POSTED UNDER Breast Lift with Implants REVIEWS
Shape over size! My BL/BA journey - to 2 years post op.
ORIGINAL POST
Hi everyone, For the last several weeks I've been...
WORTH IT$9,500
Hi everyone, For the last several weeks I've been reading reviews in this forum, which have been so helpful. In 4 days I'll be getting on a plane to Colorado for (breast lift with implant exchange) surgery with Dr. Vath, so I figured it was time for me to start a journal to share my experience. My surgery is scheduled for Aug 25, 2016.
The reason I'm traveling is because I want the best surgeon possible for this kind of surgery. From what I've seen (per my extensive research) Dr. Vath's appears to be a master in this type of surgery. It's probably costing me about 25% more after adding all my travel costs in to do the surgery as opposed to staying local. But this is something I only want to have to do one time..., so I feel it's worth the investment. I'm hoping my review will also be helpful for those that have considered traveling for surgery. I decided to post my review in this forum (i.e. breast lift with implants), because my focus and concerns are more about the breast lift with implants... and not about the implant revision. I've never had problems with my current implants; and were it not for my wanting a breast lift, I would probably not be doing this surgery. The fact is many years ago I had an augmentation when I really should have just had a breast lift. Specs and History: I'm 5'5" and weight 126lbs. Underneath my breast, I measure about 29 1/2" around. My original size was a 34b / stage 1 ptosis. I'm now a droopy 34DD. I've posted my before pics. I currently have 400cc moderate mentor texured implants over the muscle and plan on downsizing to somewhere between 215 and 255 moderate smooth mentor. Haven't decided on the exact size yet. The reason I'm downsizing is two-fold. For one, I really never liked being this large. My concern has never been about size, but more about shape. I simply wanted perkier breasts. My previous PS told me that implants would fill me out and give me a lift. I had no idea what size he was going to put in; mind you this was many years ago when we didn't have the Internet and resources like we have nowadays to do research. My current implants did not give me the lift I wanted. They just made me larger and droopy. Secondly, I've been told that going with a reduced size implant will put less weight on the incisions... and this may result in better healing of the incision. I also have a genetic disposition for hypertrophic scars, so I figured I'll do all I can to prevent problems in this area. I'm also plan on keeping my implants over the muscle because I haven't had any problems with them being overs; and the doctor thinks there's no reason to go under at this point. I look forward to soon having perkier breasts and a more athletic shape! One other thing: I'll also be having a mini-lift (face) along with this surgery, which is the reason I'm not posting my costs. The two surgeries combined is saving me probably about 10% or more on the costs of having two surgeries individually.
The reason I'm traveling is because I want the best surgeon possible for this kind of surgery. From what I've seen (per my extensive research) Dr. Vath's appears to be a master in this type of surgery. It's probably costing me about 25% more after adding all my travel costs in to do the surgery as opposed to staying local. But this is something I only want to have to do one time..., so I feel it's worth the investment. I'm hoping my review will also be helpful for those that have considered traveling for surgery. I decided to post my review in this forum (i.e. breast lift with implants), because my focus and concerns are more about the breast lift with implants... and not about the implant revision. I've never had problems with my current implants; and were it not for my wanting a breast lift, I would probably not be doing this surgery. The fact is many years ago I had an augmentation when I really should have just had a breast lift. Specs and History: I'm 5'5" and weight 126lbs. Underneath my breast, I measure about 29 1/2" around. My original size was a 34b / stage 1 ptosis. I'm now a droopy 34DD. I've posted my before pics. I currently have 400cc moderate mentor texured implants over the muscle and plan on downsizing to somewhere between 215 and 255 moderate smooth mentor. Haven't decided on the exact size yet. The reason I'm downsizing is two-fold. For one, I really never liked being this large. My concern has never been about size, but more about shape. I simply wanted perkier breasts. My previous PS told me that implants would fill me out and give me a lift. I had no idea what size he was going to put in; mind you this was many years ago when we didn't have the Internet and resources like we have nowadays to do research. My current implants did not give me the lift I wanted. They just made me larger and droopy. Secondly, I've been told that going with a reduced size implant will put less weight on the incisions... and this may result in better healing of the incision. I also have a genetic disposition for hypertrophic scars, so I figured I'll do all I can to prevent problems in this area. I'm also plan on keeping my implants over the muscle because I haven't had any problems with them being overs; and the doctor thinks there's no reason to go under at this point. I look forward to soon having perkier breasts and a more athletic shape! One other thing: I'll also be having a mini-lift (face) along with this surgery, which is the reason I'm not posting my costs. The two surgeries combined is saving me probably about 10% or more on the costs of having two surgeries individually.
