How much pain should I expect after fat grafting?

Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited October 2018 in Breast Reconstruction
How much pain should I expect after fat grafting?
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • 9lives70
    9lives70 Member Posts: 127
    edited May 2017

    I have my exchange surgery coming up first week in June with fat grafting and alloderm. They will take the fat from my abdomen. What can I expect in terms of pain/recovery from this?

    It took about 3 weeks to get back to work after my BMX end of Feb......

    Thanks:)

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited May 2017

    Not sure about abdomen but I had fat taken from outer thighs. It was sore, the compression garment helps. I was bruised too.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 9lives70
    9lives70 Member Posts: 127
    edited May 2017

    Hi Meow--how long did you have to wear the garmet? do you feel like the fat grafting "worked?" Do you have to do more? ( my surgeon is saying it has to be done in stages for the best results....not looking forward to doing it more than once. Do you feel like it made a noticeable difference?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • wallan
    wallan Member Posts: 1,275
    edited May 2017

    I just had fat grafting surgery two days ago. Fat was harvested from my inner and outer thighs and my abdomen. They are rebuilding my right side from a mastectomy 13 years ago and adding fat to beef up divets on my left side from a recent mastectomy with tissue expander in place.

    I am sore but not that bad. I am wearing spandex leggings to help with swelling. I only need tylenol 3 for pain every once and awhile. I can get up and walk around. It feels stiff and sore like I had a good workout, but if I stay up for a bit the stiffness and soreness is not that noticable.

    So, I think fat grafting pain is not that bad. I found the mastectomy, drains and Tissue expander placement surgery much worse.

    wallan

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited May 2017

    I had alot of re-absorption so there wasn't much noticable difference. I wore the garment 24 hours everyday for about a month. They gave me one and I bought another. I would take a shower and put the clean garment on and wash the other. That really helped with itching amd sweating.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited May 2017

    I didn't take any prescription pain relief just tylenol or advil.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • wallan
    wallan Member Posts: 1,275
    edited May 2017

    Hey:

    Its been almost 3 weeks since my fat grafting surgery. I am still a bit sore at fat grafting donor sites.

    The real pain that is developing is on my right mastectomy side where most of the fat grafting was done. Along the scar line of my mastectomy, there are spots where the pain has increased in the last few days. Its stabbing and intense, and seems positional. Meaning, if I move a certain way it hurts worse. This is new pain. There is no redness or bruising. In fact, the bruising from surgery is going away and is almost gone on my chest. Has anyone else experienced this?

    I did speak with the PS nurse at my last fill (I have TE on the left side) and I mentioned periodic stabbing pains on my right side that were mild and few and far between then. She said it is likely nerve pain.

    So, I am wondering if this is nerve pain that is worse now.

    Any insight will be helpful.

    wallan

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Dianao62
    Dianao62 Member Posts: 4
    edited June 2018

    Hi,

    I had fat grafting and I must say it was very painful for me. My pain tolerance is very low so I wonder if that's what it is. But, the soreness, achiness and pain are too much. I couldn't wear the garment all day because I felt like someone was taking the life out of me. This was my first time and I hear there are many to come. I've had a bilateral mastectomy and now decided for reconstruction by way of fat grafting. I was almost going to do the diep flap and I just couldn't bear to be out of commission for 6 to 8 weeks.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2018

    My PS's nurse told me to expect to feel like "I'd done 1,000 sit ups in an hour and a half" when I had my fat-grafting done. That was a pretty accurate description. Getting up and down from a lying position was the most difficult. I was off work for 3 weeks. I wore the velcroed ace bandage for those 3 weeks. He had me get spanx to go back to work. I wore those for an additional 3 weeks. He told me the longer I wore them, the better the results.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited June 2018

    Sore and bruised. I had 2 garments so I wore it just about full time for over a month. When I would feel sweaty itchy I would take a shower and put the clean one on, washing the other. The garment helps you with support it makes moving around easier. Also keeps skin smooth.

