Extra fat on the side of your breast by underarm ?

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Trina25
Trina25 Member Posts: 99
edited June 2016 in Breast Reconstruction


I've noticed this extra pocket of fat underneath my left arm. It wasn't there before but has been present since I had my mastectomy with tissue expanders placed and still now I've gotten my implants. It's kinda weird but it dawned on me that it isn't far from the scar where I had some lymph nodes removed. Could this be why? Maybe under my arm on the side could be swollen due to the lymph nodes being removed?

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  • ziggypop
    ziggypop Member Posts: 1,071
    edited November 2013


    I have the same kind of thing - it's sort of a 'thickening' towards the back of my armpit on the side where the nodes were removed. I have heard it's pretty common. Mine doesn't hurt, but can have a weird numbness to it.

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  • sarahjane7374
    sarahjane7374 Member Posts: 669
    edited November 2013


    I have something like that too. It's only on my left side, and it's still completely numb. I was actually planning to ask my Dr. about it at my appt on Monday.

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  • Trina25
    Trina25 Member Posts: 99
    edited November 2013


    mines isn't numb tho. Just seem likes it's sum fat that got caught up n there lol. I remember mentioning it to my PS , I asked her if she could lipo it out since I was already getting fat grafted , she didn't at my exchange. I think I may need to ask the breast surgeon about it. It is below my scar from where my lymph nodes were removed , but it's not numb.

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  • softness1
    softness1 Member Posts: 217
    edited November 2013


    I had the same thing but had mine lipo. My doc said sometimes extra that's attached to the fat but not noticeable because ur breast. But once that's gone on some pple it's noticed. I lost a few pounds during chemo & it got smaller. It's fat. So when I had my revision for a few indentations he sucked fat outta there and put it in the breast

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  • Trina25
    Trina25 Member Posts: 99
    edited November 2013


    yea I remember mentioning it to my PS, wonder if that underarm pocket of fat would have been enough to use for fat grafting to the breast then my stomach could have been untouched. Did u get fat from your stomach as well softness 1?

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  • softness1
    softness1 Member Posts: 217
    edited November 2013


    Trina25,


    No just the underarm area. I had a few small indentations.. So that was all that I needed..He overfilled the areas because he said that about 40% of the fat reabsorbs back into your body... I honestly didn't see that big of a difference in fat absorption.. But I don't have the indentations.. Of course I wanted my stomach lipoed. but I hear horror stories of the pain of the lipo area.. Mine wasn't a bad recovery.. I actually had lunch with my aunt the day of surgery.. I went in and I think it took about 2 hours... maybe less.. The lipo area was sore but that was it.. Nothing like the mastectomy..


    I'm getting nipples for CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!! lol... I go finish this off 12/9/13.. hopefully that's it.. but I've found that this is a continuing process that doesn't want to end..

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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Member Posts: 99
    edited November 2013


    I have got that too - only on my MX side. I'm thinking of having a diep reconstruction - can I ask the PS to get rid of this armpit fat while he's at it? Is it easy to do?

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  • Trina25
    Trina25 Member Posts: 99
    edited November 2013


    when I 1st heard of the procedure I was happy at the thought of losing some very much unwanted fat at the stomach. But then I figured that it wouldn't be enough to make a difference. And it isn't and my fat came from my upper stomach which isn't my issue, I had a large baby and gained a lot if weight and have been stuck wit the mommy pouch underneath the belly button. I hoped she would take fat from there but she explained right before the exchange she wouldn't mess with the lower stomach since I initially expressed wanting a DIEP. So she left that area alone so I could still do that in the future. I have heard of people saying they have lumps in their stomach from this. So I was thinking it would have been nice for her to jus use the underarm fat so I would have to worry about further messing up my problem area especially since I won't get any visible results. Hopefully she just forgot I mentioned asking to have that arm fat lipoed. And with the stomach you are stuck wearing this binder , so I would be nice to not have to wear it if she used the fat from the sides.

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  • Chrisrenee77
    Chrisrenee77 Member Posts: 1,032
    edited November 2013

    Trina- I had "dog ears" of sort on the sides of my breasts.  I was told by my PS that it was extra skin that the Implant did not fill.  When I had my nipples built 4 weeks ago, my PS cut the skin and took some additional skin and lipo'd the area.  Since doing it, I love the way my breasts look. You may want to see if that is something your PS might be able to do.


