My Story - Tuberous Breast Surgery

[Akhmatova]

I got my surgery on the 30th of June. I am one of those people that completely freak out during a normal doctor's visit, so the idea of getting surgery was really making me spazzy and weird.

The night before, my husband and I had our 'last supper' as Papa John's barbecue chicken pizza, LOL. I was too nervous and jumpy to go out anywhere, so we did it up real fancy-like haha!

The day of, I remember acting jumpy all the way there, but only because I had to pee and was trying to hold it because you had to do a pee test before surgery but couldn't drink anything, so I was saving that pee like it was my job! My husband and I are the annoying sort of people who are perpetually early for EVERYTHING, so we got to my appointment at about 7:30am, when I had to get there at 8am for prep and the surgery was at 10am (I was the second surgery scheduled that day).

The nurse was really nice though and she got us in and got me into the gown very quickly while we waited for Dr. C to finish up his other surgery. She poked her head in a few times to apologize for the wait, but that "Dr. C. is a perfectionist ... but I suppose you want it that way" haha. And of course, yes! He can take all the time he needs to make sure things are perfect!

As a back-story, I have tuberous breasts. I had gone to another PS for a consultation previous to this one and that PS had told me that I "didn't need a lift" and it could "take up to a year" for my full results to be shown because of my "deformity" (he then made sure to say 'deformity' every chance he could, which I can't say I appreciated.) Also, he had only done tuberous breast surgery on THREE other women since his practice started and he never got back to me to show me the before and afters. I basically felt like he didn't give a crap about my business, so .... see ya!

My second consultation was with the lovely Dr. Cohen. IF THERE ARE ANY TUBEROUS GIRLS OUT THERE CURIOUS ABOUT THE SURGERY OR PS'S WHO WILL DO A GOOD JOB ---- PLEASEEEEEEEEEE PM ME!!! I can explain in detail WHY you need certain procedures and how wonderful Dr. C is!!!

I am currently only FIVE DAYS out and there is NO sign of tuberousness in my breasts any more. I couldn't be happier! It is like looking at someone else's beautiful breasts and feeling jealous and then realizing they are mine!!

Anyway, back to my story!! Once there, I got into my gown and the fabulous support-hose style socks lol (they stop blood clots) and basically just waited until my turn. I swear I was so scared that I felt like I would just pass out from fear and they wouldn't need anesthesia at all!!

Finally, the anesthesiologist came in. My husband passes out when he sees needles (literally .. it's not just a fear of them, he actually passes out), but he really tried to stay in the room for me while the IV was being put in. The anesthesiologist numbed my hand a little and then put in the IV. During this, my husband suddenly left the room. I found out later that he had to go into the bathroom, lay on the floor, and put his feet up on the wall so the blood could flow back into his head so he wouldn't pass out. LOL poor cutie!!

The first IV was just "food" the anesthesiologist told me, because I hadn't eaten or drank anything since the night before at midnight. Soon, Dr. C. came in and wrote some lines on my breasts in sharpie. He told me he may even have to do 100 cc difference in breasts because I have a very large protruding breastbone on the right. It seemed like everyone was more concerned with my poor pale-faced husband, though, than me! Haha, they kept asking him if he was going to be OK.

Next the anesthesiologist came in again and put some "happy" stuff in my IV. I immediately got loopy and turned to him and said "YOU'RE MY FAVORITE!!" and I remember thinking that my surgeon was a total McDreamy and the anesthesiologist is a "McSteamy" LOL!!! He took my hand and lead me into the OR and they told me to lay on the table. A lot of people say they remember none of this ... but I totally do. Though I wasn't afraid because I was so loopy.

I got on the table and they put a warm blanket on my feet and I was like, "THAT IS FREAKISHLY WARM!!" (I had like ... drunk talk going on LOL!!! I feel so embarrassed remembering this stuff) and they were all laughing. Then, I put my arms out and they strapped them down. This didn't even bother me ... whatever that stuff that was in my IV must be amazing because strapping me down is a scary thought!!

Then, they had me breathe in the anesthesia and the next thing I remember is waking up in the other room. The anesthesiologist was doing paperwork at a desk and the nurse was beside me asking me how I felt. All of a sudden, I felt like heaving, really badly so I screamed out "I'M GOING TO VOMIT!!" so she put some nausea medicine in my IV.

My husband came in shortly after and he apparently told me they "lost my nipple" hahahaha but I don't remember him saying that at all. They finally got me up and I pointed to the anesthesiologist and said, "THAT GUY IS THE BEST!!" and he laughed a lot.

It's odd because I know a lot of people remember NOTHING from a lot of their surgery and I do ... it's just like a hazy dream where I can see myself saying stupid things and slowly thinking 'hmmm I probably shouldn't be acting like this,' but not really caring.

The night after was VERY rough for me, I'm not going to lie. I am not sure if it is because Tuberous breast surgery involves a LOT more than a regular breast augmentation, but I would wake up in the night with horrible sharp pains up and down my body. Dr. C apparently called once, but I was fast asleep so he talked to my husband. I had a lot of nausea too, but thankfully did not throw up.

Each day gets a LOT better. Now, I still have trouble with heavy housework so I don't go there, but I can make dinner and move my arms over my head to put a shirt on. Each day, my husband and I take photos so we can see a progression (I'll try to post some).



