Gained 2 Cup Sizes, Lost My Health

I didn't want to write an update until I got the large egg-sized lump removed, the one causing most of the chest pain and like nerve damage in surrounding areas. The plan was to do the removal in April, but the lockdown put a hold on elective surgeries. It has not been easy, as my symptoms have worsened without physical therapy and massage treatments.
I really appreciate the kind and supportive comments below, especially when I initially posted my experience on here, but quick thing about the comments over the past 2 days. If you had a successful procedure with Dr. Bednar, then please write your own review and do not hijack mine. I know most of you mean well, but some of the questioning and prodding is insensitive and it diminishes the experience that I am having. Just because you had a smooth post-op experience doesn't mean there aren't any post-op issues. "Sorry you were in a car accident, but I personally had an amazing experience with my car and dealership." A silly analogy, but that's how it's starting to come across!After posting my initial review, several women reached out privately to share their similar painful experiences and many are just not ready to write about theirs yet, but it was only then that I learned that there are some more cases like mine and way more unknowns to fat transfer than is currently being advertised. Please don't silence those ladies from sharing their stories either. For a long time, I thought I was alone. I verified that I'm a patient and I'm sharing what can happen, the dark side that most do not know about. I wouldn't wish this nightmare on anymore. xoxoxoSummarizing some of my points below, so I don't have to keep repeating them: PHOTOS: I posted in the Facebook group when seeking help. If you look hard enough, you may find them. I didn't post photos here because I'll just get a bunch of comments saying "you look great" or "at least you look great," which is what happened in the group. That really takes away from the pain and issues that I'm trying to bring awareness to and share. Plus, I have identifying marks and I don't want to post my breasts in public. Please respect that. RESULTS: As mentioned below, I had some cosmetic hiccups, but my breasts look fine. Visually, you can't tell anything is wrong and they've stayed the same. When I get the lumps drained, I notice the areas sink in a bit but it's not super noticeable. I'm sure I'll have a meltdown once they remove the large lump, and it leaves unevenness, but I'm excited for some permanent relief on that area. I also followed post-op instructions to a tee, so no need to revisit that topic. Overall, my breasts feel like rocks and marbles, but they look fine...STAFF: My review of the staff was not negative. I thought they were absolutely lovely and kind to me, and always responsive. They are technical in knowledge about the procedure, but not about the SERIOUS issues that arose. I had over 30 calls with Dr. Bednar before he said to "swing by" and offered to take a look, but he knew I wasn't local. For over a year, he told me to just "give it time." That was the frustrating part. They tried their best to help, especially Sylvia (his wife) and Soumida (RN), but there's only so much could do over the phone and they admitted my symptoms were unusual. TREATMENTS: At this point, I've spent more on massage treatments and physical therapy than on the initial procedure. I had 2 lymphatic massages in NC, then dozens more locally with a certified masseuse recommended by another patient near me. The ladies in the Facebook group suggested myofascial release, so I went to a physical therapist and have been going ever since. I've tried essential oils, herbal medicine, foam rollers, and much more. The relief from all of this is only temporary. PRE-OP: Of course, I'm aware of the risks behind surgery. I've had minor surgeries for sports-related injuries and was told that results are not always certain. However, Dr. Bednar made it clear that due to my age, no prior medical history, and no prior breast surgeries, that I would be very low risk for complications. Whenever I had questions or concerns, he was quick to respond but the response would always be "you'll be fine." I wish that were the case. LIPO: The lipo pains are tricky. Dr. Bednar refused to lipo my belly and arms, but that meant he went all out on my legs. I was thin at the time, and didn't have much fat in my legs either. He took so much fat from my legs, enough that I retained 2 cup sizes, that the sides appeared sunken, which improved with weight gain, and scooped. Today, the soreness and fatigue that I feel are likely from my body's response to the inflammation in the lipo areas, and that response never went away. That's the leading theory from 2 of the specialists and a PS, and there are signs in my blood work. SPECIALISTS: My PCP is great. She went right to work sending me from one specialist after another. I've seen a cardiologist, a hemotologist, an endocrinologist, a rheumatologist, a gastroenterologist, etc. In total, I've seen 12 specialists, just to be sure it wasn't pain from my heart or other organs. I've also had every blood test in the books, as well as CT scans head to toe. I've had around 10 radiology sessions, 3 of which I've had multiple lumps tested and drained. All came back positive for fat necrosis. xoxoxoSide note, some of my symptoms - chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and aches - resemble those of COVID-19 and my PCP has recommended getting tested at least once a month. That is not a fun test, unless you enjoy having swabs reach your brain. My new symptoms include itchiness near the large lump, pain on my ribcage under this lump, and involuntary gasping on that side. I can't wait to get this thing out of me and to put some of the pain behind me. I still haven't been able to exercise or do basic activities without the pain. There is a long backlog, so I hope to have better news by September. Anyways, I'm exhausted... Good luck to those who have procedures coming up. To those considering the procedure, please do as much research as you can and ask questions until you are comfortable with the doctors you are considering.

