Has anyone had micro fat grafting?

@hbcrdreams - the best explanation for the BRAVA system is on the website of the inventor. I can't copy and paste on the board. Go to miamibreastcenter.com and click on reconstruction drop down menu to "tissue engineering a breast"

I know of no dissatisfied customers.

CLB, my insurance co. denied FG, but finally agreed on appeal. Given your history, this may be helpful:

I wrote an appeal letter making these points: 1. FG with the Brava is implant free reconstruction, and all the doctors that they'd told me were covered under my plan only do FG with implants (I had to call each doctor and make sure this was correct; I spoke to their nurses). 2. Given my history of pulmonary embolism after MX surgery, and discovery of a clotting disorder, FG was the safest proceedure for me. A flap proceedure would be a lot longer in the OR, and have a high risk of failure with my condition.

After that I listed the doctors I had consulted prior to Dr. Ahn, most of which had discouraged me from a flap. I called their offices and asked them to send the consult notes to Ahn's office, where they were collected into a package for the insurance company. One of the docs that I'd consulted with prior was nice enough to write a letter herself, stating she thought FG with the Brava was what I needed.

Then I went on to describe the pain I suffer from the implant, how I thought Brava would help the new fat cells survive, and provided some other info that Dr. Ahn had told me, like about the en-bloc capsuletomy she was going to do.

And THEN I listed my entire history of surgeries and treatments, with a final conclusion that I'm a high-risk patient and stressing again that my implant was painful, none of their docs did implant-free FG, and FG with Brava is the safest surgery, offering the best aesthetic, functional and practical solution, and no in-network docs provided the same. 

I think if you have a doctor saying you "scare" him, then you could use some of the same strategy. My PS's office provided me with a form letter as an example of what I should say in the appeal, your doc probably can provide the same. And then I customized the heck out of mine. 

I have implants, but had fat grafting around them. I have not reabsorbed too much and they look great. Since I have maxxed out my out of pocket insurance costs for this year, I am going to have one more go round in the fall and be done.



I was large before and wanted to be smaller. I am a full b, small c and love it. I was always small until I had kids.



I considered the brava system and talked with Dr. Khouri. In the end, no one locally did it and I didnt want to travel to have it done. So, I went with the implants. Maybe, if I have to have something new in the future, I will have enough fat left to replace implants with fat.

Pointvalue--fatgrafting has made quite a difference over my implant.  Will be going to a smaller implant, or total fatgrafting in the fall.

Not sure I will be able to wear the Brava.  Will  try.  Eileen

I am clb052975 and I have just started the brava system with fat grafting.  I thought I would blog daily to let you all know how things are going.  Let me first of all say that I am going to submit my bill for the brava bra to my insurance since I have no other options but to do this.  From previous health issues I cannot do any of the convential reconstruction.  So here I go

6/07/2012    I took the bra off this evening and I have little puffs (for lack of a better description) where my boobs once were. Yea.......And I had no discomfort today. Only thing is that because I have lots of peaks and valleys with no boobs, there were times that the cup lost suction and I had to reapply it. Not a big problem however.

clb052975,



So glad you are going to fat grafting route! I love my results so far. I would guess, without trying on a bra, that I am a small B. I had some fat grafting at the time of my masectomy and another graft 2 weeks ago. The recovery for me, after the second surgery, was so easy. I was off of pain medication and up and around by day 3.
The breast swelling is so encouraging, isn't it????

I will be sending you a PM.

I wear my BRAVA while sleeping. I have 2 pillows behind my head, a body pillow on each side and a pillow under my knees.



I will PM you.

I've had problems sleeping--as I can feel my tissue irritation.  At this point--no problems sleeping on my back-

I definitely cannot go to work without a good nite's sleep.  This is one of the issues I am trying to work out.

Hoping I can--but am not sure.  Will keep trying.  Eileen

I am lucky that I am retired and so I am doing the pumping during the day.  I have some issues with the pump not alerting me when it deflates and I will be calling the brava people to let them know.  So far I am on day 2 and other than the fact I am bumping into things now that I have a chest, I don't seem to be having any issues.  I will blog more this evening after I finish day two.  I will say one thing.....so far this is so much easier than expanders. 

