new binder by Dr.Rahban a couple days ago and boy is it intense. I'd love to take it off and be able to take deep breaths from my belly. I feel claustrophobic in this thing, but get the point of it. I don't want swelling to build in my abdomen. Itching has started too. I was told by his nurse Heidi that it is just part of the long road of healing. I was itching so terrible yesterday and just plain felt miserable. Benedryl does help alleviate the itching but it makes me pretty nonfunctional. I sleep for hours in a restless sleep, having repetitive, uncomfortable dreams. Looking forward to my first real shower this morning. Trying to keep up my spirits but feeling worn out. On the bright side, I liked this picture I took from the neck down yesterday. The binder is doing its thing! I'm happy with my shape!