Breast Aug. Need tips from post op patients.

suiteblooms

Ok... disclaimer: touchy subject. I am SO not looking for anyone's opinions on what I need based on my 3 year old 1" x 1" photo. Nor am I looking for jokes, or other non helpful posts. Thank you for your patience while I make all that clear. So... I am interested in getting a lift and an augmentation. Has anyone had good / bad experiences? Do you have a surgeon that you would recommend? Would you do anything differently? Regrets? Complications? Emotional changes after? Crippling debt that has followed you ever since? Scars? Misalignment? Effects of weight gain / loss since the surgery? Anything that you are willing to share would be truly helpful. Thank you for your time and help.

Achrya

Tagging for the ladies on my FL who've have augmentations to see (and for my own personal interest. 30 pounds later and my ladies are not at all as high or large as they once were.)

suiteblooms

Bump

_KitKat_

There was a thread in the last few weeks of a woman having issues with hers because of weight loss. Dropping, unevenness, and rippling....I didn't even know they could ripple. No personal experience but maybe a lady on my FL, or at least it was bumped. If I find the thread I will post a link. Not to scare you, just informed decisions are always best....also if my girls ever disappointed me, well they may get altered too :drinker:


That link...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1317472-does-my-weight-loss-journey-have-to-end-this-way?hl=rippling#posts-20351444

suiteblooms

Thanks so much for the link- great info! Definitely will weigh this

suiteblooms

bump

kcmcd

I haven't - may some day.

My best friend had hers done last year and they look fantastic. I don't really understand the difference, but she said her surgeon was able to put them "over the muscle" because she had enough body fat that the implants could blend in. If she had been leaner, I guess placement would have been different. She has been warned not to drop her body fat much, of she may see ripples. Again, because of the placement. Minimal scarring. She looks very natural and proportionate.

One thing that made me laugh a little is that she can't sleep on her stomach anymore because there's a risk the implants might spin. That literally makes me giggle and also a little queasy. I guess it's not really a big deal. They can be manipulated external to turn back over. And it's a rare thing to happen. That warning just stuck with me.

I think they ran $5k and they last for ten years.

Good luck - whatever you decide!

kcmcd

The WEIRDEST thing is, since it's pretty well known in her social circle that she's had her breasts augmented, people feel entitled to them. "Oh, they're fake? Can I feel them?" and often not waiting for a response. It's absolutely bizarre, because while sure they're enhanced - they're still part of her body. I can't BELIEVE how many people feel like they can reach out and touch her chest.

suiteblooms

The WEIRDEST thing is, since it's pretty well known in her social circle that she's had her breasts augmented, people feel entitled to them. "Oh, they're fake? Can I feel them?" and often not waiting for a response. It's absolutely bizarre, because while sure they're enhanced - they're still part of her body. I can't BELIEVE how many people feel like they can reach out and touch her chest.

THAT'S INSANE! I can't believe that anyone would even ask, let alone just touch grab poke - anything. My husband is a little guy, but he would go hulk smash and would lay anyone out for that! I really appreciate the info. I'm pretty far down on the body fat, so I don't know exactly what they would do for me. Im actually a bit nervous to even meet with a surgeon.

FatFreeFrolicking

Ok... disclaimer: touchy subject. I am SO not looking for anyone's opinions on what I need based on my 3 year old 1" x 1" photo. Nor am I looking for jokes, or other non helpful posts. Thank you for your patience while I make all that clear. So... I am interested in getting a lift and an augmentation. Has anyone had good / bad experiences? Do you have a surgeon that you would recommend? Would you do anything differently? Regrets? Complications? Emotional changes after? Crippling debt that has followed you ever since? Scars? Misalignment? Effects of weight gain / loss since the surgery? Anything that you are willing to share would be truly helpful. Thank you for your time and help.

Silicone > saline (reason: silicone look and feel more natural)

If you go with silicone implants, get implants "over the muscle." If you go with saline implants, get them "under the muscle" (when saline implants are placed over the muscle, they are more visible).

Definitely do your research on surgeons and gather as much information as possible so that you don't end up botched!

Most women experience an increase in self-esteem after surgery.

