After BMX results
I looked at my results today for the first time, 4 days post OP. I had large breasts (34DD+) and there is a lot of extra skin there still. I told her I wanted to be as flat as possible (no recon) and she said she closed it in an "s" shape for better results. I am pretty upset with what I am seeing. Beyond the extra skin, there is a lot of indents and what not. It is just lumpy and the exact result I was afraid of. I am wondering how much of this will get better and smooth out? I have seen pictures online that I thought "that is exactly how I don't want mine to look" and unfortunately right now, that is how they look. I am hoping that this is just what it looks like so close after surgery but I am feeling quite emotional worried that this is how it is going to be. Sure, I could get other surgeries to fix it, but that was exactly why I didn't go with recon, I didn't want other surgeries. What was your healing experience as time went on? TIA!
Comments
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I was around a 38 or 40 C.
This is 1 month after surgery:
This is 3 months after:
This is 10 months after (and after radiation):
You can't tell from these photos, but I have some folds under my armpits when my arms are all the way down. No dog ears or excess tissue. The radiated side is flatter but the skin is drier.
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Thank you for sharing Ksusan. I am hoping for my results to be similar. Right now I have a lump in my left armpit (non SNB side) that I've always had but with my breast it just looked like an extension of my breast, now it is just a huge lump that goes into a big indent, and then out again into a big dog ear type lump. That is actually where most my concern lies...that and the extra skin. I almost certainly will need to have it repaired because I will never be able to wear any type of tank top or anything and that is typically what I live in in the summer time. I think many of the post MX pictures I looked at must've been women with smaller breasts but I never thought about it until now. I just figured mine would turn out as two small incision scars as well....wishful thinking I guess.
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I am so sorry you are dealing with this!!! A lot of surgeons "think" you'll change your mind about recon and leave extra skin. I told my surgeon it he left any lumps or bumps I'd make him fix it. I am dead flat and smooth (no pic, sorry). I've shown it to women who went to breast surgeons - mine was a general surgeon - and they said my surgery looked WAY better than theirs! I am so glad I used a general surgeon. I did have to get an excision revision - a light touch of excess tissue taken out, but it's all good now. I was a 42D.
Mine IS dead flat with no hills and valleys and you have the right to have yours look as good. The surgeon does have to stop the tissue loss somewhere, so normally does that just past the underarm so front the front it's all smooth. Sounds like your surgeon has a bit more work to do. The revision is a quick snip and you're under for such a short time it's not anywhere near the healing time. More like a bad papercut really. Please keep us posted on this thread so we can walk your journey with you.
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Barbe, did yours look much the way it looks now right out of surgery or did it take a little to flatten and tighten up? I don't want to get my hopes up that it is going to happen if what I have now is most likely what I will have six months from now. I did make clear to her I did not want any skin sparing and that is why she said she did the S shape but I could probably fill the loose skin right now and be an A cup. It is just a bunch of wrinkly loose skin. I saw a general surgeon as well.
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I have NO idea what she means about an S shape! Like duh! Was she able to explain it to your satisfaction? I was flat when I woke up from surgery, swelled a bit in the next couple of weeks in one area and wondered if it was LE. My surgeon didn't "believe" in LE so he went in for the revision. The revision took it almost all the way down but it gets a bit puffy sometimes - not enough that you'd notice it in a tight tank top though. He believes in LE now, though.
I think you have to go back to your surgeon and giver her hell from me!
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Barbe, she said the S shape would have flatter results, I guess I just trusted her decision. I have realized that a lot of my bumpiness is my drains so I am hoping once they come out I will have a little bit of better results. I do still think I will need some fixing though, unfortunately.
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My scar line is straight across from the centre of my chest on one side to my back and the the other side. They don't join in the middle of my chest. My drains in the back had a tiny bit of bumpiness which went down when the drains were removed. I wish you only the best, it's frustrating to have to deal with this at the same time.
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