Microfat grafting or BRAVA doctor recommendations
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LOL, you never cease to make me laugh girl!
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Hi ladies - I have an apt w Dr K on 3/13 and am really hoping all of this falls into place for me. His site says that he can get a small B at the first procedure. Has anyone had immediate reconstruction and woke up w 2 small Bs? Thanks!
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Not me faith - I was probably an AA after my first graft which was done simultaneous with my BMX. He never promised me anything more than a small mound at the first graft with MX. Not sure where it says that on his website, but I haven't browsed it in a while. ???
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Me too. Maybe you are thinking first round w/ implant removal. Dr. K told me that he aims to prevent the "shark bite' look that can occur with BMX w/o reconstruction. He also said I would have a small mound. I found most of the fat was spread around in a large area, wihout much in the 'breast', because I think he cannot inject too much fat under fresh scars. So by building up the area on the circumference, he is setting the foundation for the next rounds.
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That's a very good description of it rk. It definitely was spread around.
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Thanks! I expected at least 2 rounds, but was hoping I was wrong.
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Faithhopenluv - what you saw on the website was for reconstruction patients who had their MX previously and did their first round of Brava wear. With MX and immediate FG you wouldn't be able to wake up with a B cup, but you won't have that concaved look that RK described. You are in great hands and if you are registered at fatgraftpatients.com, you can see the amazing photos.
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alexandra, i did not get your e-mail ?could you try again thanks
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I am brand new to this forum and see you have been very active in it so I hope you don't mind me writing you. I am looking for information on doctors who us BRAVA in Los Angeles after expanders and implants to fill in missing tissue and to smooth out shelf from implants.
I would also be very interested in seeing any pre and post op images to evaluate whether the results are successful enough to warrent the surgeries and time using BRAVA.
I don't have enough fat to do transflap... surgeries.
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Beacher, I resent it. PM me here if you don't receive it and I'll pm you what it said.
newtofg, I just PM'd you here about your email.
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Thanks Alexandra. Hi Robo47 , He used my original scar,so no new scars yay! Im doing good,i cannot tell if my armpit is better cause of course they worked there too,so still sore. But my foob is nice and warm and i have not had any of the squeezing like i would get yay,so far so good time will tell....
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Did you use any of these doctors in LA? I am looking into FG and Brava after bmx and implants. Still not comfortable after more than a year. Always feel like I have on a sportsbra and really feeling peck tightness when using my muscles. Also not happy with my reconstrution results. Do people do fat grafting and remove implants altogether or try to go down in size of implants? Mine are about 350s.
I also saw a post about surgical clips. I had an MRI and they told me I have clips in me. Is this usual or a mistake???
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Hi Newtofg.
I also have discomfort from my 410cc implant. Will be having it changed for a 250cc with fatgraftinig in April. The plan is to go to total fatgrafting in sections--so that it matches my natural breast. Hoping for pain relief and better cosmetics. Eileen
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Hi Newtofg, i used Dr. Aronowitz in Los Angeles if you cannot google him let me know,oh his first name is Joel he works from CedarSinia. He did was out of my network but they worked with me,it definately worth a consult. So far so good for me but its pretty earlt to tell but im not in pain as before so yay so far i keep saying so far cause it seems to good to be true ha ha
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oh ps newto fg you would not have to use the Brava,since you already have space where your implant is no need to grow room for fat andstem cells.
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newtofg- I originally had 375 cc implants and was able to drop down to 225 with the first round of fat grafting with no need for BRAVA. If you read through this thread I think there are a few different PS's listed in the L.A. area- Dr. Suzanne Trott and Dr. Lawrence Koplin are two who come to mind as well as beacher's PS, Dr. Aronowitz. You can also try googling breast reconstruction + fat grafting + los angeles. More and more PS's have websites making it easier to find them. Just make sure to check them out thoroughly and find out how experienced they are in fat grafting and liposuction.
