I just wanted to share my recent breast augmentation experience so that anyone wondering what it was like can see what I went through, and please feel free to ask any questions you might have!
I had three separate consultations with three different doctors before I chose one that I felt comfortable with. I heard everything from cant be done in a one step procedure, too big, you don't have enough tissue etc. until my consultation with Dr. Hueng who promised he could deliver what I wanted and exceeded my expectations. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO FIND A DOCTOR THAT CAN SAY YES TO THE RESULTS YOU WANT AND MOST OF ALL HAS "A LOT OF EXPERIENCE" WITH TRANSGENDER FEMALES!
I will make this brief.
I am 5' 8" and 180lbs and 50 yrs. old.
I had practically no useful female breast tissue because I had to stop estrogen due to a DVT and can no longer ever take it without a high risk for another DVT, so my chest looked AND FELT male prior to the procedure.
On 7/22/2017 I had my 650 cc sub muscular cohesive silicone implants done. It took around 45 minutes. I had general anesthesia. Upon waking up I had very severe pain that felt like a mixture of a burning sensation, pressure and soreness all put together and yes it was bad enough to make me cry FOR HOURS. Even with NORCO pain meds, the pain was nearly unbearable and it took every ounce of concentration just to keep from screaming. This went on for the first 24-36 hours. After 36 hours I was able to start moving my arms a little (very little). The pain began to slowly go away over the next couple of days, but would come back very strong if I stopped moving for a while, such as when lying down and then trying to get back up after hours of immobility. The surgery was Saturday, today is Tuesday. Today I can actually reach my anus, in the event I need to use the bathroom, but thankfully I've been constipated with the meds and haven't had to yet. It would have been impossible to wipe on my own!
I am very happy with the preliminary results. My bandages come off tomorrow. They ended up much larger than I had anticipated and I am happy that I didn't choose a two step procedure costing more than twice with another doctor. As far as I can tell, they are symmetrical, the nipples are in the right place and have full sensation (maybe even more than before) and they feel right! So if you're wondering if you can go from flat and tight to nice female looking breast, the answer is yes! I am so happy! It will take some time for the implants to settle into place and for the skin and muscles to stretch, but as of right now the pain and discomfort are almost non existent and quite bearable, which is great, considering less than 4 full days have gone by.
My advice to anyone looking to get sub muscular implants is to be prepared for VERY BAD pain and to have someone with you that can assist you 24/7 for the first 3-4 days. I couldn't have done it without my wife's help ;) The pain was so bad I couldn't even open a bottle of medicine!
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to ask me, we're all here to help each other out!
Who is Dr. Hueng? Do you have a link or a location?
I'm happy that you got the result you were looking for despite a very tough recovery. Most surgeons are reluctant to augment a woman's breasts by more than two cup sizes unless her skin has better than average elasticity. If the skin reaches its stretch limit, the implant can be distorted, or even worse, the dermis can tear leaving permanent stretch marks. The excruciating pain you experienced was most likely due to damage to the pectoral muscles. I'm not convinced that one has to go to a surgeon who has lots of experience with trans women. I think it more important to select a surgeon who is able and willing to choose the product and insertion method that will result in an optimal outcome for you. My experience is that too many surgeons who specialize in transgender surgery push their preferred methods on all their patients, often with less than optimal results.
Very happy to hear you got what you wanted. I can't wait to hear how the unveiling goes tomorrow! Thanks for sharing!
Just an update. It has now been 12 days since my breast augmentation. I am now able to massage them without significant pain, although there is some discomfort in some areas. The stitches have closed nicely and I haven't had any bleeding from the incisions for a few days. Prior to that, there would be slight bleeding after massaging them because I was instructed to push with force, thus increasing the pressure. I am still limited to lifting no more than 5 lbs. for the next few weeks or so. I used to look forward to going to bed, but I am a side sleeper and have had to sleep on my back since the surgery and also with my head raised higher than usual. Not my ideal sleeping position. Last night was the first night that I was able to sleep on my side while being able to tolerate the remaining pain. Both breasts look even, as well as the nipples. The areolas have become larger (about twice the diameter) and the diameter and erection of the nipples remain exactly the same as prior to surgery, those did not change, which is awesome because mine were always large and erect and looked feminine. I was afraid that with the stretching of the skin it would cause them to change, but that wasn't the case!
I am still wearing a wide elastic band across my chest, positioned above the nipples to help the breasts drop lower into the pocket. So far I am very happy and hope that anyone out there about to get implants ends up happy as well.