Day 2

6/08/2012 Good day pumping. I have discovered however, that when the weather is warm and you are using the Brava after a mastectomy the seal can and does break easily. If your skin is bumpy then any movement can break the seal as you perspire. I only got in 9 hours because the seal was breaking up as I got warmer. Tomorrow I will start pumping earlier. Possibly later this week I will try pumping at night. 

My final reconstructive surgery is July 31st with fat grafting that is suppose to go around the implant. Right now the implant is bigger than I wanted so I have to have a implant put in the good breast to make me somewhat even. I hate the idea of another implant. Plus, the implant around the edges bother me. I feel like I'm wearing under my skin a fake boob or bra. It is very sensitive under my right arm. Will the fat grafting take away the uncomfortable feeling of the edges of the implant?

How long does it take for the lipo suction to heal up. Will my tummy be bruised for awhile? Do you have to be on pain meds for the lipo? I'm sensitive to pain and don't want to get into a pain syndrome.

I would like to have the implant removed for a smaller one, but not sure my insurance would pay to have it redone. From what I've read that small implants with fg around them feel almost like normal breast. I'm perplexed. I hate the idea of feeling the ridges of my implant forever. And at my age who wants big round boobs that belong on someone from Hollywood or a twenty year old girl.

I want to go in for a second opinion before surgery. I would like to see what another plastic surgeon says before the final thing is all said and done. I fear once it's all done, I won't be able to go back and redo it.

I am soooo glad I kept my left breast. It feels so light, soft and normal. I like how it looks.

I'll chime in ... I'm doing fat grafting with the hopes of eventually removing the implant. This surgery, the doctor swapped my old implant to a smaller one, and fat grafted around it. It feels better, although last week (5 weeks out from surgery) the old burning feeling came back and really wore me out. (I do a lot of computer work, so sometimes I wonder if it's related to how I'm holding my shoulder.) So for me, I'd say there's some improvement, not total. I was on vicodin for the painful implant prior to surgery; I've taken it maybe once since surgery. 

I didn't find the lipo very painful at all. 5 weeks out I'm a little sore--I ran for the bus the other day and felt it in my legs, and today I did my first bike ride, 2 hours, and I felt soreness in the lipo places as I rode. But my overall experience was a lot better than Kate's, I didn't need many pain killers for the lipo, certainly not a week's worth. 

Kate...thank you, and thank you! What you said helps a lot. It is good to know that fat grafting helps with pain on the edges. The exchange was in March. I had hope after a little time the uncomfortable feelings would go away. It feels strange every time I move my right arm...even when driving. I am going to get a second opinion. My plastic surgeon said my implant is small. Or there smaller size B or A implants.

Thanks also in regard to the whole lipo suction. I' have a small tummy. I have nothing to lose on my legs or hips. So my tummy is the fat I'll use. I'll stay in the hospital one night to manage pain. I have the week off so it should be easy recovery.

Thanks. I could probably live with the implant I have if the fat grafting soften the edges of it. Right now it's just uncomfortable. Did any of you go home after the fg or stay in the hospital for a night. At this point I am scheduled to spend one night in the hospital. I just want to make sure the pain thing is under control. Also how many of you had a reconstructed nipple? How long did it take to heal? I fear it won't take.

From what I read about fat grafting there is the grid micro drop fg and then there is inserting fg where ever. I read that when fg is just inserted (without the grip approach) that there is likely of it gumping together and microcalifications. I just hope the surgeon I have is the one who does the micro. I asked and he said with a note of scarcasm, I know everything. I didn't think he liked me questioning him. He just wants me to trust him. I hear he is a artist when it comes to breast reconstruction. But, I want to know before hand what exactly they are doing. I want some say in it.

Thanks. I could probably live with the implant I have if the fat grafting soften the edges of it. Right now it's just uncomfortable. Did any of you go home after the fg or stay in the hospital for a night. At this point I am scheduled to spend one night in the hospital. I just want to make sure the pain thing is under control. Also how many of you had a reconstructed nipple? How long did it take to heal? I fear it won't take.

From what I read about fat grafting there is the grid micro drop fg and then there is inserting fg where ever. I read that when fg is just inserted (without the grip approach) that there is likely of it gumping together and microcalifications. I just hope the surgeon I have is the one who does the micro. I asked and he said with a note of scarcasm, I know everything. I didn't think he liked me questioning him. He just wants me to trust him. I hear he is a artist when it comes to breast reconstruction. But, I want to know before hand what exactly they are doing. I want some say in it.