POSTED UNDER Breast Lift REVIEWS
36 Year Old - Lollipop Mastopexy - Revision from Previous Areola Reduction (Benelli) Due to Stretching! - Oakville, ON
ORIGINAL POST
So far so good! I can't wait to see the final...
Stars22September 27, 2016
$4,105
So far so good! I can't wait to see the final result....
Around 6 years ago, I had a Benelli procedure to correct puffy areolas (by another surgeon in Toronto - Dr. Brown). I wasn't too upset with the size of my areolas, though I know I'd have liked them smaller. Of course after taking out the extra breast tissue, it had to be changed. I went to surgery with local and sedation....I hated every second of it! The healing went ok until about 2 months in. There was a noticeable stretching and the dissolving stitches itched so badly I thought I would literally go insane! By 6 months my areolas looked worse than ever....stretched, almost oval shaped. My once (and I guess still kinda of) perky breasts looked sad and looked almost sagging sideways, unless I stood up super straight. For years I dealt with this....I don't know why. I hated taking my bra off, even in front of my husband. I was ashamed....and it became especially difficult when going to the beach and my friends would all be topless, and trying to get me to do it too....I felt shame and sadness.
Finally I decided it was time to fix the problem....! I found Dr. Julie Khanna online, and checked out her reviews and results. There was something I also liked about a woman doctor. When I went back to my previous surgeon, he talked to me like I was an idiot, telling me I was 'just fine'. However, Dr. K acknowledged the problem and explained so much to me in detail, it was fantastic. The only way to solve the problem was with a lollipop (vertical) mastopexy. To try the original surgery again would yield the same results.
I was very concerned with the scarring, but I figured I could just be diligent in scar care....and then eventually get camoflage tattooing done. I would have done it previously had it not been for the stretching. With smaller areolas this time, the tattooing would work, should I find it nesseccary, without making my arolas look too big!
The staff at ICLS are just....INCREDIBLE. I was made to feel welcome, comfortable, cared for....I've never felt this level of care from any other clinic. They took as much time as I needed to have questions answered....I could go on and on. Just super impressed with everyone I dealt with!
When I met Dr. Khanna, I knew this was the doctor for me. She is forward, honest, smart and quite witty actually! Such a character....! All questions were answered....the honesty and knowledge presented to me was so unexpected and welcomed. She took her time and I never once felt rushed!
Leading up to my surgery, I was quite nervous....what about scaring, what about dying from anesthetic?! I have panic disorder and even though I was only getting local, I find the local with the epinephrine (adrenaline) very hard on me....I get heart palpitations and skipped beats which throw me into full panic attacks. On the day of surgery, they diluted it and I had NO PROBLEM.
When I got to the office, I was warmly welcomed, and made to feel very comfortable. My husband came in to the first room with me, where I changed into warm and comfy clothes. After that my husband went to wait while I went in with Dr. Khanna and had some measurements done and final drawings. I went to the washroom and then was brought into the operating room where two amazing nurses managed to keep me warm, comfortable and ended up comforting me big time during the freezing. At this point I started crying, and one of them came on the other side of the drape with me (the drape was put down over my neck so I couldn't see the surgery, although later on I really wanted to watch!), and ended up wiping my tears saying she would never let me cry alone, ha ha! She got me talking about stuff to take my mind off the local. I finally calmed down once I realized my heart was ok. Dr. Khanna came in and an intern was there to watch as well....she asked permission beforehand and I thought it was really cool and said yes! We all chatted throughout the process, mostly about travel and such. Dr. Khanna is well traveled and sounds like a blast to hang/travel with! :-) She cracked jokes and made everything seem like a piece of cake! There was one point where I could feel pain, and she had the nurse add more freezing, and then continued.
After surgery I was carefully lead back to the room where my locker was and was brought juice and cookies. My husband was lead in shortly after. They said I was good to go, and that was that! I had my folder from my previous appointment with all pre and post op info, including contacts for a 24/7 nurse and also Dr. Khannas cell phone number.
The local started to wear off during the evening and it felt like burning....I figure from the cauterizing. It was the feeling you get after you touch a hot surface and your skin goes hard and it just aches and burns. I opted out of painkillers because I have a very high pain tolerance and have never needed it for a procedure before....but the stinging was super annoying! Not so much pain as annoying....it felt like my nipples were burning!
About the nipples....boy are they sensitive. I can touch them, and I feel it 10 fold between tape, gauze, bra and top! It's insane! Ouch!
I ended up taking two Tylonol, but not because of the surgery....rather it was because of the piercing I had to take out! I had 6 ear cartiledge piercings that were not healed, but I had to take out for surgery. In 6 hours they almost grew right in so I had to re-pierce them myself! After yelling and much blood, I opted for the painkiller after my husband urged me (and thought I was quite insane....perhaps I am!)
