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POSTED UNDER Breast Fat Transfer REVIEWS

BRAVA and fat transfer to breast

ORIGINAL POST

I am a big fan of Breast Nexus and Real Self. I...

JaKho
WORTH IT$11,000

I am a big fan of Breast Nexus and Real Self. I have been thinking about a "boob job" ever since I stopped breast feeding my third and last child (about 5 months ago). I am not worried about size (I was always an A/B cup before kids), but the appearance of my breasts just made me sad (saggy and wrinkly with a deflated feel them). I am not a fan of implants and was not willing to explore that option at all. I finally decided on an autologous fat transfer augmentation and have started the BRAVA about a week ago. Below I am going to go over the preliminary stuff I have already done.

PS: Dr. Hartog located in Orlando, Fl. Dr. Hartog has done the procedure for a bit now and was trained under Dr. Khouri from Miami. He is also participating in the AFT study.

Initial Consult: Because I have stable weight (120lbs) and am not looking for a large enhancement I am considered an ideal candidate. My breast tissue has already stretched out nicely (I was a 34D with all three kids) and I have enough fat. I was hoping for local anesthesia for the procedure, but because Dr. Hartog needs to harvest fat from multiple sites I will require general anesthesia.

Diagnostics: I had a breast MRI done in Orlando with a radiologist who is also participating in a study and also had a 3D ultrasound performed. Total cost $450. Results- normal.
Screening blood work will be performed at my preoperative checkup.

BRAVA: $850 through Dr. Hartog's office. It took over 2 weeks for it to arrive. In my mind the BRAVA is a bit intimidating, but it does become manageable over the course of 7 to 10 days. I had a consult with Darlene, my BRAVA coach, and begin wearing it last week.

Week 1: I use the BRAVA cleanser for my skin and Life Aloe Vera Gel from Whole Foods (recommended by Darlene). The first night was 6 hours. It was total torture and I was itchy and sore in my armpits and sternum. I was up every one or two hours. I was really anxious the second night (7 hours) but have found that each night is better than the last. You get better at repositioning and learn how to deal with the itching and discomfort. So the first week I basically added an hour each night until I reached 11 hours. I had absolutely zero skin issues and the BRAVA rarely looses suction at night. My breast are getting heavier (fuller… it is hard to describe) and are definitely bigger in the morning. I religiously apply coconut oil and Aveeno's baby moisturizer with colloidal oatmeal two or three times a day.

Week 2: I have started cycling and am slowly increasing the length of time I wear the BRAVA. My goal for the end of Week 2 is 12 hours, 2 cycles, and hand pump. I'll post in a few days with the results of Week 2.

JaKho's provider

Jeffrey M. Hartog, DMD, MD

Jeffrey M. Hartog, DMD, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

JaKho rating for Dr. Hartog:

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Replies (3)

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December 14, 2012
Good luck! I was going to do an AFT, but decided on implants for now. Hope to do the fat grafting eventually. Looking forward to seeing your results!
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December 14, 2012

Hooray! I love reviews about fat transfer in the breast augmentation community. We get too few of them and a lot of ladies are interested. Thanks for your posts so far and please, please keep us updated. Looking forward to reading more of your story!

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August 3, 2015
I don't understand what th brava is or does. It creates a suction on the breast itself to make it bigger / fuller?
UPDATED FROM JaKho
16 days pre

Week 2: So I have finished 14 days of BRAVA and am...