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I thought I needed the Brava to be able to transfer more fat cells successfully. I looked at Dr. Aronowitz's site but he really had photos of enlargements and minor revisions but didn't really mention mastectomies... I have had such a hard time with doing this preventitively and ending up with an uncomfortable and aesthecially undesirable outcome that I want to really make sure that the Dr. I use has a lot of experience with microfatgrafting as well as fixing issues. I made an appt. with Dr. Trott for next week. Can I ask if this was part of your intial plans of reconstruction or did it arise from similar issues after surgery. I met with a number of very well know Drs. in SM, BH, and Cedars before my dmx and no one mentioned this possibility. All I knew was I did not have enough fat on my body to not have implants.
For those of you that have smaller implants because of fg, do they feel less tight now? Do you pecks feel normal? I am always aware of my implants and forget swimming, it feels so bizarre.
I tried to go on the Fatgraftpatients.com to see what some before and after results looked like but even being registared it keeps saying "You are not authorized to read this forum".
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What is PM? I'm sorry I am new to forums and not up on the abbreviations. I tried again today and can't get on your site.
It really is amazing to be able to converse with other women who have been through this and are experiencing some of the same issues. I only know a few people who have had dmx and they haven't had any problems so I've felt a little lost. I want to complete my surgeries so I can move on from this part of my life. I've been on hold for a year now.
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newtofg- The success of the BRAVA is it creates a space, or scaffolding, for the fat to go into. It expands the tissue prior to the fat grafting. If you are swapping out your implants for smaller ones, or removing them all together, there is already expansion so no need for the BRAVA. Originally, I was going to do 3 rounds of fat grafting and get rid of the implants. My husband was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's, though, and is now on full time disability so any future surgeries are on hold. PM means private message which is like a private email that members can send to each other. You can click on any member's name and when their profile pops up there is a link on the right that says "Send member a private message". If you receive a private message it will show up in the banner at the top that says "Private Messages". I believe on the fatgraftpatients.com site that you must first post your own photos to have access to others photos but I'm not positive about that.
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Newtofg - Kate is correct about the photos on the fatgraftpatients.com site. In the rules section that you agree to when you sign up, there should be an explanation somewhere on that. It's been a while, since I've read through them, but I know it's there. Has Alexandra, the administrator, given you general access yet? Remember, she does this on her own time and she is very vigilant about allowing access to legitimate women, so it may take a bit for her to approve your membership. After that, the photo section is a "show me yours and I'll show you mine" concept. It is so important to provide a gallery of different before/after (and even more importantly "in between") photos, this policy has allowed the site to grow tremendously. We are not exhibitionists by nature, but somewhere along this journey modesty goes out the window, LOL! Seriously though, the photos are incredibly helpful and I hope you have the opportunity to view them.
To answer a few of your other questions: After my revision (before: 550 cc implants, after: 300 cc implants plus fat grafting), I feel much more comfortable. I never had pain, but I did feel the tightness and was aware of my implants 24/7. Now, I sleep on my tummy without a problem, my breasts are warm and soft and when I think of my breasts, it's with a smile on my face. As far as the pectoral muscles go....remember, a foreign object is forced under them, so they won't act and react normally. I'm sure some ladies out there are lucky and it's not an issue for them, but doing certain types of strength training is out for me. It's not horrible and I've adjusted, but it's what I regret not knowing before, but I thought I only had limited options as well. Implants or Lat Flap. Had no idea that fat grafting could reconstruct a whole breast.
I'm sure you will get a lot of relief from just an exchange to smaller implants plus fat grafting but remember, that you can eventually be implant free as Kate mentioned.
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Leeinfl--thanks for PM answers to my questions.
I will be going from a 410 implant to 250 plus fatgrafting. You stated that I should be able to do upper body weights after 4 weeks. Will any fat be lost after 4 weeks--if I resume weightlifting?
Did you wear the Brava?(If so, any sleeping issues?0
So appreciate your input. Eileen
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Thank you for your reply. God, I am so bummed now about my scars that go straight across the middle! But the idea, of being comfortable and feeling warm and I read even getting some feeling would be amazing. I am also missing areas of tissue where too much fat was taken out so maybe that is what the Brava was going to help with - not sure.
Since you are in Florida, is Dr. Khouri your doctor?
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It sounds like you have a lot going on especially after all you went through. I'm sorry and wish it could be easier for you. Thank you so much for reaching out and helping others when you have so much on your plate.
