Fat Grafting, pros and cons
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hey dmarie
How did it go ? Mine was today too. I didn't get the cleavage I hoped for, still scar tissue causing problems. But it looks better and I'm one step closer. PM me if you want.
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I have FG coming up in September, and y'all are making me nervous! I'm expecting pain, but maybe it'll be worse than I expect? Eeeek!
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Yes, I think the pain IS worse than you expect. It did for me. There are things you can do to help yourself (like a firm abdominal compression garment made for that purpose rather than Spanx), but the first week is really tough. The second week is a little better. I still had pain in one of the donor places 2 months later. Lipo is pretty brutal. Look for it on YouTube and you'll see. If you only have 100 cc's removed (which equals 3.3 ounces), it's not too bad but still hurts quite a bit in the donor areas. Personally, I had 1,000 cc's grafted so my pain might have been a great deal worse and you shouldn't assume you will feel the same way. Also, I am allergic to all pain meds except Tylenol (no morphine, pain pump, Norco...nothing - I've flat lined 4 times in my life because of the deadly allergy) so I basically have to do surgeries/recoveries with nothing but a smile. Consequently, my perception of pain might be worse than yours cause you can take drugs. I have a HUGE pain tolerance and am pretty good at ignoring pain, but I found the 6 donor areas across my abdomen to be really painful (to the point where I was shouting out) whenever I stood up. It doesn't hurt if you are sitting quietly. It may hurt worse if you have a lot of bruising, which I didn't because my doc used the tumescent method. (Highly recommend finding a doc who does this rather than standard lipo. Look it up on Google and you will see the difference.) In a previous surgery I had some regular lipo (maybe 50-60 cc's) on a leftover "mudflap" and the bruising was as big as a dinner plate that took several months to finally resolve completely. Tumescent method lipo was night and day different in my experience.
The areas where the grafts were placed across my chest didn't really bruise. A few of the spots had a small amount of discoloration but it was quarter sized & yellowish, never bruised. Most of the graft spots didn't have any discoloration. They were all tender to the touch but I was told to leave them alone - no pressing, massaging. No massaging on donor areas either...which was a good thing 'cause it hurt enough as it was.
It's surgery and surgery hurts. If you're prepared, it's not so bad. You'll get over it in a couple of weeks. You can do it.
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Thanks, Sandra. Part of me thinks maybe I should just skip this one. It's not like it's as necessary as the BMX! Still, I'm not happy with things as they are, and what's a few months of recovery as compared to (hopefully!) many years of living with this body?
thanks! We can all do it.
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it is worse than I expected. I was black and blue for three weeks. It's not the worst pain, but it's was all over. I did come out with better shaped thighs.
Like everything in this ridiculous process it's a trade off. I love the fact that my chest and underarm is no longer mangled looking.
Not sure I'd do it a second time.
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The pain meds do help, right?? I do not object to taking them if needed. I figure if I have to wear a binder for 6 weeks and no bra I might as well lay on the couch and be loopy....lol. Having FG done as part of revision end of August and already freaking out. Not sure what method is planned as I don't have a lot of fat anyway. I'll have to ask about that when I go in for presurgical. Why do PS only tell you there will be slight discomfort??
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Pain meds made me tired, so I didn't take many, but of course they help. It passes and the more carefully you move the better you are. I wore compression garmet for three weeks. It actually made it more comfortable.
I wore a bra right after each one.
Don't worry, you will look great!
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I have had 3 fat grafting sessions at this point and will have another one in Sept.
I had a very manageable amount of pain each time. I have had fat taken from upper abdomen, left hip, under the arm, and my sides. The next area will be the back. Some sessions I wore compression and some I did not.
My first session quite a bit of fat was transferred to rebuild a half lost flap to a C cup. Since then I only had small amounts moved each time.
On average I only took pain pills for 2 to 3 days. I guess I got very lucky or maybe I have a higher tolerance for pain than others.