That night I propped up my pillow and went to sleep on my back. Bad idea for me....I guess I didn't prop them up enough because I had a big episode of post nasal drip! I woke up gasping for air and then had a good 5 min coughing fit. After I was done, OH MY GOD! Now I was hurting. I went to the mirror to take a look and I guess I coughed so hard I started to bleed through my incisions. I tried not to panic, took more Tylonol and deep breathed for a bit. I propped my pillows higher and put two on each side of me so I wouldn't roll. I woke up one more time slumped over on my side....ha ha! Needless to say, hubby let me sleep in till 1pm!
That brings me to the first day post op. 26 hours later, I am much better. I took some Advil instead and I think it does more for the burning sting than the Tylonol does....not sure. I was afraid it would make me bleed more but it's nothing serious as of now. There is leakage and a bit of blood which I think is normal. The swelling feels better too, due to the Advil.
I will keep record as time goes on with photos, etc.
The pictures included are pre op, then photos from the evening of surgery, then photos from today (you can tell todays from the blood).
More to come!
P.S. I have to find better pre op ones, maybe ones from the office.
Around 6 years ago, I had a Benelli procedure to correct puffy areolas (by another surgeon in Toronto - Dr. Brown). I wasn't too upset with the size of my areolas, though I know I'd have liked them smaller. Of course after taking out the extra breast tissue, it had to be changed. I went to surgery with local and sedation....I hated every second of it! The healing went ok until about 2 months in. There was a noticeable stretching and the dissolving stitches itched so badly I thought I would literally go insane! By 6 months my areolas looked worse than ever....stretched, almost oval shaped. My once (and I guess still kinda of) perky breasts looked sad and looked almost sagging sideways, unless I stood up super straight. For years I dealt with this....I don't know why. I hated taking my bra off, even in front of my husband. I was ashamed....and it became especially difficult when going to the beach and my friends would all be topless, and trying to get me to do it too....I felt shame and sadness.
Finally I decided it was time to fix the problem....! I found Dr. Julie Khanna online, and checked out her reviews and results. There was something I also liked about a woman doctor. When I went back to my previous surgeon, he talked to me like I was an idiot, telling me I was 'just fine'. However, Dr. K acknowledged the problem and explained so much to me in detail, it was fantastic. The only way to solve the problem was with a lollipop (vertical) mastopexy. To try the original surgery again would yield the same results.
I was very concerned with the scarring, but I figured I could just be diligent in scar care....and then eventually get camoflage tattooing done. I would have done it previously had it not been for the stretching. With smaller areolas this time, the tattooing would work, should I find it nesseccary, without making my arolas look too big!
The staff at ICLS are just....INCREDIBLE. I was made to feel welcome, comfortable, cared for....I've never felt this level of care from any other clinic. They took as much time as I needed to have questions answered....I could go on and on. Just super impressed with everyone I dealt with!
When I met Dr. Khanna, I knew this was the doctor for me. She is forward, honest, smart and quite witty actually! Such a character....! All questions were answered....the honesty and knowledge presented to me was so unexpected and welcomed. She took her time and I never once felt rushed!
Leading up to my surgery, I was quite nervous....what about scaring, what about dying from anesthetic?! I have panic disorder and even though I was only getting local, I find the local with the epinephrine (adrenaline) very hard on me....I get heart palpitations and skipped beats which throw me into full panic attacks. On the day of surgery, they diluted it and I had NO PROBLEM.
When I got to the office, I was warmly welcomed, and made to feel very comfortable. My husband came in to the first room with me, where I changed into warm and comfy clothes. After that my husband went to wait while I went in with Dr. Khanna and had some measurements done and final drawings. I went to the washroom and then was brought into the operating room where two amazing nurses managed to keep me warm, comfortable and ended up comforting me big time during the freezing. At this point I started crying, and one of them came on the other side of the drape with me (the drape was put down over my neck so I couldn't see the surgery, although later on I really wanted to watch!), and ended up wiping my tears saying she would never let me cry alone, ha ha! She got me talking about stuff to take my mind off the local. I finally calmed down once I realized my heart was ok. Dr. Khanna came in and an intern was there to watch as well....she asked permission beforehand and I thought it was really cool and said yes! We all chatted throughout the process, mostly about travel and such. Dr. Khanna is well traveled and sounds like a blast to hang/travel with! :-) She cracked jokes and made everything seem like a piece of cake! There was one point where I could feel pain, and she had the nurse add more freezing, and then continued.
After surgery I was carefully lead back to the room where my locker was and was brought juice and cookies. My husband was lead in shortly after. They said I was good to go, and that was that! I had my folder from my previous appointment with all pre and post op info, including contacts for a 24/7 nurse and also Dr. Khannas cell phone number.
The local started to wear off during the evening and it felt like burning....I figure from the cauterizing. It was the feeling you get after you touch a hot surface and your skin goes hard and it just aches and burns. I opted out of painkillers because I have a very high pain tolerance and have never needed it for a procedure before....but the stinging was super annoying! Not so much pain as annoying....it felt like my nipples were burning!
About the nipples....boy are they sensitive. I can touch them, and I feel it 10 fold between tape, gauze, bra and top! It's insane! Ouch!