JaKho
Week 2: So I have finished 14 days of BRAVA and am doing it full tilt. Whenever I talk to the BRAVA coach or the Surgery Staff they keep emphasizing that I should wear the BRAVA as much as possible. I am not sure how much "as much is possible" is, so I have been wearing the BRAVA 14 hours per day and cycling 3 times a day and also increasing pressure by hand pump while not cycling. Honestly, it is completely overwhelming and BRAVA is all I think about. There is no way to prepare yourself for the work needed to wear BRAVA. That being said, I am looking forward with positive mindset and take each day as it comes. I have had no problems with my skin beyond itching (which everyone experiences) and I really think it has to do with the Aloe Life Skin Gel I use instead of the skin wipes. I still use the BRAVA cleanser before wear and let the Aloe Life Kin Gel dry for at least 10 minutes. I have also started using Tegaderm between by breasts and the areas of the skin where the plastic edges dig in. I have also started taping my nipples with the Tegaderm, so they won't be sensitive when I take BRAVA off. It is important not to pull off the Tegaderm, as that will irritate your skin. I wash my skin with goat's milk soap and apply coconut oil and Aveeno Baby Moisturizer, by then the Tegaderm falls off. I do not wear underwire bras during my off hours and make sure to re-moisturize midday. By 4pm I am putting the BRAVA back on and attempting my life chores with 3 young kids climbing all over me and asking to be picked up.

I have to say that the swelling I see in the morning after wearing BRAVA is really impressive, close to a large C at this point. I need to get the swelling up to a full D cup before surgery (if I want a chance at a small C). I heard that the 3rd week is where you really see enlargement. I have my preop appointment coming in 2 days. I'll let you know what pearls of wisdom I get from Dr. Hartog and staff.

Week 3 goals: 14-16 hours wear, 3-4 cycles, hand pump pressure above sports box

Replies (2)

December 19, 2012
I really liked reading your post. The Brava sounds really intense and confusing. I will be doing the Brava after the 1st of the year. My plastic surgeon also studied under Dr Khouri. I'm a little different than you, as I had implants for alot of years. My implants were removed on July 6th. I have assymetrical breast and my ps suggested leaving my breasts heal from the explant for at least 6 month and then he suggested doing Brava. So that gave me 6 months to save the money for the fat transfer. Was the MRI a mandatory test before doing Brava and did your insurance pay for it, or does all the testing come out of pocket also? I have so many question and can't wait to see your results. I didn't realize you had to expand to a size larger than you hope to end up. I haven't really gone over the procedure in depth with my ps. He just said when my 6 months of healing was up to make a appointment and we'll get started. I will defiently keep a watch on your review. I'll now know what I have to look forward to. Lots of luck.
December 19, 2012
All costs are out of pocket for me. The MRI was not covered by insurance, but was at a reduced cost because of the study I am in and the association with my PS. I hope my blogging helps you prepare for the BRAVA. Breast Nexus is another place where you can read some other people's experience with BRAVA. Good luck! I'll be updating my post every week and then monthly after the AFT.
UPDATED FROM JaKho
9 days pre

Week 3 was completed and I am now wearing the...

JaKho
Week 3 was completed and I am now wearing the BRAVA 14 hours a day. It was recommended to me by Dr. Hartog to try a negative pressure motorized pump to increase expansion of the breast material. Dr. Hartog said that "they" are finding that the expansion achieved before transfer to the breast was a major determinant of how much final volume you can get for a single transfer. The higher pressure is intense and acts to replace the cycling I had been doing with the black suction bulb. My skin was doing well, but my nipples are not so lucky. I am now taping my nipples to help keep the sensitivity under control. My surgery is about one week away and at this point I am just anxious for all this to be over. I am beyond sick of wearing BRAVA and look forward to a BRAVA free future in about 4 weeks. FYI, the automatic pump is made by Medala and cycles up to 70mmHg for 5 minutes and releases pressure for 1 minute. It makes my skin itch like nothing else, but that is probably due to the stretching.

Week 4 goals: BRAVA 14 to 16 hours per day, 4 to 6 hours of automatic pump at high pressure. Continue 1000-2000mg Vit. C supplement, B-complex and probiotics.

Replies (1)

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December 27, 2012
Hello JaKho. Thanks for providing such detail on the Brava. I'm having a BL and have thought I might do this if my breast look too small to me after sx. Good luck & I will definitely be following your journey :)