Well I finally had the liposuction and stem cell lipofill operation yesterday and wow is it sore! Perhaps naive of me but I hadn’t realised how much the lipsuction areas would hurt afterwards. And my breasts feel as though they’ve been pumped up - which they have - so they’re hurting as well.
But I now have a cleavage again at last, which I haven’t had for 2 years, and I’ve now got a waistline, which I haven’t had for 30 years!
Glad to hear all went well for you, and good news you can see the difference the op has made. I almost had no bruising after mine and the size difference to the reconstructed side after the three ops has been almost non existent. Very pleased for you, rest up and recover! xx
Glad it’s gone well. Hope all is versprung deutsch technik (ie excellent)as a specialist physician described my recon done by the same PS. Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts - rare in Glasgow! Hope you get to see a bit of this gorgeous city if you aren’t too painful.
Ouch! Sorry to hear it hurts - I have my consultation on Monday for lipofill and not looking forward to the bruising part of the procedure - but very encouraging that you can see a difference. Long may it last. Hope it all settles down and you are pleased with the results xx
Thanks all and good luck to Mary Grace for Monday.
It will be interesting to see how the two different types of lipofill behave over time - apparently I’ve had the Coleman technique conventional type on my non-BC breast and the stem cell enriched type on the BC side (yes I had to google Coleman technique as well!).
My breasts are now larger than they were two days ago, the surgeon says that this is because the skin is gradually stretching because of the fat that’s been injected. Strange to see them still growing a bit!
Tomorrow is when the dressings come off and I get to see the results for the first time. No doubt there will be spectacular bruising, but hopefully there will be spectacular breasts as well! They’ve continued swelling, it’s costing me a fortune buying various sizes of bra, and of course I have no idea what size they will finish up once there’s been some reabsorption - which I’ve been warned there will be, but not how much.
Wow, now there’s a concept! I am only having one injected so if that keeps on growing I still won’t end up with a matching pair! Though I dare say OH wouldn’t object too much if they end up larger…
So far as I know I am having conventional lipofill but it is interesting that you were advised to have stem cell enriched on the bc side. I will ask the questions on Monday and see what they say.
I think the reabsorption does vary by individual so here’s hoping that you gain a significant increase from the op.
Hope the bruising is settling down xx
My breasts have now reached the point that they both feel like rather large, under-ripe melons since they are big and rock hard with swelling and bruising. At least that should stop them bouncing if we have to go out in the car!
My abdomen where they took the fat from is also very swollen and bruised, and is likely to get worse for a week or two before it gets better. It’s not too bad most of the time, unless I have to bend over to reach something. Then it’s like having a large roll of fat, sore tissue being squashed between my torso and my thighs, which I suppose is roughly what’s happening.
One peculiar side effect that I hadn’t expected is that a lot of the discolouration due to bruising across my breasts and abdomen has drifted downwards with gravity, resulting in the most spectacular purple and swollen effect on top of my pubic bone. Apparently this is quite normal, but it’s yet another thing I wasn’t warned about and is quite alarming when first seen in the mirror!
Ouch!
Sounds horrible. Not looking forward to the bruised and battered phase but hopefully the “melons” will make it worth while once the bruising subsides xx
Well the “melons” are yellow at the moment, but hopefully will look a bit more appealing once they return to a natural colour and soften up a bit!
It’s turning out to be yet another voyage of discovery, although thank goodness not as traumatic as the actual BC surgery and treatment. But once again it’s the lack of info that I’m finding annoying.
I went to such effort to find out as much as poss before this latest surgery but couldn’t find a great deal. Now that I’ve got certain reactions, such as the purple swelling “down below”, I look it up and find that it’s quite common. Why can’t the medical professionals produce a booklet that explains what the procedure is and what the after-effects will be?
Another example is that I asked if I would be in pain for the first day or two and was told that I would be sore but not in pain. Utter rubbish! It hurt like hell for the first day or two and only reduced to “sore” over the following 2 or 3 days.
hi cheshire cheese, im glad your surgery went well and keeping everything crossed for brilliant results! as you know, i pm’d you about me trying to get the stem cell lipofill but couldnt find anybody in the south that would do it, well, ive just been informed that the ps surgeon is salisbury has just started doing it so im now waiting for a referral to come through - soooo excited!!! The thought of 2 boobs the same size without a big dent in one sounds fab!!
will be watching this thread with anticipation!
deed
x
Deed, I am in the south (Wiltshire), my Breast Surgeon did three procedures and the result really isn’t noticeable. I hope your surgery goes well! x
Hi deed
Great news that you’ve found someone reasonably local who can offer the stem cell version. It would be interesting to know if he trained with the lady I saw in Glasgow, she seems to be a leader for it in the UK.
As I’ve been posting on another thread here, I suspect the quality of outcome very much depends on the quality and experience of the surgeon doing the work. Tina46 has had every type of lipofill available, but with little net result, yet other people seem to have success with conventional lipofill even after rads, although it has taken several goes.
Only time and larger numbers of patients undergoing these procedures will tell which methods are the most successful. There was a two year pan-European trial of the stem cell version due to complete late last year, but I haven’t been able to find any reports on the conclusions from that. The annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is usually a good source of info so keep a look out for that.
There is a media clip in this link with info on the procedure from a UK surgeon.
bbc.co.uk/news/health-15034495
Ah a certain German PS some of us know! (Not had/having this procedure but she did my recon and I was very pleased with the result)
oh how i wished i lived up in glasgow so i could have a consultation with that wonderful surgeon - bit of a trek from Dorset though! 
Tina, would you mind if i asked where in the country you live?
I havent had rads so im hoping that might mean i will have more success. please keep us updated on how your feeling/looking/bruising etc
cheshire cheese.
deed
xx
Deed,
We have same surgeon & I have been offered it.
Sarah. Xx
Interesting how availability of the different types varies. Would you be tempted Sarahbev? I am pretty clear that I want the dent filled in even though I know it isn’t the highest priority. Still catch sight in the mirror and it is a bit of a reminder… mind you ask me when I am glorious technicolour bruises all over and it might seem less attractive as an idea! xx
Hi Mary grace
How did your consultation go - yesterday wasn’t it?
It would be really useful to hear feedback from anyone who has had the stem cell type lipofill some while ago. Are there any of you still out there on this forum, if so, please let us know how it turned out for you. I was in contact with Jo51PPP in Feb 2011 - are you still dipping in from time to time?
I suppose if all went well, they’ve probably moved on with their lives, so we’ll never know.