I hope you experience minimum pain
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I had fat grafting from my thighs last week. I am bruised down to just above my knee, and still feel stiff and sore. As said by others, it's ok when I'm just sitting quietly but standing up and moving around is still painful. The bruising is starting to change colour from blue and purple to that strange greenie yellow shade so I guess that is a sign of it healing. I believe I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but did rely on pain relief for the first 4-5 days
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I can't figure out the pain thing. I've had fat grafting done twice -- first time the donor site was my upper abdomen and the second time my thighs and love handles. I was really lucky re: pain and didn't need pain meds for either. I had the same experience with my other surgeries. Then I had a uterine biopsy and found that to be the most painful thing I experienced throughout this whole ordeal -- and lots of women say that procedure isn't that bad! Oh -- and a little lump removed from my tongue -- that too was more painful than any of my surgeries. Go figure
At the end of the day, I'm glad i did it -- had most of it reabsorb the first time and less than 50% reabsorb the second time. I'm not totally symmetrical, but I think its good enough.
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You just never know, do you? I've had 6 surgeries. I always figure it's gonna hurt like a "sumbitch" and get myself prepared with tons of knowledge and the answer to 100 of my questions. Knowing what I'm likely to experience makes it so much easier for me. It's when something happens I don't expect that I don't do well. It scares me and I start to experience profound anxiety. I'd much rather be prepared to ALL possibilities, do what I can to help myself, and then relax and go into it with peace of mind.
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thank you all for responding. U all have managed to get thru it n I'm sure I will too (not that there's another option anyway). I don't know why a surgery that's the least invasive of all my prior procedures has me so freaked out but I'm certainly preparing myself anyway. Got arnica forte (quite pricey by the way), snap crotch spanx in case don't like binder, vitamin c,protein shakes n.coconut water to keep well hydrated n I'm still a month away. U think I'm going overboard in my prep?😕
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mjh1, prepare as much as you want to, I think it all helps practically and psychologically, to feel like we are ready to take 'it' on! You sound very organized and I'm sure you will cope,as you obviously have already done so in the past. My top tip, if I had to have one, is be kind to yourself and don't push yourself to have to be back to that dreaded word (in my book) normal, before you are really ready.
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I'm scheduled for Sept 11th (and the scheduler said, "Now, don't freak out about the date. It'll be ok."), and I started worrying this week. This will be surgery #4 for me, and every single time the waiting has been the worst part! I also like to arm myself with as much knowledge and preparation as possible. My PS and his assistants have been pretty accurate when describing how much pain each surgery would result in, and he said that FG generally requires narcotics for the first couple of days and leaves you at least sore for a couple of weeks. I'm having it done on a Friday, and I'm hoping to sleep through the weekend and hope that's the worst pain!
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Mj,
You can never be too prepared! ;-)
I had pretty bad discomfort for the first 5 days, then turned a corner. I'm now a 9 days out from my procedure and my stomach (donor site) doesn't hurt any longer. However, my PS was barely able to get any fat, so I'm not sure whether that made my recovery better or worse. The binder also helps - I've worn a medical grade binder, which is more bulky, but definitely more confining than my Spanx. I also didn't like the pressure from putting on my Spanx. Arnica helps! I've been taking it and rubbing the gel on my belly...it helps.
You will be fine - you're prepared and ready mentally! The most uncomfortable part is getting up and down...once you're up or down, the pain is mild, so if you're planning on hanging on the couch, you'll recover nicely ;-)
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Badgergirl, I'm sorry you PS didn't get much fat--do you think it was enough to do what you wanted?
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Elizabeth -
Don't be sorry ;-) It's definitely not the worse thing that could have happened, so I'm okay with it! And I have to admit, after two kids, it was sort of nice for my ego to hear that the PS couldn't get enough fat, ha! Not good for my boobs though!
Quite honestly, I have no idea if it will be enough to give me the look I wanted, but as of right now, everything looks fantastic. I have anatomicals, which helps on the upper pole a little bit, but if the fat is re-absorbed, I'm not sure how it will end up looking. I guess time will tell.