Silicone implants cannot be inserted through belly button (trans-umbilical approach). They have to be inserted through nipple. HOWEVER, the trans-umbilical approach has the major advantage of less scarring but mal-position rate is high when implants are inserted through belly button. Which is why surgeons typically opt to go through the nipples.

PikaKnight

Tagging for the ladies on my FL who've have augmentations to see (and for my own personal interest. 30 pounds later and my ladies are not at all as high or large as they once were.)

^Tagging for the same reasons. Best of luck OP! I know I wouldn't mind getting mine lifted a bit.

suiteblooms

Great info! Thanks Fatfree :happy:

jkal1979

I had a breast lift/augmentation 3 years ago but I went a different route with it. I had a body fat transfer done. Basically my plastic surgeon took the fat out of my stomach (which is the hardest area for me to lose from) and transferred it to my breasts. Since he didn't want to leave loose skin hanging there I had a tummy tuck done as well. I love the results though. I gained a cup size and they look and feel natural since it's fat from my own body.

The recovery from it wasn't that bad. I was home the same day and had to spend about a month wearing a compression shirt instead of a bra. From there I had to wear a bra with no underwire and about a month after that I could wear underwire bras again. As far as the pain, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It just felt like I had some pressure on my chest.

The best advice that I can give you is to make sure that you find a good surgeon that you are comfortable with. Most will give you a free consultation where they will go over the procedure and your options.

If you do decide to go through with it, Vitamin E oil is very good for keeping the scarring to a minimum.

Beautiful_disaster40

I have silicone, got them done 6 years ago I think. Over the muscle. I had nursed three babies so I was filling up what had disappeared so my recovery was pretty painless. A little tightness for a few days and it takes several months for them to settle into the pocket and look natural. I chose silicone because I wanted a more natural look and feel. There's a website I used when I was researching them that offers support and tons of information and stories from members as well as doctor recommendations, breastimplants411 . Good luck!

PunkyDucky

Bump for later

simplydelish2

One of the things to consider - if you need to switch health insurance providers at a later date, some won't accept you if you've had an augmentation. (I've seen this happen several times).

My few - I'd do what feels right to me. Good luck! You'll make the right decision.

Galatea_Stone

Silicone, Natrelle 410 "Gummy Bear" implants. I have these. They feel the most real in the body. My implants are under the muscle and look really good. They're actually comfortable. I get some displacement when doing chest exercises because they're under the muscle, but no capsular contracture and no dropping or difference between the breasts.

*Disclaimer. I had nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy. A little different circumstance, but even if my real ones hadn't tried to murder me, I would have been happy to get these. They feel like firm boobies and not like foreign objects.

PunkyDucky

Silicone, Natrelle 410 "Gummy Bear" implants. I have these. They feel the most real in the body. My implants are under the muscle and look really good. They're actually comfortable. I get some displacement when doing chest exercises because they're under the muscle, but no capsular contracture and no dropping or difference between the breasts.

*Disclaimer. I had nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy. A little different circumstance, but even if my real ones hadn't tried to murder me, I would have been happy to get these. They feel like firm boobies and not like foreign objects.

I heard how great the "Gummy Bear" implants were as far as comfort and the feels, so thank you for this!
Aren't they more expensive than the regular Silicone implants?

Galatea_Stone

Silicone, Natrelle 410 "Gummy Bear" implants. I have these. They feel the most real in the body. My implants are under the muscle and look really good. They're actually comfortable. I get some displacement when doing chest exercises because they're under the muscle, but no capsular contracture and no dropping or difference between the breasts.

*Disclaimer. I had nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy. A little different circumstance, but even if my real ones hadn't tried to murder me, I would have been happy to get these. They feel like firm boobies and not like foreign objects.

I heard how great the "Gummy Bear" implants were as far as comfort and the feels, so thank you for this!
Aren't they more expensive than the regular Silicone implants?

A little, yes. They were only approved in February 2013, so there's still the newness. But they're light years better than the ones that were offered to me as an alternative. It was so worth it for the comfort.

Beautiful_disaster40

Silicone, Natrelle 410 "Gummy Bear" implants. I have these. They feel the most real in the body. My implants are under the muscle and look really good. They're actually comfortable. I get some displacement when doing chest exercises because they're under the muscle, but no capsular contracture and no dropping or difference between the breasts.

*Disclaimer. I had nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy. A little different circumstance, but even if my real ones hadn't tried to murder me, I would have been happy to get these. They feel like firm boobies and not like foreign objects.

I heard how great the "Gummy Bear" implants were as far as comfort and the feels, so thank you for this!
Aren't they more expensive than the regular Silicone implants?

My understanding when I got mine was that all silicone was cohesive unlike the old silicone that leaked. The old kind was banned for a few years and the cohesive was studied more than any substance before they were approved. Silicone is typically more expensive than saline.

segovm

So I helped a friend go through all the shopping and eventual installation of her new girls.

One of the biggest things to really think about is what size you want to go to and then think about it some more. The doctors will in general upsell you to the biggest they can shove in there and while I thought it was cruel to put D's on the tiny little frame of my friend when she was all done and recovered she was trying to decide when she would go bigger...

They installed her's under the breast, along the line where her breast would naturally fall. As a guy, and this may or may not matter to you, the scar that leaves is sort of unattractive. The doctor had mentioned the possibility of going in through the armpit but that is implant, size and body dependant.

There is a chance of losing sensitivity in the niples and that may or may not depend on how they get put in. That seems to be a pretty big trade off so you might want to investigate that.

The recovery seems to suck for a few days. I only have one person as a reference but she seemed to look and feel like she got hit by a truck for a couple days but was pretty well fine after a week or so.

She loves the new parts though and they did wonders to boost her self confidence... for a short while. Now her nose isn't perfect in her mind and that really needs to be fixed, plus she got braces after the boobs so she would feel better about her teeth.

Based on knowing her I would say it was a net positive but she still finds flaws in the mirror only now she goes to a doctor to fix them even if the whole world tells her she is perfect the way she is.

So that's a guy's perspective on breast augmentation... weird huh?

These_goto_11

Silicone, Natrelle 410 "Gummy Bear" implants. I have these. They feel the most real in the body. My implants are under the muscle and look really good. They're actually comfortable. I get some displacement when doing chest exercises because they're under the muscle, but no capsular contracture and no dropping or difference between the breasts.

*Disclaimer. I had nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy. A little different circumstance, but even if my real ones hadn't tried to murder me, I would have been happy to get these. They feel like firm boobies and not like foreign objects.

Galatea - had the BMX as well, having my final surgery next week, replacing expanders with implants...I never even thought to ask if they would be under or over the muscle, I will have to call doc tomorrow...what difference does it make as far as exercising, everyday, etc...I read from your profile that you lift, how much recovery time did you need before you were lifting? Thanks!

suiteblooms

Wow! Fantastic information everyone... Thank you all so much for your help. Every comment has shed new light on the whole concept. I'm looking forward to hearing even more

mxmkenney

I schedule surgeries for the Plastic surgery department at a local hospital. Mostly I schedule reconstructive breast surgeries (like after breast cancer), but occasionally there will some cosmetic cases that come through (usually because something went wrong or the patient is not happy with the results). This actually happens a lot. So if you think you are going in for one surgery, you may be disappointed because they don't look or feel how you envisioned them.

I think the most important thing to do before planning a completely elective surgery like this is to do your research on the surgeon and figure out exactly what you want. Personally, I would go with the best - even if it's way more expensive and you have to wait over a year to get it done. Do your research and get recommendations from previous clients before even setting up a consultation appointment. Ask to see pictures of the work the surgeon has done, and show the surgeon pictures of what you want. I think being happy with the results is worth the legwork, time and the extra money - no questions asked.

Also be aware of all the potential risks involved - every body is different and will react to surgery in a different way. This being said, I have not had breast surgery, but I do want an augmentation someday. I'm scared of messing with my body and ending up with breasts that I dislike even more than what I have right now. I have had hand surgery in the past and I wish I had left it alone. If I knew the outcome, I would have not had the surgery. So I do hesitate with having breast augmentation, but when I am ready, I will do the proper research and do it right the first time. Good luck!