Get the real deal on beauty treatments—real doctors, real reviews, and real photos with real results.Here's how we earn your trust.

POSTED UNDER Sientra Breast Implants REVIEWS

Long Road - Southlake, TX

Name: Long Road - Southlake, TX
Item: Name not provided
Author: md117752

ORIGINAL POST

So all of this started on 5/10/16. I was SO...

md117752August 13, 2016

$6,000

So all of this started on 5/10/16. I was SO excited! I was to arrive at the PS office at 4:30 in the morning and I was the first surgery of the day! I'm 5'9" and 115 pounds. After three kids I was a 32AA. I chose 440cc hp gummy bear silicon implants by Sientra.

The recovery was difficult and I frequently complained of pain on the right side, but that wasn't the worst of it. At about 7 weeks, I finally started to see it--I was developing Symmastia. My PS gave me a thong-style-bra garment to wear and after another 3 weeks he finally realize it wasn't going to fix itself and was actually getting worse.Another two weeks later (August 3) I went in for the reconstruction surgery. The PS pulled up the photos from all of my visits and we saw the gradual merge of the two into one. We even noticed a huge difference just from the two weeks between the last visit and the day of surgery from a small gap to absolutely none. I wasn't giddy and excited like I was with the first surgery. I wasn't happy and filled with wonder. I was sad and depressed, so much so that even my PS noticed and had the anesthesiologist give me a "margarita" to relax me. He did the reconstruction free of charge, which was a huge lift off my shoulders, but I'm still terrified that these internal stitches and silk mesh aren't going to hold. I'm wearing a Thong Bra 24 hours a day for 8 weeks. So far I'm about a week and a half post reconstruction and I feel like the right one is starting to move towards the center. I'm hoping it is just normal settling, but I don't think I'm going to be happy until I am finally able to see the final results. I feel like I've wasted the last three months.Overall, I absolutely do not blame my PS for the Symmastia. I don't believe he guided me to the wrong size, placed them incorrectly, or ignored my questions. I just want to have two!

Replies (8)

yelhsa0606

August 14, 2016

Glad your surgery looks to be a success! Just curious ifor you know your BWD measurement?

md117752

August 14, 2016

I'm not aware of what my BWD was prior to surgery. I know that I was almost completely flat and I know that right now, if I go from armpit to armpit, it's about 11", so I'm guessing it was somewhere around there. I'm very narrow.

Congratulations on your own recent surgery! I hope all is well!

yelhsa0606

August 14, 2016

The width of those is 12.8. Did he use the same implant for both surgeries. I'm sure with the mesh everything will work out great for you.

0dmc1

August 17, 2016

Wow!!! I feel like I can totally relate to you. Your before pictures look exactly how I look right now. Where were your incisions to begin with and where are they from this surgery? I went through my armpit first time and now I'm being told I'll need new incision points and maybe even one above my belly button? I'm so curious about everything they did for your reconstruction! My surgeon is fixing mine free of cost too - I read online that it is because they dissect the pockets too large? Is that what you think too? Also, can you post a picture of your thong bra or where your surgeon got it? I don't know if mine is going to be good enough! Thanks so much for the update! I don't feel so alone!

md117752

August 17, 2016

My incisions are under the breasts--that's where he went through originally and he reopened them for the second surgery. It doesn't look like he made them any bigger, but they are only there. I'm not sure if he dissected the pocket too large for me. It can be from that, or from trauma shortly after surgery and I have three kids--there's no telling if it was one of the times my 2-year-old ran full speed at me for a hug. The bra my surgeon gave me is not the one I'm wearing. He gave me one that doesn't add pressure in the middle, so when I finally got home and was conscious enough to look, I saw what he put me in and the TONS of foam he had shoved under the incisions and between the breasts to protect the incisions and to add pressure between the breasts. I will post pictures of it and the foam as well as the one I purchased which has foam built in to add pressure in the middle and it also does well to protect the incisions. I purchased mine for $125 plus shipping--it was expensive, but I know it will get a lot of use in 8 weeks of 24-hour wear (I'm only permitted to remove it to shower--work, sleep, everything is done while wearing it) and I think it is more sanitary and easier to wash than the foam my PS shoved under the other one. I'll post pictures at some point today--possibly after work.

md117752

August 17, 2016

I have also been told of other instances of symmastia happening for other reasons--such as a genetic disposition. My surgeon said it looked like my muscles were just really tight and naturally pushed them together. When he did the surgery for the repair, he did the internal permanent stitches and added a silk mesh called gallaflex (sp?). He also went to the outer sides and opened the muscles more on the sides to have less tension pushing them inwards. So his guess is that my muscles were just too tight to keep them separated.

azmommyof4

August 17, 2016

I just had my symmastia repair done on August 2. I will be following your progress, so far you look great! My surgeon changed my implants out for a narrower base but I got to keep the volume I have galaflex as well as the sutures midline and opening of the pocket laterally. He told me to get a thong bra prior to surgery so that's what I woke up wearing. So far so good but I'm super nervous. Best of luck to you!

Mrs. DEB

August 17, 2016

You look beautiful. Keep us posted as to your recovery

UPDATED FROM md117752

3 months post

Symmastia Repair Bras

md117752August 18, 2016

At the request of another user, here are the bras that I have. The black one is the one my PS gave me from Veronique for $50, and the thick foam padding he inserted to add more pressure and protect the center and the incisions. The nude is the one I purchased for $125 plus shipping. It has foam padding built into the middle. The black one doesn't provide enough pressure on its own to be effective without the foam. The nude also velcros under the breasts so it is easy to put on and take off--immediately after surgery it was hard to fasten the black one behind me and I had to plan showers around my husband's schedule so he could fasten it. I'm also allergic to metal so the black one has bandages on it to protect me from that and the nude one doesn't have any metal on it whatsoever.