B
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Badgergirl, I've posted this story several times, so you may have already seen it. I've got pretty bad rippling (plus other assorted dips and divots), and I was talking to my PS about FG. He didn't think I had enough fat to make it worthwhile--apparently my belly is largely skin (I've also had two kids!). I told him that I bet I did have enough fat. He said, "show me." So I stood up and starting pulling off my clothes to show off my pudgy thighs. He admired them and pronounced that I did indeed have enough fat. I was proud of myself...for a minute! : )
I have a pre-surgery appointment next week, but when we talked before my PS was planning to use my belly as well as my thighs. He said that I had some fat, and he's trying to scrape as much off me as possible. It's so weird when they poke around at your fat making calculations of how many CCs they can get. The whole reconstruction thing is pretty surreal!
I sure hope you stay looking fantastic!!
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Elizabeth -
I had not seen your story...I'm sorry that you have rippling, dips, divots, etc. Boo! But the way you tell it did make me laugh ;-)
It is weird when someone examines your body looking for enough fat! And reconstruction is amazing - fat grafting is relatively new, so I can't imagine what they'll have in place in just a few years. I don't know if it is because it is not regulated as heavily, but this area of plastics does seem to be very innovative and growing quickly.
I hope you have a fabulous experience and the PS is able to get as much fat as he needs to get you the look you want. I'll be thinking about you! Please update me/the boards after your surgery!
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Aw, thanks, Badger! You're a sweetie!
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I think you should get one of these from Amazon if your hospital doesn't provide it. They are made by Dale and are hospital grade. They provide the proper compression that Spanx never could. I woke up from surgery in it. My hospital gave me a second one so I could wash one/wear one. Doc had me in it 24/7 for 6 weeks, except for showers of course. You get tired of it and think you'll go without, but within an hour or so you realize what a difference it makes to your comfort level. There are different sizes. This one is only $19.99. Since some of my donor sites were above the naval and some were below, I wore it up high under the breasts. I got a wider one that would cover everything down as low as you see in the photo. Mine was about 12". Amazon sells all the sizes.
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Hi everyone! I am scheduled for FG in October. How long is the typical recovery time? Will one week be enough? Donor site planned is upper abdomen. I work 10-12 hour shifts with very little sitting down time.
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Hi Kingster! I am scheduled for Sept 11th, and I planned to take one week off. I hope that's enough! PS plans to use both my belly and inner/outer thighs, so I will be a mess all over. No answers to your question now, but I can tell you in about a month. : )
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Kingster - I have had fat grafting twice. I would recommend two weeks recovery. Especially if you work long shifts on your feet. The thing that is the most uncomfortable is the donor site. Also there is swelling involved. I am happy I did it.
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Thanks Elizabeth and Julie. You guys give me courage. I really need to stop watching videos of these surgeries...they scare the crap out of me! I will ask my doc for 2 weeks. I am a nurse in the recovery room, and it is usually running all day long. I will apply for fmla then. I will do that next month. All the paperwork involved is a pain, but I don't want to feel pressured in going back to work in pain. Any other helpful hints for recovery? Did it really help the appearance? I think mine look better as time goes on, but my incision pulling in on the left side bothers me the most, since you can see it through clothes, even with a sports bra on.
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One week is NOT enough. Even at two weeks the donor sites will still be quite painful. Much depends on the kind of lipo they do to extract the fat and how much the doctor plans on taking. The grafted areas on your chest will not show a big difference with 100-200 cc's that many people report they had done. Likewise, you will not see a difference in the donor area with that amount. If you are having a particular "dent" filled in, you will see a difference for sure. It will look nice and plump! Some will be swelling but once that goes down, you can see how much of the fat grafting worked. Some will be reabsorbed but you should be able to keep about 80%. If the fat is placed over a larger area it won't be as obvious unless you have a lot placed.
If you have the tumescent method of fat retrieval like I did, you will have less pain and not much bruising but most of the women here report their doctors used the basic lipo method. Most report quite a lot of bruising in the donor area. Ask your surgeon ahead of time so you can be prepared. I had regular lipo on a couple hundred cc "mud flap" and it was very sore and badly bruised for a long, long time. Months later I had the tumescent method with the fat grafting surgery all across my chest and left side with little if any bruising. The pain from the donor sites was more than I expected but 1,000 cc's of fat was taken so I should have been prepared for a lot more pain with that surgery than the first one.
