Has anyone had micro fat grafting?
Comments
-
My PS is at U of M. I have the utmost confidence that he would only do what was safe. The only surgery he does is breast reconstructon. I had another doc. compliment me on his work - the look of the scars etc. He does NOT believe in fat grafting to create an entire breast at this time. He says of course if would be wonderful and if it were well researched with fabulous outcomes - well then, all PSs would do it. He does believe in microfat grating for 'areas' and will be filling in a divot for me in June.
My question - Why do they want to always take from the thigh area? I was hoping to lose some tummy fat but he is insistent that it is best to go the 'saddlebag area'. I really don't have much in the way of hips as it is but belly fat - that I've got!!
-
My PS actually took from my rear. And wish he could have taken a bit more
-
mybee- I think a lot of PS's can achieve a complimentary look for us. The benefit of the fat grafting is in how they feel. They are soft and warm with no foreign objects. I think using fat grafting for entire breasts is nothing short of amazing. I don't see why if fat grafting is safe for divots it wouldn't be safe for that. There has been research going on for years, clinical trials are going on right now and there are women walking around with "fabulous outcomes" as your PS puts it. You can see them at miamibreastcenter.com for one. Here's a link to some photos from there-
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/588020
Not sure why your PS is limiting your donor site to just your thighs. Most will let you choose where you want the fat taken from. I told my PS that I wanted it all from my stomach area as this is the hardest to lose through exercise alone. But it is one of the trickiest to get the lipo right. You say your PS only does breast reconstruction but does he also do liposuction? If he doesn't have a lot of experience with it he may only be comfortable doing the thighs at this time. With fat grafting it's important to have a surgeon experienced in both- lipo and breast recon.
-
I've heard that the fat from your legs (especially the knee area, who knew?) is hardier than other fat and is less likely to be lost when transferred. However that could just be hearsay, and I can't remember where I read it - so take it for what it's worth. Plenty of women have had fat grafting from their tummies with great retention, so I don't know how true this theory is.
-
Mybee - Like Kate said, there are many women walking around with "fabulous outcomes" and aside from the clinical trials, the ASPS reversed it's earlier position on fat grafting to the breast and called it "a safe method of augmentation and correction of defects." However they also caution "Studies indicate that results of fat transfer remain dependent on a surgeon's technique and expertis" Here is the link for the full article:
Also since there was so much publicity about the concentrated stem cell procedure that a certain celebrity used for her breast reconstruction. Her is the ASAPS and ASPS Issue Joint Position Statement on Stem Cells and Fat Grafting:
As far as where the fat is harvested - usually the surgeon will work with you and ask which area(s) you prefer. It's usually the "stubborn" fat that you can't diet or exercise away, mainly the thighs & tummy areas.
-
Mine will be taking fat from my abdomen. He promised. Lol. I am having micro grafting around my implants in the area of the earlier infection that led to thin skin in that area, as well as fill in the upper pole some. My implant had to be a little smaller than the plan due to the area of thin skin. I like exactly how they project, and they look really natural....it is amazing, but I wanted to be a full b, and the top part need a little help to fill it out.
-
i had FG on wednesday,Dr. Aronowitz took fat and stem cells from my love handles and a little tummy he is saving my outer thighs for down the road. HE TOOK OUT MY 500CC IMPLANT AND PUT 200CC PLUS 200cc of fat and stem i am recovering now. My side and lower back are all black and blue but the pain is tolerable,,,,
-
OMG!! Beacher I am happy you are on the road to recovery and feeing 'whole' again. I hope to be in your shoes soon. Please share with me your experinece with Dr. Aronowitz. I don't have insurance that will cover this, so it will all be out of pocket for me. And as much as we've all heard of the generosity of plastic surgeons, they all seem to fall short of helping us less fortunate BC patients. I hope you are happy with the results. I hope you don't hold it against me, but I have to say that I'm glad you didn't choose a more drastic alternative. Wishing you a speedy and happy recovery!
-
beacher - so great to hear from you. I know this was a long hard decision for you, but well researched and thoughtfully made. Looking forward to hearing your updates as you progress and wishing you a speedy recovery!
-
re: taking fat from the stomach. My surgeon says she'd like to keep this fat available in case I ever need to do my other breast. So if you're a uni, that may the the reason. Also, I'm choosing the FG because I can't do the DIEP because of a clotting disorder. She says if they ever find a cure for the clotting, she wants to save the stomach fat.
-
hello , Makinway thats ok to say of course we all want to be able to do the least invasive reconstruction we are able to find. The finding it is the hard part,but with constant research ( which drove me at one point to a minor breakdown) i found the Dr. i trusted and would do FG with.
