Fat Grafting, pros and cons
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Mommy, is fat grafting the only thing that was done in your surgery? You shouldn't be in pain all the time. Yes it's painful in the donor area for 15 seconds or so when you stand, but that shouldn't be too often, thank goodness...every couple of hours. Even then, it shouldn't hurt the whole time you are up and you certainly shouldn't feel faint! It hurts but not that much! Does your doctor know? The donor areas on my abdomen made me shout SHIT, SHIT, SHIT loudly as I was standing up for first week, then I didn't feel the need to cuss like a sailor the second week. When I wasn't getting up, there was no pain.
When you aren't getting up and down it shouldn't hurt so there's really no point taking a strong pain reliever like percoset or dilauded or even tramadol when you only need something to dull the "gotcha" for a few seconds. I agree that tramadol has taken over and is causing your problems. Tylenol should hopefully do it for you and the constipation problem will take care of itself. If you are still having pain that bad, I'd for sure let the doctor know.
The fat injection sites on your chest shouldn't be that painful...you got 300 cc's total, right? Spread out over six sites, that's not very much so I wouldn't expect too much swelling and little pain...discomfort maybe at this stage, but not pain. Of course I had no bruising so maybe a different technique makes recovery different. My chest was sore if I pressed the injection sites lightly. That went away after about two weeks. The donor sites remained quite sore if touched them for about six weeks but it was much better with the very tight compression ab binder. I would not have liked a child to bump up against my belly in the first couple of weeks and I kind of protected it like you do with a new pregnancy.
I agree that some doctors downplay recuperation time. I expected the donor sites to be sore but didn't expect the 15 second intense wave when I got up. When I hear people say their docs told them they could have surgery on Friday and go back to work Monday, I shake my head NO WAY. Maybe if you only had 100 cc's, but still you need time to recover from anesthesia. With fat grafting, a person could go back to a desk job fairly soon. Not the first week but probably the second week. If you are having post-op anesthesia issues or extra bruising it could take longer.
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Hello ladies,
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. It is very helpful. I just had fat grafting during my stage 2 revision surgery 2 weeks ago. I had lipo from hips/ flank area. I was wearing an abdominal binder but took it off today cause it was uncomfortable. I noticed I have hardened tender area on my waist on both sides. Is that normal? Not sure if I should mention it to my PS, or if its just part of the healing process and will resolve?
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Sandra,
Yes as far as I know the only thing done was fat grafting. The pain is strongest when I'm trying to get up but I still have pain in the corner of my arm pit on the left side. I had this pain before FG. My bs said its probably scar tissue. There is a tightening in that area. My stomach is tender when I touch it ir get up. I had pains in my chest last night just from laying here or yawning. It doesn't last long but it's still there.0 -
Mommy, perhaps you could call the doc Monday morning. That just doesn't sound right.
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Sandra,
I'm just pretty tender. It seems to be getting a little better maybe I just need more time. I'm only taking Tylenol right now. Just finished the antibiotic today. I think I just heal slower. For each surgery I needed more time than my ps recommended. Question, is sleeping on ur side bad? I haven't, but I gotta tell u this back sleeping is so hard for me!!! I'm a belly sleeper. I know I won't be sleeping on my belly for awhile.0 -
Good morning Warriors
Had my preop visit on Friday...Exchange and Fat grafting coming up on Wednesday...I asked my PS if the FG would fill in the upper pole and hide the pectoral animation. He replied that was his hope but probably no way to change the pectoral animation.
So my question is: is there anything I can do to lessen the animation? Should I try not to use my right side pectoral muscle from now on?
Hugs to all!
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There is no way to control pectoral animation - it will happen with everything you do - opening a jar, picking up a grocery bag, putting on your clothes, exercising, etc. FG will help soften the step-off so it will be less noticeable, particularly if you do FG at the time of exchange. I had it done a year afterward - my PS doesn't do it simultaneously with exchange, so could see the difference between not having it, and how it looked afterward. My PS put a significant amount of fat above the implant, it looked very natural when I am still but does not stop the noticeable movement of the implant under the muscle when I move. Part of how detectable this is also has to do with how thick your pectoral is (mine is exceedingly thin - part of the problem with my recon woes) and also how much tissue was left after mastectomy.
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Thank you SpecialK!!! Your posts have always been so helpful! Thank you for taking the time to help!!
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No problem and good luck! I will be having more FG myself - at least one more to my flat side in an effort to beef up the skin to accept an expander, and then likely more down the road to achieve symmetry with the other implant.