Hi Ejo, thanks for the info!
Thanks for sharing your experience.. Although it was several months ago, I am able to continue to prepare myself for my upcoming surgery. I am afraid of the post op pain, but it hurt sometimes to be beautiful. So I am ready to endure what I have to.
I am wondering why the need for someone experienced with trans women. I am leaning toward it being more important the the surgeon specializes in breast surgery. The old phrase, "Jack of all trades, master of none." comes to mind. I think I want someone who does it day in and day out.
Moni
Quote from: HappyMoni on October 27, 2017, 04:49:16 PM
I am wondering why the need for someone experienced with trans women.
I would guess that rib cage size could be a consideration, as well as muscle mass. A generic BA surgeon without experience with trans patients might not have enough experience with those proportions.
Don't know; just a guess.
Hi, Ejo. I had mine done about ten weeks ago with no problems. I went with 800cc silicone over the muscle, and I had hardly any pain (just a bit of discomfort); I did not even open the bottle of Percocet. They are settling in very nicely, and I have my three-month checkup in a couple of weeks.
One aspect that I believe helped tremendously with the pain is that I have been on Lyrica for quite some time (pinched nerve from multiple herniated discs). My doctor did say that probably helped quite a bit, so if anyone is considering BA, talk to your surgeon and ask if he or she will prescribe Lyrica for a couple weeks before and after.
Hope this helps.
M
Ejo, I am happy you had a great result.
I had 555 silicone implants partially under the muscle in July, 2017. I think I should have gone larger but then they would have to have been 100% over the muscle.
For woman with no pocket it has to be made. An experienced surgeon that does that type of work is needed. Also, we tend to have wider chests and can have issues of space between the breast.
Ms Marlo. I'm happy to see all went well. The lack of pain is most likely because they didn't go under the muscle. When they go under the muscle they have to forcibly pull, separate and stretch your muscles from your chest, thus the pain...
I bet you're happy! Congratulations!
Yes, 800 cc under the muscle would have been painful, you should look much better too with the large size by going over.
I'm 48 hours post op.
I'm 5'7" I had a small A cup pre surgery wanted to be a C
under the muscle
approx 350cc (The doctor was going to sit me up in surgery to see if they looked good.) I'll find out the final size tomorrow.
I can totally understand the pain you experienced. Mine was/is pretty bad but you got 2.5x bigger than I did. WOW!
The hardest part for me is sitting up. Laying flat is NOT AN OPTION. I Agree that 24hr support for the first few days is very important if you are sub muscle. You can't do anything at all for about 24 hours with your arms. If I didn't have help I would still be lying in bed unable to get up. Very scary.
Racket ball anyone? lol I'm happy it went well. Thank you for posting. I look for anything related to how the boob surgery goes, so I hope you continue to update.
Moni
I think this thread has scared a lot of girls and I therefore would like to give you my experience as it was completely different.
My surgery was in mid Sep 2017 (7ish weeks ago) and I got 485cc under the muscle. Yes, there was some discomfort, especially in the first 24 hours but I wouldn't call it severe pain. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest and I recommend to have someone with you for the first day or two. I went out for dinner with my friend who looked after me the day after surgery and we even ended up shopping after dinner.
I took only two half's of those evil oxicodone pills on day 1 and 2 and then switched to ibuprufen after that. It wasn't perfect but I was too afraid of those pills.
After about 5 days, I was completely pain free.
I know everybody's experience and pain-tolerance is different but I wanted to give you a more positive review of how a breast augmentation can go.
I'm very happy with the results and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
-Jessica
What's wrong with oxicodone? I've not tried those yet.
Girlfriend, I am ecstatic! They are close to full settling and feel great. I am attending a doctoral dissertation seminar this weekend, and the sisters even got me an upgrade from a sub-compact economy car to a full size 2018 Nissan pickup; all it took was a little flirting (and jiggling); smoke 'em if ya got 'em, right? lol
I'm 6 weeks post BA with simultaneous FFS. Of the two, FFS is far more painful. I went with 520cc until the muscle. I awoke with tightness which has gradually dissipated over the course of a month. I am still wearing tight sports bras for the most part. Like some others, I also had a bit of pain in the nipple area, I assume from stretch of tissue and nerves. It gets better, but isn't gone at 6 weeks.
Because of my FFS, I can't be sure, but I think I would have been fine with ice and ibuprofen for just the augmentation alone.