    I did it on Friday back to work Monday. My job was a desk job.

    Sorry forgot I posted before.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gramto4
    Gramto4 Member Posts: 51
    edited September 2018

    Meow13

    Glad you recovered so quickly. You had your fat grafting on Friday and back to work on Monday. I assume that you did not have any other surgery besides injecting the donor fat cells to your breasts?Just asking because I just had fat grafting from my abdomen. I had my exchange from TE to implant and they injected the donor fat around the implant to fill and contour the breast. I also had a reduction and lift on my healthy breast ( with drain) to gain symmetry with the implanted breast. I'm 4 days out from the surgery and feeling better but the first couple days were pretty rough. My PS suggested taking one to two weeks off from work and I'm glad that did. My abdomen is bruised and sitting upright is still uncomfortable . I actually have a high tolerance for pain and virtually sailed through my mastectomy five months ago and really thought this time would be easier

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • miranda2060
    miranda2060 Member Posts: 281
    edited October 2018

    I had the same surgery as you, Gramto4, but no drain. I found this surgery MUCH easier to tolerate than my mastectomy. Not crazy about wearing Spanx, but will do so to improve the results. Also eager to get back to my regular exercise activities, including yoga.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DancingElizabeth
    DancingElizabeth Member Posts: 415
    edited October 2018

    I had it done - DEEP REGRETS.

    First of all - I fucking HATE wearing the compression cr$ap.

    Second - I can't go to my classes at the gym.

    Third - I had nipple reconstruction and can't sleep on my back. My nipples already look deformed.

    I HATE this. Wish I had left everything alone and just bought attachable nipples. Fucking hate this.

    The worst is missing my workouts. I feel like a prisoner in my own body.

    Scared

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • miranda2060
    miranda2060 Member Posts: 281
    edited October 2018

    DancingElizabeth, how long are you restricted from your workouts?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DancingElizabeth
    DancingElizabeth Member Posts: 415
    edited October 2018

    Hi Miranda - 6 to 8 weeks - no running, upper body or HIIT classes - like Grit Plyo, Insanity, “Strong”. And no Turbo-Kick. :-(

    I can do my indoor bike workouts...but miss my classes.

    Thanks for listening!! :-)

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • miranda2060
    miranda2060 Member Posts: 281
    edited October 2018

    I miss mine too -- going a little crazy. BUT, it's temporary, and the results so far look good.

    Hang in there, DancingElizabeth, you'll be back to the good stuff soon!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SummerAngel
    SummerAngel Member Posts: 1,006
    edited October 2018

    I had fat grafting from my thighs at the time of the implant placement, and again during the nipple reconstruction. I took about a week off for the implants, and about a day for the nipples (desk job). My thighs were sore but it wasn't horrible. I was allowed to exercise lightly almost immediately and wasn't told to wear compression. I asked about compression and my doc said that his experience was that it didn't make a difference. The grafting was definitely worth it to me. The first transfer pretty much reabsorbed soon after surgery, but the second "took". Now, 3 years later, my left side (dominant side) could use another round here and there but the right is still great.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • miranda2060
    miranda2060 Member Posts: 281
    edited October 2018

    SummerAngel, I would LOVE to lose the compression. Six weeks (or more?) of having a hard time breathing and moving is a lot. I take a couple hours' break here and there, but it's been since Oct. 1, and I won't see the plastic surgeon again till Nov. 8. I also have incisions under both breasts (had opposite breast lifted), so I think that's part of the "no strenuous exercise" command. I am really going mad with it, though am compensating by taking long walks (walking is permitted). I miss the mental, emotional, social and physical benefits of my yoga classes

    I didn't know the fat could reabsorb.

    At this point, I just want to get ownership of my body back.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited October 2018

    My fat was taken from my legs they managed to get 800cc and injected in left DIEP breast. Yes I had the day surgery on Friday and was back to work Monday. But, I took 2 months for the DIEP surgery 6 months earilier.

    Yes I was bruised and sore but ok to go to work. Bruising lasted atleast a month.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories