Fat Grafting....recovery & results

src3acs

Hi everyone....well it's been three weeks today since my fat grafting and doing much better.  I still have some minor bruising and my hip area is very sensitive to the slightest touch.  I can't sleep on my sides yet....which is very frustrating.  I still do most of my sleeping in a recliner.  Bought some sun dresses because I don't like the pressure on my hips and around my back from pants or shorts.  I'm guessing next week I will be doing even better.  PS surgeon talked to me about the possibility of the fat being reabsorbed and said after a month what is there will remain.  After three weeks I am not noticing much change.  My left upper pole shows a slight indent but with the right bra....it fills in.  Hope everyone is feeling well .  Sending positive thoughts and well wishes to all of you!!!!

jill47

And a check in from me too , I'm 4 weeks out yesterday and overall doing really well. Sure my sides still feel like someone practiced boxing on me but the swelling, bruising has been gone for quite a while.  Developing an unhealthly love for my spanx, DH wants to burn them when PS removes all restrictions (hopefully on July 3) Keeping up on my healthy eating and daily 70+ minute walks (up to 3+ hours hiking trails on weekends)...the result is a 10# loss since surgery! I have 2 more pounds to go to reach 126 = my weight the morning of my bmx one year ago.  Breasts are still very full, some indentations but in a bra/bikini, they look really great. The end results are pretty amazing.  Wish you all continued healing. 

src3acs

Hi Jill....Happy to hear you are doing well.  Love the boxing analogy.....I used beaten with a bat....lol.  Someone said that the first 2 weeks are the worst and I found that to be true.  Most of my swelling is gone and still have some slight bruising.  I also have some indentations, but like you, they look good in a bra/bathing suit so I am happy with the results.  Well wishes to everyone!!!

melmcbee

Hi ladies... Im right with ya. My abdomen is where he took the fat from and it has all kind of lumps and bumps all thru it. Some of them are sore. I only stayed bruised about a week or so. Im still having that pain in my radiated breast but I have come to the conclusion it is probably my new norm. lol. Do yall have lumps in the area that your fat was taken from? Healing hugs.

jill47

Mel:  good to hear from you, we all seem to be moving about the same pace. Yes I have 2 small bumps in my cleavage (1 each breast & they are perfectly parallel); a friend of mine here had the same ones post FG so they are OK.  There is an odd red one, like a pimple, but it's no pimple, very low on lefty, not exactly sure when it popped up but it's been around for a couple weeks, not sure if this is from fat injection needle because my right side does not have one, I'll inquire on July 3, next PS appt, if it's still there.  I noticed this morning that my outer left side (smaller implant) is looking like it use to pre-fat grafting....bummer.  I wish you all continued healing and not too much gravity pain when rolling out of the bed in the a.m....owie!

src3acs

Hi Mel.....I'm 3 weeks and a few day out from my fat grafting.  Still sore and bruising is just starting to fade.  My fat was taken from my waist and hip area so the PS went through my back right above each butt cheek .  So, my back and hip area have been really sore. (This makes sleeping very difficult).  I have two lumps from where the fat was taken and they seem to be where the lipo stopped around the waist area.  They are sore and when I go back on July 1st I will ask my PS about it.  I have no lumps or pain in the breast area.....other then the gravity pain that Jill mentioned above.....very owie!!!!  Wishing everyone Happy Healing!!!

melmcbee

Thanks ladies. I pray for continued healing for all lf us and minimal pain. Healing hugs

src3acs

Good Morning Ladies....just checking in to see how everyone is feeling and healing.  I am now 5+ weeks out from my fat grafting to the breasts.  My PS has cleared me and I don't have to go back for 2 months.....the longest I have gone without seeing him since Oct 2012.  Getting out of the shower yesterday I noticed you can still see some of the bruising and I still have some soreness in the hip and back area.  Have to say now that all of the swelling has gone down and I probably lost about 20% of the breast fat.....I am loving the results.  PS says I shouldn't lose anymore breast fat unless I lose weight, which I can't afford to do.  Sending healing thoughts to everyone!!

jill47

Hello src!  You sound really good and I'm so pleased to hear you are recovering well!  I love my results too although I did loose fat already but I also lost the weight I put on this whole last year (proper eating/exercise) however my weight is ideal now so it's a matter of maintaining it w/out losing/gaining more. I will not go back to the poor eating habits I had last year. I got clearance from PS to wear a wire bra (they are the pretty ones, wireless aren't that pretty) so I bought 2 beautiful chantelle's this weekend and my new size is va-va-voom  32DDD even when I weighed 30 #'s more I was only a 36D.  Got fitted at Nordstroms and the wire fits around the implants.  I know 2 months away from PS does seem like a long time.  I go back to mine in 6 weeks. Not much to do now other than monitor how the fat is settling in.  If there is more fg, it won't be until spring 2014; PS says it takes a year for it to take/settle.  Healing thoughts to the rest you too.