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bbbbun-
I'm having my exchange surgery and fat grafting done on Thursday. I'm not sure what pectoral animation is but when I lift my arms strait up the pectoralis muscles are so visable and look so strange. I pointed this out to my PS and he said that it was cording and said he will be able to break it up some but it may need to be manually broken up. I really hope I get good results from this surgery. I am so nervous! Good luck with your surgery on Wednesday. Let me know how it goes.
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Hi CaliRN
I too have "cording" which can be a precursor to lymphedema. Since it seems that PT is helpful I have massaged the area under my arm gently in the shower and with cocoa butter. Seems to smooth it out. My PS is suggesting PT specific to this problem after I am healed from FG and EX.The pectoral animation I feel is just as Special K noted. When I try to open a jar etc....evidently it really doesn't go away but hopefully the FG will make it not so noticeable.
Keep in touch as we travel this road together. Warm wishes to you...and me too!!!
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cali - animation is when you flex the pectoral muscle and it either pushes the implant up, or dents it in the middle. Things return to normal when the muscle flex stops. Some people see it with expanders as well. If you stand in front of the mirror and place your hands, palms together, at chest level and push hard you may be able to see it. It is more pronounced with implants because of their softness - they move more than TE.
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Thanks for the info girls!
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I had more pectoral expression prior to the fat grafting. Before the fat grafting if I squeezed my hand tight my breast would jump- freaked me out, my husband thought it was cool. It would almost fold over and ripple. It's much better now- of course it could be because swelling but.. Time will tell.0
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Mommy~ Thank you for a giggle today!!! Guess I need to get tassels
Hopefully the FG will make everything better! Starting to get a little apprehensive but my PS is wonderful and my precious daughter will be here soon...and my DH is the sweetest...... but I am sure he like me is ready to get the show on the road!!
Tassels and All! hee-hee
Hope you feeling better...sounds like it if you are off pain meds except Tylenol ! YAY!!
Don't let those Kindergarteners push you around too much with all the hugs they will want to give you upon your return!!
Gentle hugs and warm wishes to you!!
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Sisters-I posted this question on Exchange site but thought maybe you would know the answer for those who have had lipo done-Jan 2014 had BMX to direct implants. Lt failed-necrosis and infection-5 surgeries later-TE exchanged to implant on lt. PS did lipo under both arms on mudflaps and also did contour work. The lf side is great but the rt side has been a real problem ever since waking up. I expected it would be sore and bruised but not quite like this. There is an area about 4 in by 2 inches that is very hard and painful. Never quits. Use ice on swollen area-not breast. That surgery was 12 days ago, and I am still seeing new areas of bruising. Is this normal? Hurts to bra on - hurts to have it off-no relief! Definitely sensitive to any touch including fabric. Normal? Txs for help. char
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char - you could have a hematoma, a seroma, an infection - firmness can mean fluid - have you seen your PS? I did not have FG or lipo to any of those areas so can't compare, but possibly too long for it to be this uncomfortable for you. I would call your doc.
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Good morning ladies. I had my FG surgery on march 23, 2015 and I'm continuing to heal and feel better. I am planning to return back to my kindergarten class tomorrow. Overall I feel good. For whatever reason my main issue is when I'm up for to long I start to feel dizzy and nauseous. Could this possibly be the anesthesia still? I'm not taking any pain medication other than Tylenol occasionally. I was hoping to feel like myself by now. My ps suggested a week off work which would have been march 30. My pa suggested 2 weeks... Do u think going back tomorrow is reasonable? I had 300cc taken from my abdomen. At least that was what the plan was. I haven't spoken to my ps since right before the surgery and my follow up appt isn't until April 7. I have to say, my breast feel huge! I don't say that in a bad way just that wow they are very different than before the FG.0
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Mommy - can you call and speak to the nurse at your doctor's office? Sounds a bit odd that you are still not feeling back to normal re nausea and dizziness? Would hate for you to faint and hurt yourself once back at work, especially since you are in an active job with little ones.
I had fat grafting and nipple recon last Friday. Hoping and praying that the fat stays put. This is my second try at FG, as most of the fat from the first try re absorbed.
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Ridley thanks. Sorry you had to go through it again. How long in between were ur FG? Did the fat re absorb right away or over time?
I think the big reason I feel kinda wishy washy is because I have stuck in the house since the surgery. Other than going to my daughters spelling bee on Saturday, I've been laying around the house alone. My husbands back to work and I didn't have a car to get out and it's like 30 degrees outside so I've been laying around all day. It's odd to say but as I got dressed after my shower this morning I was like, huh, wonder what I'll look like in clothes...hoping that by being more active today I'll start to come around.0 -
Mommy - so I posted my message, then had a shower and changed the dressings for my new nips and then thought - I really don't feel that great!! Better now after lying down for a little while.
