Hello Ladies
My surgeon has asked me if I’d like reconstruction using my own body fat, which sounds great though liposuction sounds a little scary. I only know one person who has had this new procedure but would like to know if anyone else has had it to get a balenced idea. If you did, are you happy with it & how long did it take to recover?? In two minds at the moment!
Hugs Ro
Hi Rosie
Are you sure he means liposuction and not a tram or diep flap that uses the fat, skin and (sometimes) muscle from your tummy?
Dx
Hi Rosie - are you having a mastectomy or WLE? reason for asking is sometimes with WLE they do gap filling (or dent filling) with lipo - but I have not heard of lipo being used for a whole boob, although that may be a new procedure?
Ruby.x
Hello ladies
It is only Liposuction, they are not taking any muscle or other tissue…It’s a very new procedure. They take the body fat put it into a machine to separate the fat from the fat stem cells, then inject it into the breast. They do this all at the same time. I had a lumpectomy 2 years ago and was left with half a breast, most of my skin is tight to my chest wall & my surgeon says it’s a really rather good way to reconstruct!! I don’t think many people have had it done yet then…Begining to think I may be a guinea pig!
Thank you for your replies, big hugs to you both xxx
def a new one on me. Sounds interesting. Let us know how you get on.
Good luck.
Sure will!! I will let you know all the details…Waiting on an all clear first so may be in a few months!! xx
Hi Ro
I had a mastectomy a year ago and have an appointment to discuss reconstruction next month. I’ve been sent a booklet with a description of all possible procedures with - as you say - the latest being lipo-filling.
I fully intend to ask my surgeon if it may be possible for me, because I’m very flat chested. I have decided that I don’t want a procedure that compromises another part of my body too much. It was suggested I might want the muscle from my back flipped round but I really don’t!!
Where is your fat coming from, if you don’t mind me asking? I don’t have anything spare on my tummy but I wouldn’t mind losing a bit of thigh 
Sorry I can’t give you any info, just someone to compare notes with. xxx Jane
Hi Rosie Jo
I’m going tomorrow to get a date for my op and I think it’s the same op as you are writing about.
I am having a stem cell procedure whereby they take fat from another part of your body and transfer it to the breast area done in a similar way to liposuction. I am slim so have been told due to the way my mastectomy was carried out there is not enough flesh to house the new cells so I am having skin grafted from my back and relocated to the breast and in the same op cells removed from possibly my thights and put into the breast. After the initial op, I will have about 3-4 minor ops to get more cells into the breast. Over approx 12 months they should grow and fill out to create a breast.
I will probs have to have the ‘good’ side reduced as I’m a D cup and don’t think they’ll get that much fat from me to create a matching pair!!
Is this what you are thinking about?
There was a thread on this subject a while ago - I’m interested in it myself because I think I may need this kind of treatment in the next year or so. I’ll see if I can find the thread and bump it up for you. I think there are only 4 or 5 hospitals in the UK that can do this type of lipofill.
Sarah x
HI Rosie Jo
Just been back for my appointment today with ps. I am having skin, muscle and tissue taken from my back as in LD flap as I don’t have the excess skin anywhere near mx site, this will ‘fill up’ the void left by mx, during this op they will transfer fat from inner thighs and pump up the hollow breast. I will be left for about 6 months then will have between 3-4 fat injections from thighs bum wherever there is more of it.
As I’m a D cup good side, the reconstruction might not get to that cup size so it will be a reduction on the good side once the size has been established.
Big op to begin with but no implants required.
Hope this is of help to you.
Jude
Hello Ladies
I’m in the middle of reconstruction using this method. Have had two lots of fat transfered to my masectomy area and also had an expander put in with the second lot last week. Still feeling sore and the op took nearly two hours so that amount of anaesthetic knocked me for six.
I’m seeing the surgeon this Friday so I’m hoping he’ll be pleased. Apparantly the first lot of fat (180mls to be precise!) he moved stayed in place which is a good sign. And luckily I don’t have very large breasts and have plenty of fat - I knew all that chocolate was going to a good cause!
XX
Thanks for this thread as I was looking for others you have been through this. I had a double mastectomy in Jan with expander implants. One of the implants has shifted so the chest muscle is all out of kilter and so have been recommended fat transfer. I was an A cup but am looking to be a B cup by the end of this. My surgeon appears to be one of the few offering this for mastectomy patients so was struggling to find more info.