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Did they do it like liposuction or did they make an incision and cut out the fat? I thought that doing it through liposuction, they could only do small amounts at a time unless using Brava which gave the fat the ability to survive.
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Eileen - your welcome! Dr. Khouri gave me the all clear after 4 weeks, but I still "eased" back into my upper body routine. Also did plenty of stretching to get my flexibility back. Would stay clear of any true chest exercises (chest press/push ups, etc) that use pectoral muscles as primary movers. I still only do these on occasion - it's just not comfortable. Make sure and ask your surgeon what he recommends and share that guidance with your personal trainer.
Newtofg - At times I feel bummed as well, but then I figure it's water under the bridge. I can't change the past and I consider myself very lucky to have found fat grafting at all. So many women have no clue this exists. Yes, Dr. Khouri is my PS. The fat is harvested through liposuction - not cuts, no sutures. Brava expands the tissue and forms a matrix (scaffolding if you will) in which the fat is injected. This is the best environment for the fat to thrive, however, since we have implants we are already "expanded". More of a 2D vs 3D matrix, but still gives the surgeon room to graft the fat. In traditional fat grafting, a larger amount of fat is placed in one area and the survival rate isn't that great, however with micro fat grafting, only droplets of fat are injected. This gives the fat a much better chance of survival. Hope that explanation makes sense - Dr. K's website also has some diagrams that gives you a visual of this specific fat grafting technique.
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faithhopeenluv, I would be happy to show you my pics after my mastectomy and 1st round grafting. I am probably an AA. I know of no one that woke up a B cup.
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Hi All,
I'm new here so I apologize if this info is redundant. I found 3 people who do FG in the area commutable from NYC you may or may not know of:
Christina Ahn - http://nycbreastreconstruction.com in NYC 212 717-8860 BRAVA Affiliated with NYU
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore,MD - Dr.Gedge David Rosson.
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/avon_foundation_breast_center/treatments_services/reconstructive_breast_surgery/ He also does (non-guarantee to work for everyone) nerve reconstruction. Non-BRAVA, but JH has been offering this for over 2 years and are great at answering questions on the phone. Laura Gifford is co-ordinator at 410 502-316. Apt info is Linda at 443 287-2778.
Dr. Anya Kishinevsky - http://www.anyakishinevskymd.com/html/reconstruction.html in CT 203 659-9999. non-BRAVA. Gave great info on the phone and was very sensitive and caring..
Though I haven't given up on the idea of going to Fl for Dr. Kourhi, but I love and trust my onc surgeon in NY and prefer not to give him up.lizdehart, may I ask to see your photos? I haven't done my mastectomy yet and want to see what I'm in for.
Best of luck to us all.
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beacher4209 wrote:hello , i wanted to ask if anyone has or know of anyone that has had a skin graft transfer( thats what im calling it not sure if thats is the medical term) ? as you know i had my fg done about 3 weeks ago feb.22nd i had my 500 cc implant removed and replaced with 250cc and fg 200cc. also on my nonmx side took out the 250cc and relocated the nipple. so my non mx side is a beauty,but i stll have the hamburger bun on mx side. It is also tight still. my ps wants to add a football shape piece of skin taken from me to add more skin ,to get the flat look out,i believe he will fg then some more. it makes sense but where he wants to take the skin from is under my armpit where i have had alot of scar tissue issues....So if anyone can let me know more about this that would be helpful thanks take care all:)
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Hi Beacher:
Do you know if your PS uses the Brava? I had lumpectomy and rads and used the Brava to stretch my skin and underlying tissue before my first fat grafting in Jan. I'm currently using the Brava for three months until my next fat grafting in April. It's my understanding that the Brava generally isn't used for implant exchange presumably because replacing a larger implant with a smaller one leaves enough space for the fat grafting. But it sounds like your radiated skin is still too tight for even the smaller 250cc implant and 200cc fat graft. Assuming the Brava is safe to use with implants, it might make sense in your case. IMO, the Brava would be a lot less invasive than a skin graft. And I share your concern about surgery under the arm!
This may be an idea worth running by your PS. 0 -
Does anyone know of any doctors in the Seattle area who are doing the micro fat grafting?
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