Catie2013

I'm up for FG on Thursday!!! Thanks for your info!!!



Hugs



Catie

melmcbee

Good luck Catie. I think my donor site is getting better.. Not as many lumps. My breast are not hurting anymore. Im not sure I will be big though but thats ok. Healing hugs

k8sonny

Hi!  This is my first post in forever, like a year.  I came back on the site due to questions I had about an implant re-do (one of them sort of "seized up" and began heading north, preventing me from wearing anything low cut -- PS said the capsule was full of hard scar tissue) and fat grafting to repair a good sized divot under one collarbone.  For anyone considering fat grafting -- I am now 10 days out -- something to consider that the docs sort of underplayed is the AWFUL HORRIBLE UNCOMFORTABLE TORSO-SQUEEZING COMPRESSION GARMENT you have to wear for 6 weeks, yes 6, 24/7.  I did go to Nordstrom and buy a Spanx that is a hair better.

The other advice I have is to be very very very specific with the PS about what areas you want to have fat grafted.  My PS sort of went on a happy grafting binge, and while I admit that the result is much better than I expected, I WASN'T expecting such an invasive lipo procedure.  Had she done just the divot, she might have needed something like 100ml or less, but she added 200ml to one side and 300 ml to the other.  As a result, I do look good but I am very sore and wasn't expecting that.

I really should learn!  I guess I get a little star struck in the presence of the PS, who is so experienced, and I downplay my concerns and questions. 

k8sonny

By the way, did anyone else get advice from their PS to masssage the fat grafts to promote non-absorption?  Does this really work?

lane4

k8sonny, I was specifically told NOT to massage the breast that had fat grafted into it. As I understand it, you don't want to put any pressure on the newly grafted fat so that it can establish a blood supply. But you will need compression and possibly massage for the donor site, to minimize swelling and lumps.

Trina25

I will be receiving fat grafts along with my anatomical breast implants in Nov. so the fat grafts will give me increase the upper poles of the breast. Very big advantage will be taking away unwanted belly fat. But before I get too excited Will it be a noticeable change ?? Will they only take out the ml needed from the abdomen ?? Or a little more because they do have to harvest it dont they so they are not putting everything in you that they take out, so n my head it seems they will take out a little more. I think after all I been thru I need nice breast and why not a flatter tummy?? N is the compression garment that bad ? I have several spanx from light coverage to full on coverage so is it worse that a tight full coverage spanx ?

Anonymous

Wow. It is originally the fat lose.

quiltrunner

Trina25, I'm anxious to hear how you are doing. Did you get a flat tummy??? I am having my first fat graft next Thursday. I'm excited more than nervous. Tell me everything about your experience please.

mormor1

Quiltrunner,

I understand the feeling of being more excited than scared. I always felt that way before my fat graftings! I still feel that way about the whole process.

I love the flat tummy I got (and still have 4 years later!). Of course, I had 4 graftings and they did a whole breast....but even after the first one, there was a good amount of change and they took from my legs and other areas too.

I don't know if they will take more than you need....guess you'll need to talk with your MD about that.

Wishing you all the best!

LindaMarie435

I am planning on having fat graphing for full reconstruction this summer. I had immediate reconstruction after my BMX.  I had so many complications like infections and a major pressure wound that required me to stop my chemotherapy, that I had my PS remove the expander and the permanent implant.  I was tired of being more sick from the reconstruction than from the chemotherapy.  My PS is being mentored by Dr. Khouri in Florida in fat graphing, and after my radiation is over, this seems like the best and least invasive option.   Right now, because my left side (where the implant was) was skin-sparing/nipple-sparing and my right side is skin-sparing (I asked to have the nipple removed as the tumor was so close),  the extra skin and nipple have receded into the empty pockets where breast tissue normally sits above.  It is not pretty to look at.  I wear prosthetics when I go out as you can see how convave my chest is.  I know that the BRAVA dome is supposed to pull that skin out and give the PS something to inject the fat into.  I am wondering if anyone else is like this or had gone through this.  I can't be the only one.  Also, I am in school and I have missed so much, and I want to be back on campus next Fall term.  I would like to know how much recovery time each lipo session will take so I can plan for school. Thanks to all of you.