It took me a while to put this together. Two years ago, I had a breast fat transfer with Dr. Bednar. I did a lot of research before traveling to him. His results were unmatched.
THE PROCEDURE: It was relatively painless. His staff is a well-oiled machine. I met Dr. Bednar the day before the surgery. We had virtual consultations before that. He didn't spend much time with me, about 10 minutes, but I got to ask all my questions and he gave very confident answers. The next day was the operation. There was some soreness on the lipo areas and I felt very lucky to have little swelling, no drainage, and minimal pain, mostly when sitting down.INITIAL RESULTS: In the first 2 months, I was so happy with the results. Dr. Bednar said I would go up 1.5 cup sizes and after retention, it was even closer to 2 cup sizes. I was over the moon. After 2 months, I started developing unusual pains in my chest and stomach, lumps in my breast, and unevenness in the lipo. I asked Dr. Bednar about these issues, and he couldn't really provide much insight over the phone. Prior to the procedure, I was actively playing sports and running 10Ks, and had no medical history. I had followed all the post-op rules: no baths, no drinking, no smoking, no wired bras, and no vigorous exercise. In my search to feel better, I looked for recovery tips on their Facebook page, but most of the posts have holistic advice from other patients not always to be trusted.RECOVERY: Dr. Bednar does check-ins after 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. I would ask about the new lumps and pains and each time, I was always given the same spiel: "Give it more time. Healing takes time." The more time that passed, the worse I felt. I eventually started seeing several local specialists. I spent a year getting tests and biopsies. There were lumps varying from the size of peas to golf balls. Most went away but I still have 7 grape-sized lumps that appear to be permanent, despite the advice to keep massaging them. Prior to the procedure, I never had palpable lumps.FINAL RESULTSTwo years later, here are other unexpected cosmetic impacts that are still present:• The compression garment folded in a way that it left noticeable dents on both sides of my upper waist. • Too much fat was taken from my upper thighs, which created hip dents, like someone scooped out a handful of fat from my buttocks. This also enhanced the stretch marks there.• The lipo on my thighs are uneven enough to be noticeable in shorts, and still feel bumpy and hard. The lipo on my hips also feels hard and has pain on some spots when pressed. • The stitches didn't fall off on their own and had to be cut after 10 days. I went to a nurse, and she said some of the stitching was too tight, and the knots couldn't loosen. The stitches that were too tight created shallow dents that are unfortunately worst on my 2 buttock scars.AFTERMATHI have been living in pain every day. Every day, I wake up with soreness, achiness, fatigue, weakness, and pains on the upper half of my body. At times, my chest feels heavy, like someone is sitting on it. Other times, my chest feels hot to the touch. My doctors are still monitoring for nerve damage in areas that appear sunken and feel numb, namely the sternum and upper rib cage. It was recommended that I go yearly to get the lumps checked. It is embarrassing to have to explain to medical professionals that I'm there because of fat necrosis from a breast fat transfer, when there are women who are waiting there to check cancerous lumps. For a long time, I was ignored by doctors and no one was able to validate my concerns. Even now, doctors are not entirely sure what's causing my symptoms, despite all the costly tests. Mentally, I feel depressed and exhausted all the time. Physically, I feel like I aged 20 years overnight. I went from training for a marathon to struggling to bend down to put on jeans in the morning. Occasionally, I feel sharp chest pains just from walking a few blocks. I consulted with other local plastic surgeons and was turned away because they didn't want to correct someone else's work, which Dr. Bednar did offer to do if things got worse. One local surgeon did comment that Dr. Bednar was too aggressive with lipo, hence the dents, and that he was too ambitious with the fat transfer, hence the lumps. He said the amount that was transferred should have been done gradually in at least 2 rounds. Getting a breast fat transfer is a decision that I regret. This procedure drastically changed my life. I see a lot of women with great results, but this procedure is still fairly new and there are a lot of long-term unknowns. His staff, despite being lovely people, did not have technical knowledge and gave mostly holistic advice. I'm sure there are a lot of women like me, who are not ready to talk about their experience yet. It truly worries me that a reputable surgeon like Dr. Bednar could lack so many answers. Thank you for reading, and for letting me get this off my chest - no pun intended.