Mdlg5's provider
Replies (65)
August 24, 2016
Wishing you the best tomorrow!!!!!
August 25, 2016
Please keep us posted when your up to it
I'm doing ok 3 weeks tomorrow
Just trying to get rid of these scars LOL
But otherwise feeling pretty good!!
Take care ;-)
I'm doing ok 3 weeks tomorrow
Just trying to get rid of these scars LOL
But otherwise feeling pretty good!!
Take care ;-)
September 23, 2016
Did Dr. Vath measure your chest width during consultation? I am wondering because he did not measure mine and also I asked the surgery coordinator does he need to measure and she said no he does not need to measure me because, he has a pretty good eye
September 26, 2016
LovelyDear, Sorry I didn't see your question until now. No he did not measure me. I'm pretty sure it's because he has a good eye. However, I should also mention that out of the four different consultations I went to only one doctor measured me.
September 26, 2016
Your result is just lovely! Thanks for sharing your story. You are meticulous and thorough like me!! Enjoy your new wonderful look!!
UPDATED FROM Mdlg5
6 days pre
Please move my review to Breast Lift With Implants
To RealSelf staff, The focus of my review is not about mentor implants. Can someone please move my review move back to the "breast lift with implants forum" where I originally posted it. I had even contacted your host Teddiemc prior to posting my review and got her blessing to put it in her forum.
Replies (8)
October 21, 2016
Hi could you please tell me how have the scars healed ? As I am going for the same surgery and I am little bit concerned about the scars thank you
October 21, 2016
Hi Jana, so far my scar healing is coming along fine. I'm only eight weeks post op and my scars will continue to heal over the next year to 18 months. I understand your concern. Aside from genetics, there are other few important factors that will determine how your scars will end up looking.
1. Your surgeon's incision work. Some people aren't aware this plays a huge role and how the incisions end up looking. The neater and more precise size your surgeons' incision work is the better your scars will be. The surgeon I chose is very well known for his incision work; and I was able to see many before/after samples of his work both here at RealSelf as well as in his own portfolio. Keep in mind you don't just want a "good surgeon"', you want a great surgeon that specializes in breast lift / augmentations. Breast lift surgery is a very complicated not to mention each breast is a surgery unto itself….
2. The weight of the implants. Implants put stress on the incisions which can affect your overall healing. This is one of the reasons I went very conservative on my implant size. Some of the members here (wanting larger implants) have separated their lift and augmentation into two surgeries, letting their breast lift incisions heal first. I'm not saying this is absolutely necessary to get a good result with larger implants. However, you're less likely to have complications dividing it into two surgeries.
3. Your health, diet and age are also big factors. Take care of yourself with a healthy diet before your surgery as well as after. A high-protein diet is the best for post surgical healing. I supplemented my diet with protein shakes to ensure I got enough protein.
Anyway, hope this information is helpful and wishing you a smooth healing with your surgery.
1. Your surgeon's incision work. Some people aren't aware this plays a huge role and how the incisions end up looking. The neater and more precise size your surgeons' incision work is the better your scars will be. The surgeon I chose is very well known for his incision work; and I was able to see many before/after samples of his work both here at RealSelf as well as in his own portfolio. Keep in mind you don't just want a "good surgeon"', you want a great surgeon that specializes in breast lift / augmentations. Breast lift surgery is a very complicated not to mention each breast is a surgery unto itself….
2. The weight of the implants. Implants put stress on the incisions which can affect your overall healing. This is one of the reasons I went very conservative on my implant size. Some of the members here (wanting larger implants) have separated their lift and augmentation into two surgeries, letting their breast lift incisions heal first. I'm not saying this is absolutely necessary to get a good result with larger implants. However, you're less likely to have complications dividing it into two surgeries.
3. Your health, diet and age are also big factors. Take care of yourself with a healthy diet before your surgery as well as after. A high-protein diet is the best for post surgical healing. I supplemented my diet with protein shakes to ensure I got enough protein.
