Breast reduction - so HAPPY with the results!

After years of putting off a breast reduction with lift and endless research on doctors, I decided to go to Dr. Diulus after my friend found him. My consult was in May, insurance verified coverage and surgery scheduled for 9/24/2019. Dr. Diulus is very meticulous and spent much time marking and measuring for the right size and symmetry. I’m not even 24 hours of out post op and honestly, feel great. A little sore, but nothing that needs narcotics. I took a Tylenol and that’s it. I have no drain tubes...just sutures and tape over them! Can’t ask for anything better. The only issue I’ll have for the next couple weeks is sleeping on my back. Not a back sleeper so it did kill my back last night trying to sleep on my back and that was with propped up and pillow under knees.

I don’t have a pre-op picture (might ask the Doc for the one he took), but lets just say, I could not see my nipples that hung down way low. Was a DD or more since I was overflowing a DD bra. Forget a pencil test...I could hold a hammer!
Now, just to hope everything heals correctly. Follow-up scheduled for Oct. 2, 2019

Good news...all tissue was clean! No cancerous cells! Yay!
Also found out that 665g was removed from one breast and 587g from the other. That’s a lot! Now I know why was 3 pounds lighter!
Still not much pain at all. Only took 2 Tylenol at 8am this morning. I am pretty swollen on the sides, but it will all go down after time.

8 days after surgery, I had my follow-up. All looked great, but had some fluid in both breasts on the side - you can see it in the pictures. Remember, no drains used with this doctor and the reason I picked him! Doc decided to stick a freaking needle in my left breast to try to get some fluid out. Hurt like a you-know-what and honestly the ONLY pain I’ve had. We laughed about it after he said, “Let me know if that bruises.” Duh...of course it will. It was’t that bad, but I had to make a big stink just because I’ve had no pain the entire time. But really, no big deal.

The nurse removed the tape that was applied after surgery and reapplied new tape. I was told I could remove the tape at 15 days post op, but I had to remove it a couple days early. It was pulling and pinching me and it was holding too much moisture. It was like when you leave a bandaid on after you get it wet. So, I carefully removed it and took a shower to clean off all the glue and wash the areas. Put AB Pads on the sutured areas as protection between my skin and sports bra. I couldn’t sleep all night thinking I screwed up by taking the tape off too soon. But in the morning, I realized it was the right decision. Skin was healing much better being drier and started to scab up in the spots that were kept too wet. Swollen sutured areas were starting to go down too.

Supposed to wear a sports bra for a total of 6 weeks and then I can do a wire free front closure bra for then next 3 months or so. No underwire until 6 months. I will never wear one if I can help it ever again! Doc is real particular about healing properly, so no lifting or exercise for at least 6 weeks too.

My next appointment isn’t until 3 months from now, because everything looked great! If I need anything, I am to call and make an appointment. So far everything is fine and I expect that it will be.

Suggestions for those thinking of breast reduction:
1. Get many different sizes of bras for after surgery. Leave tags on, so you can return. All that I bought were too big, so I had to order a whole bunch more in various sizes. Store shopping sucked and I won’t do that again until I’m all normal.
2. Get AB Pads 5x9 to put on the sutured areas between your skin and the bra. You will be much more comfortable while healing and any drainage will be captured. I bought a pack of 50 and that should be enough.
3. For scars, nurse told me to get lotion like Cereve or Eucerine and massage the scars to break down the scar tissue. I’ll start that after the scabs heal up. I also got silicone strips, but won’t use until after everything is healed well at probably 5 months since they will be too sensitive for the strips before then.