Any experienced with breast reduction/lift and no implants?

Hello,

I had a BL with slight reduction (along with abdominoplasty) in 2015. Went from 36 DD (low and floppy) to about a 32-34 D (depending on the bra) high and proud. Boobies are smaller and nipples are now where they belong but in 2 yrs there has been a tiny bit of drop in the lower part of the breasts. I did not have implants or extra fat injected. I didn't want implants because I didn't want to have to replace them in 10 years or whatever the suggested time frame is. Personal choice.

My surgeon said the slight drop expected as we age and skin naturally sags a bit. I've got fairly thin skin so have experienced post-surgical 'relaxing' of skin after all my surgeries. It was very crepe-like to start with. Still, I don't have to wear a bra if I don't want to (but I choose to most of the time). My nipples are super sensitive since the surgery so I have definite high beams a lot and that's not something I care to share with the outside world, hence the bra. Never even did it at 16 when I had awesome breasts. I can wear strapless dresses, tops and spghetti tank tops without issue now.

The recovery was really easy as I was more focused on the abdominoplasty/muscle tightening pain. Stll, I did take it very easy with arms/chest for at least a month. I have NO complaints at all.

thank you so much for your added information. i really don't want to have my arms done but the whole long breast thing is driving me nuts. also, i appreciate you including that the breast healing process was easy. it's so weird but having the fleur de lis tt and muscle repair was relatively painless (as i anticipated a rougher time and took 3 weeks off from work). i'm only planning for a week with the reduction. so wish i could do it tomorrow but i must wait until spring (i'll have my tt paid off at that time). he's also going to repair a slight dog ear on my left side and a poof in my mons.

joanne

I am similar age and I did not want to need breast surgery to replace the implant in 15 years. So, I told PS to do his best with the lift and fat transfer. He told me that he would prob need to do phase two the following summer. Sounded good to me. So, he sucked out my saddlebag on did fat transfer to my breasts. I was happy - they were perkier and even (mine were very asymetric before surgery and was more focused on them being the same size for once in my life than the actual size), so I was very happy with my even, perky, B- cup breasts. I was never very big, even when I weight 284 pounds. The next summer, he debulked my thighs and did more fat transfer - Whoo- Hoo!!! I have celevage now!! Prob a B++ or C- cup size. Very happy without implants. Some women would not be happy with a B to C cup size. I am rather petite, so this size it appropriate for me and clothes fit, although some a snug around breasts and big other places, so I would not want to have a bigger bust.

At your consult, ask what your PS can do without implants. They will see how much fat you have to transfer. One PS put both of his hands on my saddlebag and sqeezed at bit (did not hurt), to get a sense of how much I had left to suck out. To think that I lost to much weight and my saddlebags were too small made me laugh, but after grabbing the heft of my saddlebags, it was clear that I had plenty.

If you want D or DD cups, that may not be attainable with just the lift and fat transfer, but your PS will evaluate both routes for you.

Good luck.

PS I had a regular mamogram a year after the first sugery with no problems.

PPS - I rarely go braless - don't want these girls to sag. Ask PS about that so you are not disappointed.

i seemed to have missed your great reply. thank you so much. i'd truly be happy with no-bra a or b's. definitely not going to get implants. again, thank you for your reply!!!! :) (at work so must be brief . . .break almost over)

I like to avoid implants whenever possible, and with the proper techniques this can be accomplished. The gold standard is to do this without the "anchor" scar and instead use a more limited "lollipop" scar which is not only 50% less healing/scarring, but it preserves the breast fold which is an important structure.

Here's a few examples...

Breast Lift No Implant

http://www.obesityhelp.com/members/drl/photos/920792/#photoviewer

question doc . . . . should i ask my surgeon to avoid an anchor scar?

That is going to depend on your comfort level and his versatility. Some are not comfortable with the shorter scar technique.

The main shorter-scar techniques were described by the brilliant Madeleine LeJour and Elizabeth Hall-Findlay. Women inventing beautiful breast lift techniques with less scarring. Go figure !

Sometimes surgeons may be uncomfortable with long or deflated breasts. the LeJour is perfect operation for that, however !

Here's an example:

LeJour breast lift

I had just BL no implants. It was 8.5 years ago. Before WLSI ws 40-42DDD; when I lost all my excess weight, I was 36DD long. after BL- I ended up with 36 C-D. My PS formed my reminded breast tissue into a shape of breasts. They are not 100% identical- but I think I am the only one who can see that.

At the time of my BL surgery - I had very low body fat% so there was no fat to be removed. I was very happy with my results. I was 49 at the time of my BL. Once they healed - I was able to stop wearing bra if I did not want to wear one. Over the last 8 years- I had some regain - and my size changed from 36C-D to 36D- DD, or 38C. (depends on style and cut).

Over a year ago I finally lost all of my regain, and I am still very happy with my shape and my size. I am currently at my lowest weight, with a very low body fat % and I wear size 36C-D or 38B. I have a big rib cage frame (it is 37"), with almost no fat under my skin in the rib cage area. I still feel very comfortable with not wearing a bra if I don't want to. (I hate them and almost never wear them when at home). I wear bra to work and when going out and I want to be "decent". But I don't need the bra to lift or shape my breast. I now use soft, as comfortable as they can be - no wire bras. I use lightly padded bras when I need to make sure my nipples don't "show" through my top. Or I wear "nipple covers" or "breast pads" (silicone) when i go bra-less.

This was my first PS and one that I appreciate it the most.

FYI: 6 months after I had the BL I also had 360 body lift. Lats year I finally was ready for a face lift. I am very happy with all of the PS I had. I don't plan any more.

now reading your reply makes me want to get this show on the road as soon as possible . . . but we're also short-handed at work so there's the long wait until spring. thank you for your detailed comment. everyone has been so helpful

Hey there. I thought I may want implants and my surgeon convinced me to wait until after the lift healed because I may decide I don't want/need them.

I'm really glad I didn't get them because I like my breasts the way they are without implants. If you want to see any before/after photos you can click the blog link in my signature and use the password capella2014