     

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  • Trina25
    Trina25 Member Posts: 99
    edited November 2013


    chrisrenee77 Yes I will definitely be bringing this back up to her, I hoping she jus forgot. I expressed my underarm fat and my scars from the drains that left an indentation. She fixed those scars and also the ones from my port n where the lymph nodes were taken. Me n my friend joked my PS had a date after my surgery She came in the hospital feel makeup n regular clothes and never came to speak to me or my friend after the surgery. She didn't even make sure I got my implant identification card , luckily her assistant that does office work saw it n saved it for my one week appt. so I can't wait to see the actual PS n not her nurse.

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  • Chrisrenee77
    Chrisrenee77 Member Posts: 1,032
    edited November 2013

    Trina- Hopefully she didn't (haha) and just forgot.   I left mine alone until I had my nips built and just finished it all at one time so i wasn't under anesthesia for something that could wait.  That also depends on if you are going to do nips or just tattoos.  But definitely mention it to her.  I felt so much better once i saw what my PS did, he did a fantastic job.  He forewarned me that my incision line from BMX would be longer to be able to take the extra skin and lipo, but i didn't care i wanted it fixed.  I've never had perfect boobs and by damn i was going to get close enough to perfect even with scars.  haha

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  • Trina25
    Trina25 Member Posts: 99
    edited November 2013


    I had a nipple sparring. So I hope I don't need to go back for anything big. I am still early in the healing process and miss the projection of the tissue expanders, but not enough to want to do it all over. I can love wit it I was always the queen of the push up bras before. I would jus like the underarm fat gone. U didn't have to wear any compression garment for the underarm did u ? Not sure what u actually could though for that ?

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  • warmsmartcookie
    warmsmartcookie Member Posts: 40
    edited November 2013


    I have this problem BIG TIME. I have TEs in now and despite being close to my final fill, those fat pads under my arms make me look like a sumo wrestler, awaiting the chance to flap my arms and take off in flight. My underarm fat pads were made worse by an adhesion near my armpit and chest wall and my PS fixed that during the original TE surgery. Wow--did that make me feel better and help my abdominal lymph.


    My PS said he would fix the underarm fat pads at final squishy switch, said it would probably take a lat D to do so, and that he could also use the fat to inject elsewhere at the switch to squishies. Something tells me they are worried about the lymph nodes. No one said that, but I'm just guessing. Also, I'm looking at ways to tighten my upper/under arms with weight loss, free weights, Russian Stim and skintyte laser--supposedly it helps to tighten skin on upper arms. I used it on my face and it was amazing.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2013


    Yup, we used to call them "dog ears" - but NOW we call them Angel's Wings.


    The "extra" fat that was a part of our breasts, at one time, but NOT BREAST TISSUE. Everybody seems to have them to some degree. My PS can remove, but I've just left them, since I learned to call them Angel Wings.

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  • Trina25
    Trina25 Member Posts: 99
    edited November 2013


    yes , I've heard of them being called dog ears before and saw pictures that were I guess on the extreme side, so mines didn't look like that. I have gained a lot of weight since the initial diagnose due to chemo, and the lack/decreased activity. But my arms have gained the least, but I do wonder if weight loss could help. So that is definitely my goal now I've been through everything. I have a birthday in March and it will be nice to celebrate my birthday(especially since I didn't this year) be cancer free and slimmer.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2013


    Katrina - I need to lose weight too, and I'm hoping that will "reduce" my Angel Wings, larger on one side than the other.


    I've been looking for exercises that focus on that area. Also thinking of using the Foam roller ( from old Yoga, Pilates days) on a mat to see if that will help, "rolling" on my side with it on yoga mat, but haven't yet.

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  • Trina25
    Trina25 Member Posts: 99
    edited November 2013


    it's jus my left arm for me , wonder if I would notice as much if it was both. Cause when it's only on one it comparing it to the flat other arm. But either way I know it wasn't there before because I have tattoos that go up each side and you can tell the side affected, because it pushes out that part of the tattoo. Guess I can say my flower is 3d lol , you can see the flower jumping out.

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  • DenvMom
    DenvMom Member Posts: 27
    edited June 2016

    I hope others have experience with this problem of fat pockets under the arms.  I am 50 lbs over weight when I had the dbl Mastectomy and am still overweight.  The surgeon told me I would have these left because of weight and my breasts were G cup. 

    Have any of you had these removed by a plastic surgeon?  I am seeing a plastic surgeon Friday to discuss removal of these fat pockets. 



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