I would not have been able to go back to work after two weeks, much less one. If you have a sedentary job you could go back at two weeks, but moving around is what hurts so a job where you are on your feet would not be possible in my opinion.
Get a good hospital grade abdominal binder. Look at my last post from a few days ago. There is a photo and link to Dale binders which are available on Amazon. It makes a big difference in your recovery.
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Thanks Sandra. I will definitely file for fmla and file for short term disability then, as I did with all the other surgeries. It's just a pain in the bum because my doc charges for each form that needs filled out, so it adds up. I have a tough time handling pain, and I work 10-12 hour shifts in a very busy area. Thanks for the advice. My doc did say that he uses the luminescent Lipo. He injects 2 liters of fluid with epi, lidocaine, and bicarb. Then he uses the revolve system to process the fat. Then comes the fun part of sticking into the chest. I sure hope it sticks, because no matter how many crunches I do, it doesn't want to leave, lol. I am prepared with an abdominal binder, although the surgeon said that compression was not necessary. I don't want to develop hard fat necrosis lumps. Everyone seems to think fat grafting made a difference and was glad they had the courage to have it done.
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My PS told me to take a week off work. Surgery is scheduled for 9/11. I had a pre-surgery exam scheduled for last Tuesday, and I figured I'd ask the PS's PA about time off and recovery and compression garments, etc.--the practical details that I might not get from the PS. Sadly, when I went to the exam, the PA apologized profusely and said that they accidentally scheduled the pre-surgery exam too far away from the surgery. It must be no more than 30 days. That day was 31 days. Sigh. I'm now rescheduled for the pre-surgery exam on 9/8--which is too close to the surgery to buy compression garments and anything else I might need. The PS said they send you home in a compression garment, and I told him that surely you need more than one so you can wear one while washing the other. (Also, the post-surgery bras they sent me home with were all size medium, when they should have been small. I asked about that, and they didn't have any size small!)
I think I've talked myself into emailing the PA about my questions! If I need more than one week off work, I'd better find out about that soon!
In case it matters, my PS said he would have to do "aggressive" lipo to get enough fat to fix my rippling. He plans to use my belly and inner and outer thighs. He said it will end up looking like a cosmetic lipo (and require the significant recovery/pain/etc) because it will take that to get enough fat. It will be tumescent.
I wish there was a way to make sure the fat stayed where it was placed! It will be so disappointing if it all gets reabsorbed. Then my choice is to live with ripples or exchange implants and cover them with alloderm.
Kingster, I'll tell you how mine goes!
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And another thing to worry about for those of us who obsess about things: when you gain weight after lipo, the fat can come back in different locations. Ut oh. At least now my fat is in the places women usually have fat. The worst outcome could be not only failed fat grafting (i.e., the fat is reabsorbed) but also weight gain in strange locations later. Even if I'm relatively thin (hence the ripples), my body will still want some fat deposits. And I'm 45, so menopause is just around the corner. Fat elbows perhaps? Hmmmm.
I wish I could quit overthinking this!
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My experience is that if the fat comes back, it comes right back to where they removed it, not someplace strange. My SIL had cosmetic lipo to the abdomen and hers returned to the abdomen even without a significant weight gain. I have had FG three times - for different reasons, I have not had problems with reabsorption. I have found that the more fat they take, the more pain, the level of aggressiveness does not necessarily correlate to more pain if less fat is removed. Tumescent also does not mean there will be no bruising. I have had tumescent each time but last time was with a new PS and had significant bruising even though I had less fat removed than with previous procedures. In my first procedure I had four times as much fat removed, had tumescent, and very little bruising that resolved in a week - but a lot more pain. If you are having thighs done you will need more than a binder - you will need a bike shorts type of compression along with abdominal compression. If you need to purchase a binder amazon sells them and you can opt for expedited shipping. I could not use the binder type of compression because I have a small and short waist - the binder kept riding up and chafing the breast area. I did better with super tight Spanx. I will say that removing compression, to shower or use the bathroom or switch to a clean garment, is painful as you pull it over your skin - and getting up and down hurts, but the generally sitting/laying/walking is pretty comfortable. I am not sure that with multiple harvest sites over a broad expanse of area that a week off is enough.
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