Implant Removal - Fat Transfer to Breast - Charlotte, NC

It's been some time since I've been on this site but I felt compelled to update this review, as I don't think there are as many women sharing long term results. If I had known what I know now, I'm not sure I would have gotten this surgery. There is a lot to consider so I'm going to share the pros and the cons.

Pros: I hated having implants and I wasn't ready to just remove them and have deflated skin for breasts. I had a tuberous breast deformity prior to implants and I think removal would have made them look even worse than before. The fact that I could have the implants removed and fat transferred at the same time was really important to me. I think this helped my overall confidence and it felt so good to have natural breasts again!
Cons: My breasts looked great initially but I continuously lost volume. What's worse is that the bulk of my remaining volume are two egg sized lumps in each breast - on the side on one breast and just above my nipple on the other breast. They make me VERY self-conscious and I have trouble feeling comfortable when my husband touches them when we're intimate. Further, I feel like when I hug people, they can feel the lump that's just above my nipple and it's embarrassing. I also have one smaller lump (with a diameter about the size of a quarter) near the incision on one breast. This one really bothers me when I'm laying down because it's very visible. My only option is to get these lumps removed and I'm worried that doing so will leave me with nothing. I've even considered getting implants again although it makes me feel like the whole thing was for nothing.
Another con is that I don't like my lipo areas much. I still have visible scars (right in the middle of the front of my thighs) and my legs have a weird shape. He took fat from the top part of the back of my thighs but not the bottom (just above my knees) so my legs look like they protrude out all of a sudden half way down the back of my thighs. Also he took too much from my hips so I lost much of the natural feminine curve I used to have. My skin is also much looser afterward which makes me feel like I have old lady legs and I'm way too young for that.
Another con is that I don't think I had much breast tissue in the upper pole area to begin with and maybe that's why the fat just couldn't survive there. But it makes me feel like putting it there was a waste - I have no volume left there on either side, save for the huge lump on one side. So I still have the very saggy boob look (I'll try and take some pics soon). I think if you didn't have much of anything there initially (particularly if you had a tuberous breast), you may have to get implants if you want that youthful full look.
Overall I think you have to weigh what's important for you. If you don't mind the idea of large lumps, I think this could be a good option. If the idea of that is particularly unappealing to you, you may want to consider whether the whole process is worth it.

I should have updated this more frequently but life happens:). A few people wrote to me with questions recently and that reminded me how I scoured this site for information before my surgery and how important it is to share our experiences!

Three months out, I'm feeling almost 100% back to normal. A few things that linger that remind me that I had surgery are 1. I still have some numbness in my hips and the backs of my thighs. This is a little weird because when you run your hands over these parts, you can't really "feel" them:-D - I know this is normal but it still feels weird. 2. I still have some pain in my hips sometimes - not often, but it occurs enough to remind me that it's there. It doesn't persist and it's not bad but again, it's a reminder. 3. I still can't comfortably sleep on my stomach. This may partially be psychological but it's there nonetheless.

In terms of my breasts, they've gone down since I last updated but not significantly. I think what I lost was most likely swelling (my last pics are from two weeks). I had some asymmetry before the surgery and I can still see some of that but I don't think it's worse. I also had one areola larger than the other and that persists as well - I'm looking toward an areola reduction/possible lift when i can afford it! :-D. The major issue I've had is some hardening - particularly in my left breast (right breast from your view). I also have a pretty sizeable lump in my right breast (left breast from your view), but it's continued to go down over time. I've spoken to Dr. Bednar about this and he says that this is normal for some patients and will correct itself over time.

Overall, I'm really happy to have the implants out and that my size is pretty comparable to what it was before. The picture I posted in the bra is to show that I'm still wearing the same size I did before surgery (34C). Considering I had basically no breasts before implants, I think this is pretty amazing. I'm hoping to retain what I have now and I'm feeling better about it since I've reached the 3 month mark!

For those of your concerned about lipo, my lipo areas look great! I will post some pics after I shake these holiday extra pounds:-D. The only thing I don't like about the lipo is the scars. This is something to consider when you have the surgery - make sure you talk to your doctor about where your scars will be and that you're okay with that. Of course, they'll fade with time (mine are fading), but it makes it pretty obvious that you've had surgery if you need to wear a bathing suit or are dating someone new etc. I did try dermablend (body makeup) to cover them and it worked to some extent but they were still visible (but again, i'm only 3 months out). Ironically, the scars on my breasts (from the insertion) are almost non-existent. I say ironically because you can't see those anyway! Alas, patience is a virtue:)

It's been two weeks since my surgery and I think things are looking good! My bruising and swelling has gone down significantly and I like the way my lipo areas are looking already! There is definitely still a lot of soreness in the lipo areas - especially when i first wake up, it takes me a minute to really get up and get going. The only thing I could really compare it to at this point is like the morning after a really really tough workout - where you've worked all those muscles you didn't know you had? Kind of like that:)

In terms of my breasts, there's no soreness but i just worry about them:-D - I feel very protective of them like i'm trying to protect the fat that's there and make sure it settles in smoothly:-D - that said, i always have on a sports bra or a no-wire bra that feels very supportive and sometimes I still wear my wrap just for extra support. I don't really want them to move around too much. I'm not sure if this is smart or silly but either way, it makes me feel better:)

I'll post some lipo pics when my bruising is gone completely as I know that's a concern for a lot of women as well. I can honestly say that although I know you can't really tell how things will look at two weeks, if I had to judge now, I'd say my shape is better than it was when I went in. I really didn't want lipo - it was just something I had to do for the fat transfer and I was worried that I would lose all my curves. But that's not the case. I feel like the doc took just enough and took it from just the right places so that I actually end up looking more shapely:) - hopefully things stay this way! I'll update again in a couple weeks when I'll be at the one month mark!

Thank you again for all the support I've received here - and also a big thank you to Dr. Bednar's office for continuing to call/email and check up on me - they remain great as well:)