I hope all the stem cells take or at least most.But in 6 months we wil be doing another round if needed. I will tell you one thing i do not regret doing this even if it fails. One reasons is they found a tangled web of scar tissue under my arm wich i always complained about because it pulled and i could reach but not ever comfortably and i had tons of pt.it ran down my arm too.BUT in that they found surgical clips!! Dr. Aronowitz had his onocologt surgeon come in and remove it.The next day when i went back for my recheck they seemed very disgusted that someone would do that ,and then not listen to my complaint of pain Thanks God i found these guys if for not that alone,now whatever happens is in God hands, and i feel i did the right thing.This does not mean i would not do anything more if needed if im in pain.....take care
-
beacher- I am really happy that you've had a good outcome but SO angry that your previous surgeon would be that incompetent and then discount your pain and discomfort. SURGICAL CLIPS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It is absolutely unacceptable. I hope you'll be reporting back to them when you're up to it. I really admire all the research you did and for not giving up. You are an inspiration! It sounds like Dr. A was the right choice by far. I hope your recovery is smooth and you are soon feeling completely wonderful. (((gentle hugs!)))
-
Beacher and everyone else who isn't aware of this- This is how most doctors close/clamp the bleeding arteries or veins when a mastectomy is done. The 'clips' as they are referred to look like the staples used in a staple gun. I too have clips inside my body. I don't know how many or where they're located, but I suspect some of my pain may be partially due to this. I learned this after requesting ALL my records from the hospital. When reading the 'Operative Report' I discovered this, as well as, my scapular artery was sacrificed(WTF!!) and they lost a needle in the operating room. Of course none of this was mentioned to me.
Beacher-How were the clips found? Was it through X-ray or did they find them in surgery? Take care of yourself. Let the healing begin!
-
I recently developed a crescent-shaped bulge across the top of the L breast (BC site with heavy radiation 09; lat flap reconstruction with implant 2/10) and finally met with my PS because the pain in this area is sometimes unbearable. He says the bulge is scar tissue (not capsular contraction) -- scar tissue has no nerve cells, who knew it could cause pain -- and recommends a fat graft procedure. Never heard of the process before and was very glad to find this forum...thanks ladies.
I've had lots of problems due to radiation damage and the consensus is that this pain/scarring is related as well. The PS recommends liposuction of the abdomen and injecting the fat into the area for two reasons: smoothing the bulge contour and in hopes that the stem cells within the fat will initiate heathly cell regeneration in the scar tissue. He explained the unproven, but well-received, theories of the stem cell aspect but, because of the pain level, recommends giving it a try.
Liposuction scares me -- I've seen the videos! (When the surgeon warns about pain...I listen.) I'm not overly concerned with the way my body looks, but if this will alleviate the pain in my breast I'm willing to consider it. Has anyone else been through this situation? What were the results?
-
cheriemac, a valuable site would be fatgraftpatients.com :-)
-
Here's a sentence appearing in the report of the mammogram I had seven months post-lumpectomy. "Metallic clips are seen within the right axilla". Do they leave these in intentionally, or just forget to take them out?
-
The surgeon told me the clips help the radiologist spot the location of previous cysts/tumors/etc.
-
@LilliM, I looked at that site but it seems to be sponsored by BRAVA...I'm not using that system. Thanks anyway.
-
LilliM - surgical clips are also used to clamp off the vessels during surgery. Very common in breast surgery. There are also clips that can be left in as cheriemac said to mark the site of a biopsy or resection. Good Luck.
Karen - also an operating room nurse
-
OH SO I GUESS IT'S NOT MY PRIOR SURGEONS FAULT THAT I HAD SURGICALS CLIPS LEFT IN MY BODY THAT SCAR TISSUE FORMED AROUND AND LEFT ME IN PAIN SINCE NOV.2010? THAT JUST DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME. THIS HAS HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED TO OTHER WOMEN THEN IF CLIPS ARE LEFT BEHIND AND SCAR TISSUE FORMS,SO THESE DR.'S I HAD PREVIOUSLY KNEW THERE WERE CLIPS IN ME AND NEVER THOUGHT TO TELL ME MAYBE THAT COULD BE MY REASON FOR PAIN? I WAS UPSET BEFORE NOW IM VERY VERY ANGRY!THEY HAVE GOT TO START TREATING US LIKE PEOPLE NOT CATTLE!
THANKS FOR THE INFO ALTHOUGH IT SUCKS ITS GOOD TO KNOW...
-
@cheriemac the site is in no way affiliated with Brava other than some patients use it. There is a thread for women that are having grafting without Brava
-
Clips are NOT the same thing as 'markers'. Markers are left where a biopsy has been taken, so that the biopsy site can be found for future reference. The markers are small flat metal pieces. Clips look like the staples used in a staple gun.
@Beacher-The more I learn, the more pissed off I get!