I ended up taking two Tylonol, but not because of the surgery....rather it was because of the piercing I had to take out! I had 6 ear cartiledge piercings that were not healed, but I had to take out for surgery. In 6 hours they almost grew right in so I had to re-pierce them myself! After yelling and much blood, I opted for the painkiller after my husband urged me (and thought I was quite insane....perhaps I am!)
That night I propped up my pillow and went to sleep on my back. Bad idea for me....I guess I didn't prop them up enough because I had a big episode of post nasal drip! I woke up gasping for air and then had a good 5 min coughing fit. After I was done, OH MY GOD! Now I was hurting. I went to the mirror to take a look and I guess I coughed so hard I started to bleed through my incisions. I tried not to panic, took more Tylonol and deep breathed for a bit. I propped my pillows higher and put two on each side of me so I wouldn't roll. I woke up one more time slumped over on my side....ha ha! Needless to say, hubby let me sleep in till 1pm!
That brings me to the first day post op. 26 hours later, I am much better. I took some Advil instead and I think it does more for the burning sting than the Tylonol does....not sure. I was afraid it would make me bleed more but it's nothing serious as of now. There is leakage and a bit of blood which I think is normal. The swelling feels better too, due to the Advil.
I will keep record as time goes on with photos, etc.
The pictures included are pre op, then photos from the evening of surgery, then photos from today (you can tell todays from the blood).
More to come!
P.S. I have to find better pre op ones, maybe ones from the office.
Stars22's provider
Replies (4)
October 5, 2016
Great result!! Looks like you're healing beautifully and will have a really nose shape and minimal scars. Did you have implants? I had a Bennelli w implants 1.5 yrs ago and have regretted it since! I hate the way my areolas look and can totally relate to feeling ashamed.. I am going to explant and have a lollipop lift as well in the future. The scarring scares me too, but I am so looking forward to getting rid or these large implants that have been nothing but trouble and having improved shape. The permanent suture is very uncomfortable for me and I have a part of my scar that is still irritated and getting thicker and redder bc of something happening underneath I believe. Thank you for sharing your story!
November 21, 2016
Heya! Thank you for the comment! I didn't have implants....the procedure made me look way bigger though....I think my size has increased!
So sorry to hear you went through that....sounds similar to my situation. Just the Bennelli alone with no implant DID NOT work for me....I can't imagine with an implant....the pressure of that would be sure to fail. I don't think I've seen many successful Bennelli with implant surgeries....
I am doing an update shortly....and let me tell you, do not worry about the scaring. It will fade and quite frankly it's not as bad as I thought it would be, nor am I taking it as bad as I thought I would. The shape alone is worth the scars, trust me! In a year when everything calms down, I will do some cosmetic tattooing around my areolas if need be. Not sure how the vertical scarring will be....but I heard you can also tattoo this....it would just be complicated if you go out tanning topless, ha ha! Will see what happens in a year.
I say go ahead and GO FOR IT. I wish I had fixed this years ago. Still slapping myself over that one....hopefully I will be reading about your procedure soon:-)
So sorry to hear you went through that....sounds similar to my situation. Just the Bennelli alone with no implant DID NOT work for me....I can't imagine with an implant....the pressure of that would be sure to fail. I don't think I've seen many successful Bennelli with implant surgeries....
I am doing an update shortly....and let me tell you, do not worry about the scaring. It will fade and quite frankly it's not as bad as I thought it would be, nor am I taking it as bad as I thought I would. The shape alone is worth the scars, trust me! In a year when everything calms down, I will do some cosmetic tattooing around my areolas if need be. Not sure how the vertical scarring will be....but I heard you can also tattoo this....it would just be complicated if you go out tanning topless, ha ha! Will see what happens in a year.
I say go ahead and GO FOR IT. I wish I had fixed this years ago. Still slapping myself over that one....hopefully I will be reading about your procedure soon:-)
UPDATED FROM Stars22
2 days post
Three days post op!
Stars22September 28, 2016
OMG what a scare I had today! I looked at the bruising and almost had a panic attack....then started reading about hematomas! I emailed the office with a photo, and the nurse wrote me back saying that it looked irritated and we may want to do antibiotics just in case before my post op appointment. Well! That sent me spiraling into an anxiety attack, I started shaking, got chills (had no previous fever) and yeah....not good! I wrote back answering some questions (no heat coming from the area, felt good, no swelling or oozing, no increase in pain) and then included an upclose shot with a flash. She called me and said it looked fine upon the second photo, just very bruised and said the coughing fit from the night before likely helped it get to that point. She said to watch it and send a photo of it in the morning to see the progression. She was so nice and calming, told me to breath deeply when I was panicked at the beginning of the phone call, etc. So I guess we wait and see. I am so worried my medical bra is too tight....or that I am going to die! I have decided against further looking up horrible photos online of hematomas and skin necrosis....and I suggest anyone reading this with similar anxiety to mine go and do the same!
Congratulations on your successful surgery. I hope that you're healing well, and that you'll be sure to let the community know if you need support. Take care!