He hasn’t mentioned the stem fat to me, but I’m guessing that’s what I’m getting as it’s being described as a new treatment. Good to hear that there are some success stories out there. I’m also interested in hearing how the fat harvest site looks afterwards (I put on a stone whilst not being able to run during my treatment so I absolutely see this as a bonus to remove the fat I gained as a direct result of getting cancer).
Keep your stories and experiences coming. And I’m now going to find out if I need to get compression underwear as that hasn’t been talked about either.
/
Hello again all!
I’ve been for my first app for fluid injection to my expander (50mls in addition to the 100mls put in on insertion) and the nurse said it all looks very good and soft. So far none of the fat inserted has dissipated which can happen. The places from which fat has been removed from are slightly slacker in tone but my surgeon says this is to be expected. And I can have a tummy tuck when the whole process finished if needed. So fingers crossed things continue to go well.
All the best to everyone.
Sabraan
Hi all,
I was really interested to read this thread as I’ve started down this route now, having had an initial appointment on Weds to discuss this with the plastic surgeon, although where I am there is a huge waiting list. I will have to wait 6 months anyway, having only just finished radiotherapy - my skin is really tight so that’s fine with me. I like the idea of no scars and minimal invasiveness but a little worried about saggy flesh after fat has been removed, which I gather is a possibility and cannot be reversed through exercise or diet. However, it’s useful to know that a tummy tuck might be possible afterwards - did your surgeon say that to you, Sabraan? One thing I forgot to ask was what the implications for work are. Does anyone know what sort of time off is needed after each part of the process? I’m a teacher so I’m trying to give my headteacher some indication of what cover might be needed. Would love to hear from anyone on this point.
Thanks for all the useful posts so far.
Fliss x
hi there
after having 25 trips for raido therpy i asked about reconstruction but as i didnt have any spare fat they said no way, after 4years of cancer hell and i mean hell, a bcn said why dont i ask the sergon again but by the time i saw him i have now got breast cancer on my chest wall.
my sergon also said that he did not expect to see me walk out of the hospital after 3BIG opps in 3months and 5 BIG opps in 10 months altogether
im realy sorry about my spelling i hate not being able to spell
HI,I’m due to see a p.surgeon on Monday to discuss options for reconstruction, I’m too thin for the tummy job, and may be able to have the flap one. Wondered if anyone has actually had the lipo remodelling? Thanks for useful info I now have more ideas about what to ask. Anyone with any experience of lipo-remodelling please share them.
Cheers Karen
Hi all - just a quick update from me as It’s now a few days after my first fat transfer op. I also had my expander implants removed so I’ve gone from very high rock hard B cup implants to being almost flat chested which is a bit of a shock so for anyone looking to do this then be prepared that it is very much a multi-stage process.
My fat was taken from my thighs so they are very sore and bruised now. I cannot tell yet how they will look as they are swollen and they were pumped full of fluid during the op. My breasts have some fat at the bottom of them but are otherwise very flat. As I understand it, only a little at s time can added so that the fat doesn’t die. At the moment I cannot wear a bra and that will be the case for a couple of weeks. After that I’ll need to get some softies until the next op (surgeon is saying about four months between ops).
The op was 2hours so after the 8 hour bilateral mastectomy it was a complete breeze. I did stay overnight as I was doing this privately but often this is a day case when done on the NHS.
So initial thoughts are that this isn’t the quick answer but assuming this fat stays in place it will be the right solution for me - I’m 39 so intend to be around for a while yet! I expect I may need some sort of implant to get the volume but we can decide that later.
Good luck to everyone else with their reconstruction.
Hi, My dil’s Aunt is very slim so couldn’t have the tummy one! but she has just had a reconstruction taken from her thigh!
Sandra
Hello again ladies!
I’ve had my first saline injection and have got about half a breast recon now. Can’t wear my prosthesis as it makes my half breast look too big. Yes my surgeon has offered me a tummy tuck after he’s finished the lipo. Apparantly I have atleast two more ops to go and the fat he’s moved from my tummy and behind has stayed put which is great.
Good luck to all of you going through this procedure.
XX