I had my first FG in October. It didn't reabsorb all at once - just seemed to go away over time - probably 3 months or so.
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Ya! That's the feeling I get! Like oh $&&( I'm not feeling so hot!!
Glad u feel better now. Good luck with ur next FG. How r the nips? There's a question u don't hear OR say everyday! Lol I've decided no nips. I'm either going to keep as is or do an artistic tattoo as a grand finale!! I don't have any tattoos and thought hey y not? It would look pretty.0 -
Mommy, just wanted to say good luck and hope you have a good transition back to work. Do you have a good teachers aide that could help if you need to sit if you become dizzy? Have you checked your b/p when this happens? Drink plenty of fluids too cuz I think you do lose fluids with Lipo. I am feeling a bit better now, but that first week back to work was rough.
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King ster,
Thanks. I have an aide for about an hour and a half. Hoping it goes well. I only have today and tomorrow, then were on break. If I'm miserable I won't go in tomorrow.0 -
hi ladies! Well I went back to work today. The teachers, principal and kids were excited to see me! It felt good😄 they were so cute. You have to understand I have one of the toughest classes in the building- yes they are kindergarten but one of my students was suspended earlier in the year for trying to choke another student😳! Anyways I tried to be careful with bending lifting etc. when I got home and took an inventory of my little incisions I noticed one of the steri strips were gone and a stitch was popping through!!! I was like wth?! Anyway I stuck a band aid on it and called my sister who's a nurse. She said it's probably ok just call the doctor tomorrow on break. Has this happened to anyone? I know when I had my exchange and bmx I trouble healing and my stitches popped and cause a hole where I could see the implant. I also noticed I had quite a bit more bruising on my abdomen. Should this happen a week after surgery?
Hope you are all well!
Beverly
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Glad you survived your 1st day back! I would definitely call about your stitch popping through your skin, esp since you had trouble healing before. I would imagine the abdominal bruising is normal, cuz it took 3 weeks for my bruising to resolve after one IV stick (and I still have a slight shadow). One of the reasons I am scared of fat grafting, cuz I bruise so easily. How is the dizzy and nausea? Take it easy with those wild little kids, lol😁
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mommy - glad you survived your first day. One more and you're on break!! I'm not sure what you mean by "stitch popping through". Do you mean you can feel the suture or it's opening? If it's opening, then definitely call your PS. I had IMF incisions with dissolvable stitches on the inside and outside with steristrips on top. Or at least they're supposed to dissolve in most patients. Although my skin was healed, my outside stitches were still there after a month and I just finally had the PS snip the ends off becasue the little knots would constantly get stuck on clothes. I sometimes felt what were the ends poking through the skin. By my third surgery I figured out if you massage them more as you're putting lotion on they dissolve faster. You're still too early to be massaging the scar but cudos to losing a steristrip. Mine were stuck to me like white on rice and by the third week I was peeling them off (that's a no no by the way), but by my third surgery I was pro at this. Call your PS just to check and remember you sitll need to take it easy.
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mommy - I still have some new bruising showing up at the donor sites, so I'm hoping its normal! Last time, I had much less fat grafted, and had minimal bruising,
I'm not sure if I have stitches for all donor sites. I had 5 steri strips and the two on my thighs have already fallen offl. I have had stitches that were supposed to be dissolvable not dissolve, and had a hole develop on my abdomen incision from my diep surgery. Took a numbers of weeks to heal, but eventually it did. Hopefully your incision is sufficiently healed that the stitch won't cause a problem.
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Well, I made it 12 days in compression (spanx). I had to fly on day 6 for an 8 day business trip so I did the best I could. It was just far too uncomfortable to wear them any longer. The bruises all around ( thighs, stomach and foob area ) do look better. Today is day 14.
Initially the rippling was gone but now it seems to be returning. Unfortunately.
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thanks ladies for your responses!! Ps said it should be fine watch for redness, drainage, odor, fever.... Yada yada! She said it should've dissoced. If it's still there on April 7 when I see her she'll cut it. Seems fine just didn't want to overlook it in case it could be an issue. See something say something, right?! Lol
I am officially on spring break! We actually surprised the kids (12, 10,8,5) with an overnight at the casino to kick off break. I just won $300!!! I'm happy.
I got to say after the fG I felt huge now not so much. Hoping it's just that the swelling went down and not that the fat graft didn't take. I guess most of my problem areas look better so I won't complain. Well good night and happy Easter my friends
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