What is involved in a fat transfer? How much does the MD usually take from donor site to be transfered? How long does it take? Is it an office procedure?
Susan
| Posts 1 - 10 (10 total) | |
|---|---|
|
AnneW Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 1953 |
May 13, 2008 03:11 pm
AnneW wrote:
I'm curious about this too. Does the insurance still cover it? Anne 2002 IDC stage 1, grade 1, rads & AI
Dx 9/18/2007, ILC, <1cm, Stage I, Grade 1, 0/1 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- |
|
anniebelle Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 364 |
May 13, 2008 03:38 pm
anniebelle wrote:
i'm going to have this too, my ps said he will do a liposuction from my stomach (why am I thinking of fat bastard in the Mike Meyers movie of Austin Powers shouting "mah belly!") sorry...I guess that it is up to your surgeon? I think he'll do it during the exchange he said to fill out a hollow left in the new girl by a previous bout with the radiation treatment. I guess I'll wake up with less tummy (or less "mah belly!"). Anybody that knows anything else about this, I'd like to know more too. I trust my ps totally and am happy to go to sleep and let him work his magic! :) Good luck all. oh, ps. insurance doesn't in my case, as my ps isn't covered. I would assume that your ps would know if it would or not, he may need to get a pre authorization or something dep. on your coverage and plan. When you get a chance to sit it out or dance....I hope you dance!
Dx 10/2007, 1cm, Stage I, Grade 1, 0/0 nodes, ER+, HER2- |
|
hcmatlin Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 18 |
May 13, 2008 07:04 pm
hcmatlin wrote:
I never thought about it not being covered. I assumed it would be convered to create symmetry. Yikes I better take a look at the benefits better. Susan |
|
BethNY Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 3772 |
May 14, 2008 02:55 pm
BethNY wrote:
In some cases insurance can cover it-- it depends on how it is billed, and coded. You should talk to your PS's office staff about this prior to having anything done. I told you I only play to win....
|
|
Mookaite Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 85 |
May 15, 2008 06:34 pm
Mookaite wrote:
Hi Susan, I am a very satisfied fat graft patient. My PS used this procedure to fill in the upper hemispheres of my silicone implant recons. I have had one round of it in March '08 and am scheduled for a second one in Sept. (I have a lot of "craters" to be filled.) My grafted areas are still plump. I did not experience any reabsorbtion. My insurance paid for all of it. It is considered part of the restoration process. My procedure was done in the OR at the time of my nipples, aureole grafts, and pocket revisions. Fat grafts are actually injections of your own fat that has been harvested by liposuction, usually from the belly, then processed and loaded into a large syringe. The art of it is in not doing too much but enough that it makes a visible difference. Too much at once can result in fat necropsy which appears as hard lumps. My foobs screamed "mastectomy" before the fat grafts, now they are amazingly realistic. There is no scarring from the injections or liposuction. There IS however a long recuperation time from lipo. You have to bind the donor area afterwards for 2 months with tape and a corset, and the area stays tender painful for a long time. However, lipo gives instant gratification in reduction of the waistline! I would never recommend doing lipo outside of an operating room. Hope this helps, Mook
|
|
hcmatlin Joined: Feb 2008 Posts: 18 |
May 15, 2008 11:55 pm
hcmatlin wrote:
Mook, It does help. Thank you Thank you Thank you. It actually makes me feel a lot better. I have a GAP scheduled next month but it is not possible to fill in the crater area that radiation has left over time. I had implants put in in 2003, CA in 2001. I am trying to get away from all the movement that the implant does when I flex my muscles. I am constantly picking something up, including my 5 year old. When I do the implants fly to the side and I look like a freak. Explain the "tape" for the donor site. Susan |
|
Naomi Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 236 |
May 16, 2008 08:04 am
Naomi wrote:
Hi, I have had numerous fat injections, and I can tell you that with each one I have some improvement. I has been a lenghty process though. I have had four all together and I am expecting to have another one in a few months, hopefully it will be the last. Oh yeah, insurance payed for everything!!! Make sure that when they take the fat, they take it from a place that there is alot of fat, because if they take it where there isn't alot, you could end up with some dents and wrinkles that you didn't have before, other than that, it is a fairly straight forward procedure. |
|
AnneW Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 1953 |
May 16, 2008 04:59 pm
AnneW wrote:
Thanks for all the info. It's perfect. My insurance would require an authorization, but once approved, it would certainly be covered. My upper poles are cavernous again, yes, "screaming mastectomy" despite some intense pocket work there during the exchange. I can see this in my future. Anne 2002 IDC stage 1, grade 1, rads & AI
Dx 9/18/2007, ILC, <1cm, Stage I, Grade 1, 0/1 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- |
|
cindiedee Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 240 |
May 16, 2008 05:29 pm
cindiedee wrote:
Thought I would jump in here - I also had GAP recon - SGAP. Long story but I had alot of complications where they harvested a new boob for my new left breast - ended up on a wound vac all last summer. I was left with a large crater in my butt cheek. During stage II, the doc did lipo on my abdomen (above the waist) and a little off the hips - he said he took 1 1/2 liters out (gulp!) - he put it in the hole in my butt and around the tops of the new boobs to round them out. Unfortunately for me, my body reabsorbed it all (jeez - why can't my body just absorb ALL my fat!) and there is now no difference. It is a crap shoot - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I have a very flat butt now but I just don't care anymore - I am just so relieved to have had the PBM/recon, that looks weren't my first priority. I do look very normal - top and bottom - my new boobs aren't any bigger than they were before but I am fine with that. Best of luck in your fat transfer! Ps - yes, my insurance paid for it all as "contouring" after the PBM. Cheers! Cindie |
|
Mookaite Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 85 |
May 17, 2008 09:03 am
Mookaite wrote:
Hi Susan, The tape binding of the area where your fat is harvested by lipo is to promote healing after the removal of the subcutaneous fat layer (essentially to adhere the skin back to the muscle). The lipo I had was from my entire abdomen, just below my breasts down to my pubic bone. This entire area got taped with multiple layered bands of 6" wide Medipore tape which you can shower with (blow dries quickly.) During the 1st month and a half after lipo I went to the PS every week to have new tape put on. The nurse had me stand very straight and suck in my belly. (A lot like Scarlett O'Hara getting dressed.) After 1.5 months of taping I got to switch to Spanx undergarments to hold in my abdomen. It came out smooth. I still have fat there but WAY less, and my "baby pouch" is gone. I wonder if lipo from other areas may be more difficult to manage though. I can't imagine taping my butt!! All in all, this procedure has made a huge difference by helping me to start liking my new look. Mook |
© 2008 Breastcancer.org. All rights reserved.