LindaMarie435

I am planning on having fat graphing for full reconstruction this
summer. I had immediate reconstruction after my BMX. I had so many
complications like infections and a major pressure wound that required
me to stop my chemotherapy, that I had my PS remove the expander and the
permanent implant. I was tired of being more sick from the
reconstruction than from the chemotherapy. My PS is being mentored by
Dr. Khouri in Florida in fat graphing, and after my radiation is over,
this seems like the best and least invasive option. Right now, because
my left side (where the implant was) was skin-sparing/nipple-sparing
and my right side is skin-sparing (I asked to have the nipple removed as
the tumor was so close), the extra skin and nipple have receded into
the empty pockets where breast tissue normally sits above. It is not
pretty to look at. I wear prosthetics when I go out as you can see how
convave my chest is. I know that the BRAVA dome is supposed to pull
that skin out and give the PS something to inject the fat into. I am
wondering if anyone else is like this or had gone through this. I can't
be the only one. Also, I am in school and I have missed so much, and I
want to be back on campus next Fall term. I would like to know how
much recovery time each lipo session will take so I can plan for school.
Thanks to all of you.

quiltrunner

LindaMarie435 - I have only had experience with the fat graft /lipo.  For me it was super easy.  Really the day after the procedure I could have been back to normal activities.  I had the same complications after immediate recon.  I went directly to implants - no TE.  But, like you and sooo many others here, soon after chemo started I got an infection and they both had to come out.  Good luck with your reconstruction.  

ziggypop

I had fat grafting done - not the brava technique but just fat to put around the implant to make it look more natural and match it to my other breast as I had a UMX. I was black and blue from my butt to my knees and it hurt like heck - in part because my whole upper half hurt too - the idea of lifting myself from a reclining position was absurd. I'm about 2 weeks out now - top half still hurts but bottom half's pretty much better. 

You do have to wear a compression garment over the place they take the fat from (my PS insists for 4 weeks minimum 24/7 - all times except for showering - it's not pleasant ).

LindaMarie435

Thanks, quiltrunner.  I think I am mostly concerned about my time using the BRAVA system.  My PS told me that I will definitely get better results if I am committed to using to domes.  But after all of the biopsies, a double MX, a punctured lung from putting in my port, all of the infections, a open wound, and the discomfort of the TE and the implant and the side effects of the chemo, anything else should be a piece of cake.  Wish drs. would tell women to wait for their reconstruction until after chemo and rads.

Lily55

Has anybody had fat transfer done under local anaesthesia?  Its been suggested to me and I just wondered how others found it?

mormor1

Lily,

I did have it under local once.  It wasn't too bad.  Stinging with all the needles putting in Novocaine....eye watering type pain, nothing horrible.  It think it would really depend how much you need done and how long you need to be under anesthesia.  Dr. K. said he likes having a dedicated anesthesiologist so he can focus on his work without having to think about that also.  You could hit a liit on how much local they could give before the work is finished too.

LindaMarie,

After all you've been through, I would think the Brava and lipo wouldn't seem too bad.  The experience seems to differ widely.  I was at the easy end of things.  By day 2, I was really to be out and about.  Was working full time and just took three days off work each time with no problem (no heavy lifting) and that included travel time.  Would encourage you to go to fatgraftpatients.com.  You will see tons of pictures of women in same situation as yours.....and the magic of the radiated skin finally giving in and filling out.  Don't miss psf's pictoral story.

Lily55

i have tried to join the fat graft patients site but cannot get the anti spam bot question right! 

mormor1

LOL....I can imagine being in a spot like that!
Try contacting the administrator.  She'll get you in!

jzog71

I had to have my implant replaced in July 2013 for a larger implant (just 5 months after the first one was placed).  I had fat injections with the July surgery to fill in the hollow area.  The first several months it did well, but about a month ago, it started hollowing out again.  The breasts are even with one another length wise (as my right breast was bc free but had a lift).  So now, I will be having fat grafting from my thighs and injected into my bc breast.  Last time it was taken from my stomach.  I did have some soreness and bruising with it.  I did not have to wear anything after the procedure.  I wonder if I will with fat being removed from my thighs.  Also, I had not yet had my nipple reconstructed, so it will be done along with the fat injections.  My surgery date is February 24, 2014.  My PS said it may take a few times of fat injections for success.  I did ask him to take additional fat out of my thighs, hoping he does that.

Lily55

This is going to show my naivete but if the bra comes with two cones how do you make sure that BRAVA only works on the one side?  I don´t want my reduced side enhanced!!!!!

kareenie

you just put on one dome. disconnect some of the tubing. leave the other dome in the box for a spare.