-
Makingway,yes these were clips,thanks for making that diffrence ! I hope everyone knows there is a diffrence i know the onocology Dr. that took them out was NOT happy they were in there. I am so angry about the way breast cancer patient are treated i want to scream it to the world "wake up we are being treated barbarically !!!!!" I would like to know if there are ANY bc patients that have had an mx and not in pain. Seriously i have not ever talked to one,and if there is one ,then i want to find one that had radiation and is not in pain. How about a bc patient that had mx radiation and implants and feels the way they use to feel ,painless? If they are out there then what the heck did all of us on these boards for pain do wrong???????
-
At my biopsy prior to lumpectomy, the radiologist placed what he referred to as a "clip" to mark the area where tissue was removed. He said this is done so the area can be located in the event further surgery is required. He added that the clip/marker would come out with any tissue removed at surgery. My guess is the "metallic clips" found in my axilla were left behind at the time of lumpectomy. Whether they were left behind intentionally or accidentally is something I will ask my BS the next time I see him.
A few months following lumpectomy and rads, I began experiencing tightness in my right underarm area along with soreness when raising and extending that arm. I didn't know about the clips the last time I saw my BS and RO, but I did mention the pain and told them I suspected it was from scar tissue. They both explained it as a common side effect and recommended stretching exercises and taking Aleve. Oooookay....
In Jan 2012 I had my first surgery with Dr. Khouri to correct my lumpectomy defect. Since that surgery my underarm tightness has gone away completely, and I can now extend that arm without pain. My guess is the Brava stretching, along with fat grafting, released the scar tissue. Whatever the reason, I'm delighted I am now pain-free.
Beacher:
I'm so glad your surgeon found those clips and had them removed. I don't blame you one bit for being angry. The treatment of breast cancer is barbaric, no question about it! -
Hi LilliM, When did they find the clips in you? was it during your lumpectomy or did dr. khouri find them? or did they leave them in there on purpose and not tell you? in case they ever needed to go back? if so they should have told you and i am sure you would have damanded them out because of the pain you had and they knew that! im glad you have no pain now! how long ago did you have Fg? and what else did he do.stretch you and FG ?did he remove any scar tissue ? thanks for your info.
-
Hi Beacher:
No one mentioned the clips. I found out about them from reading the report from the mammogram I had done seven months following lumpectomy. I told the BS and RO about the pain, but they dismissed it as a common SE. I don't understand enough about how surgery is done to know if the clips should or shouldn't have been left in. I plan to ask my BS about this.
I had the MFG with Dr. Khouri on Jan. 6th. I wore the Brava for 5 weeks before surgery. Then he MFG'd to fill in my lumpectomy defect and PALF'd to release my scar. He did such a beautiful job, I no longer have even a trace of a lumpectomy defect. He also did an incisionless lift to the other side. This too came out looking beautiful, and I have NO SCARS!!!
I didn't think at the time to ask Dr. K about the clips. As far as I know, he didn't remove them, and he didn't remove scar tissue. I think, at least in my case, the expansion from the Brava, along with the fat grafting, was enough to release the tissue. I plan to ask him about it the next time I see him, and I will let you know.
-
Hey beacher,
I have had a BMX. My reconstruction was microfat grafting only (2 procedures with Brava use before 2nd one). Although I still have some soreness if I stretch my pecs at their end range (which I do regularly), it is just tightness more than anything - no real pain at this point. I am oh so thankful to not have chronic pain, as I suffered with chronic nerve damage in my left leg for about 15 years...and no way did I want to deal with chronic pain again.
I am actually, unfortunately, undergoing radiation to my left side currently b/c of close margins post MX (small breast + large cancer = high chance of close margins). I am only 1/2 way through, and I have no idea what my eventual outcome cosmetically and/or pain-wise will be. Keeping my fingers crossed that I do not end up with fat liquefication or necrosis, which is of course a possibility. So far, so good (just a light pink sunburn), but it is too early to really know.
I hope you are continuing to recover well and sure am glad you were able to get so much scar tissue and the clips removed. Dr. A sounds great.
-
@cheriemac - fatgraftpatients.com is not sponsored by any company. A BCO member started the site because so little info was (and still is....) available on micro fat grafting. She does this in her "spare" time on her own dime. It's an amazing resource and you can find anything fat graft related there. Everything from what to pack for surgery to recovery, you will get answers and support from ladies who have been there, done that or are in the middle of treatment.
-
Dancetrance i just read your biography,and you have had to really stay on top of this! Make me so mad 3 paths missed your actual dx.I wonder how much that happens,ALOT im sure.I wish you well with your radiation,how many will you have? How many have you had? Take care Karin
-
Karin- I was curious about the surgical clips so have been googling trying to find out information on it. I found a thread on here back in 1/10 where a member had the same issue. She had over 20 clips left in after BMX and had ongoing pain at the site. Thought you might want to check it out. The title of the thread is "20 plus surgical clips left...does anyone have this?"
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team