Liposuction and cleavage

After four weeks of over eatting and making myself miserable with food, I was nervously excited for surgery day to arrive. This meant I was another step closer to the very end of this journey. When you hear of a women undergoing a mastectomy many assume you have your breasts removed and implants are placed. This idea is formed by a lack of knowledge and couldn't be farther from the truth. The process is so much more than many realize. At the time of a mastecomy, tissue expanders are placed to stretch the skin and prepare the chest for the implants that are later placed. After the implants are placed it is common that a secondary revision will be needed in order to achieve desired results. The process has been so much more than I could have imagined, but we are slowly getting there, and I couldn't be more excited.

It had been three months since I had my implants placed. Imperfections were visible shortly after my exchange surgery. We had hoped over time as the ligaments loosened and my chest healed that the flaws would smooth out. The implants had finally dropped into a more natural position and the opposite happened. This natural sag put more pull on my skin which in turn caused more ripples, lines, divets. They were progessivly getting worse as time went on and it came time to discuss my options. Fat grafting was recommended as means to provide a layer of fat to speparste the implants from my skin filling in all the visible flaws while providing a nice natural contour. Fat grating/lipofilling is commonly used in patients like myself for a number of reasons. After an aggressive mastectomy it is very common to be left with such thin skin. Our goal with the procedure was to leave me with a more natural looking appearance.

Agreeing to go forth with the procedure meant first gaining enough weight to provide the fat that was needed. As hard as it was for me to gain weight, I constantly reminded myself that it was for a purpose. It wasnt my forever. Surgery day arrived quickly. This left me excited and hopefull that I would be able to feel confident topless once again. As a women this is very important.

After leaving my pre op appointment last week in tears, I couldn't get the fear of not having enough fat out of my mind.I had done everything in my power to gain weight in preparation for the surgery. I was very nervous that we wouldn't be able to harvest enough to achieve desired results.

At the time of surgery I was at an 8lb gain. I had made it, I had tackeled this giant to the best of my ability. I was ready and there was no turning back. Dr Hagarty came in before surgery to look at what she had to work with, leaving marks all over my abdomen and sides where she felt I had fat accumulation. Before I knew it I was on the operating table drifting to sleep.

Surgery took just under two hours and couldn't have been more successful. My family couldn't wait to give me the good news. Turns out I had JUST enough fat to sucessfully perform the procedure giving the results Dr Hagarty had hoped for. She took every last bit of fat my abdomen and sides had to give. She was able to harvest just enough to over fill my "breasts" by placing 100cc's of fat in each. Over time a portion of this fat will absorb back into the body, so overfiling is key. In about three months time I will be able to see our final results and start talking about our final step. Nipples!! The liposuction procedure ended up being every bit of painful as I had imagined it being. We are trying to keep on top of The pain the best we can, but my pain meds merely take the edge off. I am most comfortable laying down. The pain is tolerable until I try to move. It feels like my hystorectomy all over again. I was told that it is very important to take it easy through recovery so no complications arise. With many tunnels created from the Lipo any twisting, bending, or quick movements can cause a tesr resulting in internal bleeding and infection. I was placed in a corset type wrap that I will wear for the first four weeks. This is to not only give added support, but to Also prevent edema or seromas from forming.

Thing one and thing two are tolerating the added pressure wonderfully. They just feel very tight and full, because they are!!! I was instructed to wear a good supportive pushup bra to aid in healing to both help them heal in a natural position as well as giving the right amount of support to allow The fat to be excepted and develop blood flow. Any form of compression on my chest can smother the fat and cause it to die. I was able to unwrap long enough to take a shower and change my dressings today. I couldn't wait to get a glimpse of the twins in all their fat filled glory. I am happy with the outcome and now have a beautiful round contour. I am so thankful that I pushed through this one and opted to follow my Drs professional recommendation. Healing is my next step. All the worst is officially behind me and the road is slowly coming to an end.

Before

After