Anyway, hope this information is helpful and wishing you a smooth healing with your surgery.
October 25, 2016
Thank you very much for your comment it was very useful , sorry I might have missed it but what doctor did you choose ? Regards jana
October 25, 2016
Jana, You're welcome! My surgeon is Steven Vath, MD. You'll find a link to his Info underneath the title of my review. If you go to his own website (not the one here) he also has a travel page for out-of-towners. I've also seen a number of members here from Great Britain. And they may have some good recommendations for a plastic surgeon close to where you live.
Btw, let me know if you start up a review/ journal so I can follow your story.... Good luck with your decision.
Btw, let me know if you start up a review/ journal so I can follow your story.... Good luck with your decision.
October 22, 2016
I also have mentor implants did you have issues with them and can you comment on that in real self? I'm hoping I can get a partial refund from them due to my warranty issue....
November 23, 2016
Hi Raina, sorry I did not see your question until now. but to answer your question: I did not have any issues with my implants the 19 years that I had them... except for the fact that I felt they were too large. over the years I noticed they were stressing out my skin. they were also causing little red pimple like moles called angiomas on my breast skin. since I've downsized my implants they've all completely disappeared.
btw, don't hesitate to send me a private message the next time you have a question and I don't answer. there have been a few times where I've not been notified of a new post in my journal. It's easy to miss posts especially if they're not posted in the timeframe of my last update.
btw, don't hesitate to send me a private message the next time you have a question and I don't answer. there have been a few times where I've not been notified of a new post in my journal. It's easy to miss posts especially if they're not posted in the timeframe of my last update.
UPDATED FROM Mdlg5
5 days pre
Consultation/s & pre-op appointments
Thought I'd go ahead and share a little about my decision to travel for this surgery... and my preop appointments. Prior to my decision I had consultations with 4 doctors locally. Three of the four had great reputations and I was seriously considering having my surgery done locally.
In the meantime, I kept coming across Dr. Vath's patients results and reviews online. Initially when I first saw his work my thoughts were "I wished that I lived in Denver". I was very impressed with the neatness of his incisions and his post surgical results of his breast lifts aesthetically were very much in line with what I find attractive.
Eventually, I realized that there was no reason I could not travel for this surgery. I decided it would be worth taking the risk of traveling... rather than settling for a surgeon in town that has not demonstrated via any before/afters that he can produce as good of a result. I also know people first hand... and I've read a number of reviews from many that have had this type of surgery and were not please with their results - a number of them paying to have it redone by a different surgeon.
So far, I've been very impressed with the communication from Dr. Vath's clinic. Naturally, appointment so far have been over the phone. They could've been via Skype, but the phone has been a little more convenient for me. I had two very detailed phone appointments with the doctor regarding my needs. I also sent photos in advance for him to review. He was very patient and understanding with all my questions and I never felt rushed. Following these appointments I was sent quotes for the surgery.... along with a surgical package with consent forms. I was also sent a schedule for other appt's: my preop appointment, surgery date, and post-op appointments.
For my pre-op appt, the nurse allotted one hour and 40 minutes of time for me. I felt this was an extremely generous amount of time! She went over all the details of what to expect before the surgery after the surgery, etc, etc. I will also have an in person (office appointment) with the doctor and the nurse 48 hours prior to my surgery.
I plan on arriving in Denver three days before my surgery and staying for a full week after the surgery. Were it not for the fact that I'm having two surgeries (i.e. Breast and face) I would probably not be staying as long. My hubby will also be coming along to help me. He has been so supportive!
I've had a few surgeries in the past. I have to say this clinic has given me more time with their phone appointments than I've had with any in person office appointments in the past. Naturally this has helped to alleviate concerns I've had regarding traveling for surgery. In case I haven't mentioned this will be my first time traveling for surgery. BTW, if anyone has any tips to share regarding traveling for surgery I'm all ears.
In the meantime, I kept coming across Dr. Vath's patients results and reviews online. Initially when I first saw his work my thoughts were "I wished that I lived in Denver". I was very impressed with the neatness of his incisions and his post surgical results of his breast lifts aesthetically were very much in line with what I find attractive.
Eventually, I realized that there was no reason I could not travel for this surgery. I decided it would be worth taking the risk of traveling... rather than settling for a surgeon in town that has not demonstrated via any before/afters that he can produce as good of a result. I also know people first hand... and I've read a number of reviews from many that have had this type of surgery and were not please with their results - a number of them paying to have it redone by a different surgeon.
So far, I've been very impressed with the communication from Dr. Vath's clinic. Naturally, appointment so far have been over the phone. They could've been via Skype, but the phone has been a little more convenient for me. I had two very detailed phone appointments with the doctor regarding my needs. I also sent photos in advance for him to review. He was very patient and understanding with all my questions and I never felt rushed. Following these appointments I was sent quotes for the surgery.... along with a surgical package with consent forms. I was also sent a schedule for other appt's: my preop appointment, surgery date, and post-op appointments.
For my pre-op appt, the nurse allotted one hour and 40 minutes of time for me. I felt this was an extremely generous amount of time! She went over all the details of what to expect before the surgery after the surgery, etc, etc. I will also have an in person (office appointment) with the doctor and the nurse 48 hours prior to my surgery.
I plan on arriving in Denver three days before my surgery and staying for a full week after the surgery. Were it not for the fact that I'm having two surgeries (i.e. Breast and face) I would probably not be staying as long. My hubby will also be coming along to help me. He has been so supportive!
I've had a few surgeries in the past. I have to say this clinic has given me more time with their phone appointments than I've had with any in person office appointments in the past. Naturally this has helped to alleviate concerns I've had regarding traveling for surgery. In case I haven't mentioned this will be my first time traveling for surgery. BTW, if anyone has any tips to share regarding traveling for surgery I'm all ears.
Replies (15)
August 19, 2016
Best of luck =) hope it all works out smoothly =)
August 21, 2016
Congratulations on your choice of surgeon and taking the time to research! I also extensively researched many surgeons in Denver and Dr. Vath's patient photos made him my #1 choice. I had a full tummy tuck as well and his drainless technique was more than appealing to me! The office in Golden is absolutely stunning and everyone is very nice and will not rush you at all! Enjoy your stay in Colorado and please update us as you progress through the recovery! The vertical scars for my breast lift are nearly nonexistent after 10 months! Best of luck to you! :-))
August 21, 2016
Thank you for your comments. It's nice to meet another Dr Vath patient. I also took a look at your review and you look amazing! I have considered just having my implants removed and having a lift; but I'm not really sure how much will be there to work with after my 400cc's are removed. It certainly encouraging to see your results.… especially with no implants and just a vertical lift.
Just curious did you ask for the vertical lift or was that the doctors told your decision? I haven't seen dr Vath in person yet, but based on my photos he suggested I get an anchor lift for the best results. Perhaps he may change his mind when he sees me in person.
Just curious did you ask for the vertical lift or was that the doctors told your decision? I haven't seen dr Vath in person yet, but based on my photos he suggested I get an anchor lift for the best results. Perhaps he may change his mind when he sees me in person.
August 21, 2016
Dr. Vath can tell you if you have enough breast tissue left to do just a lift and probably be able to give you an approximate idea of what size you would be. It didn't sound as though you want big, just proportionate to your size.
I knew I didn't want or need implants and didn't ask about what type of lift I needed honestly. I assumed everyone who gets a lift with or without implants has the vertical scar. Every picture I have seen have them.
I know implants are different in where the scarring is, but with a lift I think you'll have the vertical scar. Good news is, that one is made so thin by Dr. Vath that most of his patients end up without it being visible in 2 years!
Ask him about the amount of breast tissue you have left when you finally meet him in person in a few days! He's genuinely very nice and helpful in person!
August 21, 2016
Thanks for your quick response. You're correct in that I primarily want to look proportionate. However, it's hard to tell how much breast tissue I have with my current implants… or how much breast tissue I might lose with my explant especially if there is unforeseen scar tissue that may also need to be removed. The doctor suggested I get an implant to ensure that I have some upper pole fullness.
I guess I should also mention that my husband is also kind of a boob man, so I figured it may not be a bad idea to have a small implant. The question at this point is how small can I go so I have enough upper pole fullness and not to be too big. These are things that I'll go over with the doctor and my appointment on Tuesday.
And yes I figured I will have a vertical incision in addition to an incision in my inframammary folds. The two incisions together are referred to as an anchor lift. Some lifts only require a vertical incision with NO incision in the inframammary fold which is what yours looks like. Or perhaps your inframmamary incisions have faded so much I just can't see them. Did you have incisions there?
As you mentioned it's good news that Dr. Vath's has very thin and neat incisions. That among many other reasons is the reason I'm having him do the surgery. I can't believe it's only a few days from now. I'm so excited… and I look forward to meeting him.
I guess I should also mention that my husband is also kind of a boob man, so I figured it may not be a bad idea to have a small implant. The question at this point is how small can I go so I have enough upper pole fullness and not to be too big. These are things that I'll go over with the doctor and my appointment on Tuesday.
And yes I figured I will have a vertical incision in addition to an incision in my inframammary folds. The two incisions together are referred to as an anchor lift. Some lifts only require a vertical incision with NO incision in the inframammary fold which is what yours looks like. Or perhaps your inframmamary incisions have faded so much I just can't see them. Did you have incisions there?
As you mentioned it's good news that Dr. Vath's has very thin and neat incisions. That among many other reasons is the reason I'm having him do the surgery. I can't believe it's only a few days from now. I'm so excited… and I look forward to meeting him.
August 21, 2016
Ahhh...yes, the hubby must be kept satisfied :-)) Is he okay with you downsizing? I do have the inframammary incision as well. I don't think it shows because it is very thin and breasts naturally fall with the roundness at the bottom and that covers mine. Yours will too once they drop. He does beautiful work and his staff all get along and support one another. It's a great group that you'll meet soon. Are you staying in gorgeous Golden? It's too expensive to buy for my budget, but it's a joy to visit!
August 22, 2016
Yes it will be fun visiting the Denver area. I've never been there before. My Hubby will be coming with me. We'll be staying staying in Littleton at the Homewood suites. Dr Vath's clinic arranged for us to get a good price there.
To answer your question regarding the hubby... I think he would prefer that I not go much smaller that I am now; but he's very supportive and wants me to go with the size that I am the most comfortable with. He's also told me that he's more concerned about my health… than about how large my implants are. Hopefully he won't be too shocked when he sees the new me. ;-)
To answer your question regarding the hubby... I think he would prefer that I not go much smaller that I am now; but he's very supportive and wants me to go with the size that I am the most comfortable with. He's also told me that he's more concerned about my health… than about how large my implants are. Hopefully he won't be too shocked when he sees the new me. ;-)
August 22, 2016
Littleton is the biggest city in Colorado! It spans so much from west to east and has 3 counties in it! It's in the south metro area, so you'll need some time getting to Golden on surgery day. The consults might be done at the office in Cherry Creek, which is closer to Littleton. I don't know when you're surgery date is, but this week it's going to be warm until Wednesday then a nice cool down with rain on Wednesday thru Friday. You'll love the drive to Golden! It shows the true beauty of Colorado.
August 22, 2016
Thanks for the info. I've just packed an umbrella. The hotel is about 12 miles away from the Golden office. I checked with Google maps and it looks like it's supposed to take us about 16 minutes to get there. Of course will give ourselves an extra 20 minutes on top of that just to make sure. Thanks again.
April 19, 2017
God you sound just like me - I swear I feel like I'm reading about myself. I've had the same exact journey that you have had with your breast. Crazy! You look great though. I have my second consult next month with Dr. Hedden (Birmingham, AL). My first was with Dr. Cohn and I'm still not overly impressed with him. We kind of rushed through the initial consult so you definitely have helped me feel better about traveling out of town for a procedure. I do not know what part of the country you live in but if it is the Southeast and you know of a good doctor that does the breast lift and exchange, please let me know.
April 19, 2017
Hi, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments. The one PS I considered having this surgery with in the southeast was Brian P Joseph, M.D. He's located in Winter, Park Florida and appears to have a lot of experience with breast lift surgery. However as you know I decided to travel. I downsized from 400cc 215cc. My implants are over the muscle. If yours are under you may want to add an additional 10% (25cc)... and what I've heard. Good luck.
April 20, 2017
Thanks for replying and for giving me the suggestion. btw your breast surgery turned out beautiful. Dr. Vath would definitely be my first choice if I travel.
Thanks for sharing your review. I hope you find everything you need in this community to feel supported and ready for your big day.Â