Just so everyone knows what I had done: surgery lasted about 3 hours (was scheduled for 3.5, but husband says it lasted 3). He did a mastopexy (I still have the steristrips, though little to no bruising and it hasn't bled at all), scored the herniated tissue in the tuberous breasts and lastly of course, implants. I wanted to go to a D cup because I am tall (5'11'') and 150 pounds with broad shoulders and hips. I am still surprised by the size he chose for me because he is a VERY conservative surgeon. At the consultation, he talked about going 500-600ccs for me, though "he usually never goes that high). His eventual choice was that I have 575ccs in one breast and 625 ccs in the other. It sounds SO big, but they actually fit my body so amazingly well. Not too big, not too small ... they look like absolutely perfect Ds (though I haven't measured yet).




I was also frightened of my post-op appointment because I was in so much pain and I knew he was going to do the breast massages on me so I knew how to do them. However, he was so gentle, making sure he didn't hurt me and even wrote me another prescription "just in case" because he could tell I was hurting because he said he had "to do so much inside" (because of my tuberous breasts). I am working my way off all pills now and feeling pretty good and seem to be healing normally. I would recommend Dr. Cohen to ANYONE, especially anyone who has Tuberous breasts (because it's so hard to find someone who knows what they are doing with this specific deformity).

Anyway, thanks to everyone on this forum, too!! You really put my mind at ease about a lot of things before the surgery and it really helped!!! <3

[Akhmatova]

Oh and also, Dr. Cohen told me that my breasts should probably be completely healed in THREE MONTHS (which is comparable to a regular breast augmentation without tuberous) unlike the other PS that said ... A YEAR. Ugh. Make sure you find a PS who can get you great results in a normal amount of time, girls!!!

[CAINAZ]

So good to read your story! I was totally laughing out loud. It's crazy that you remember all that. I remember a lot more from my second surgery than the first. When I had my first surgery, I don't even remember walking into the OR. I don't even remember seeing it. One minute I was in the recliner in the pre-op room and then next I was in recovery. Dr. Cohen said I was very quiet the entire time.

This time around, I remember a lot more. I remember walking into the OR and lying down. I remember the nurse hooking up my leg massagers and covering me with warm blankets. I remember a lot of recovery, too. I wonder if I was quiet this time around, now that I know them all so well. They haven't told me any funny stories, so hopefully I didn't do anything too goofy.

Oh, and I totally refer to Dr. Cohen as McDreamy! He is so freakin' hot!

He so knows what he is doing. He's an amazing, gifted surgeon! He has the best bedside manner. So caring and compassionate.

He is absolutely THE BEST! I'll refer him 1000 times over. He is my surgeon for life!

Did you have Jonna(OR nurse) and Dr. Gunn(anesthesiologist)? I had Dr. Gunn and his IV insert was the best I've ever had. He put it in my arm, just below my wrist and it hardly bruised.

LOL at your DH and everyone being concerned about him!

[Akhmatova]

I can't, for the life of me, remember the nurses' name (not because she wasn't awesome, just because I was so nervous ... it was like those little details go out the window for me). I know I didn't have anesthesiologist Gunn because I remember reading something you wrote where you mentioned that name and this wasn't the guy. I can't remember his name either!! He was tall though ... had facial hair, blue eyes, brown hair, and young-ish like Cohen. I kept thinking it was like a McDreamy/McSteamy thing, seriously haha!! He was super nice though, as he said I had tiny veins and made sure to really look over everywhere on my arms so he didn't poke me more than was needed.

I can't wait to get my steri strips off!! (my next appointment is this Wednesday). So far they are already changing crazily fast ...each day are more and more soft, I'm actually really surprised because so many girls seem to have super hard boobs for months it seems ? My main problem (to me) is swelling between them. I think they will look tons better when that finally goes down, but they don't hurt too much at all anymore ... just an ache or a little more than that if I am messing around with them, lol like making my husband take pics of them while I push them together and giggle a lot hahahaha.

[Akhmatova]

Oh and as for your comment about "surgeon for life" my husband and I have already agreed that if we move someday, we will totally travel whatever amount of miles it is to go back to Dr. C if I want/need a change or have a problem. It was SO important to me that going in, I wasn't nervous about the outcome at ALL because I was so confident he would give me the most perfect that he could. I was only nervous that surgery is scary .... which I would have felt with anyone, so feeling confident that your surgeon is adept at his craft is something that REALLY cuts down on how nervous you end up.

[CAINAZ]

Was it Jonna? That's who I had.

I am so glad Dr. Cohen grew up in Scottsdale. I know he'll be here when I need him again, and if I were to ever move away, I'd travel back to see him! Only Cohen will do!

LOL! at McDreamy/McSteamy! I wonder if you SAID it! That is what I am afraid of when I go under, that I'll tell him how hot he is or something. LOL!

[Rosebud11]

I had Jonna for my nurse. But I had a woman anesthesiologist. And she did not give me any drugs until I walked myself into the operating room and hopped up on the operating table. Then she put the IV in right away....they said my arms would be strapped down but I don't remember because I fell asleep right away. I have no idea if they ever put a mask over my face. Weird how it was so different that you got drugs before going into the OR. I totally remember being so scared getting myself up on the operating table and thinking "what am I doing?" and ready to jump off and run away. LOL

[CAINAZ]

I think it's up to each anesthesiologist and their preferences. I'm glad I got my IV in before I got into the OR!

[Tonys Girl]

Awesome story!
I cracked up when I read about hubbs havng to go to the bathroom and put his legs up against the wall

I know what you mean about not being too spaced out; I remember a lot of stuff too from surgery!

I hope recovery's going well; you seem to be very happy with your results so far!

[AtoD]

Congrats! Thanks for your story! I hope you are healing well and also hope that I don't say crazy stuff for my breast augmentation in just 2 more days. I remember when I had surgery as a kid, my mom had the youth pastor from my church come by to see me and I was so goofy on the anesthesia, I told him to "SHUT UP!!". HAHAHA!

[Dieselgirl]

I am another tuberous girl (new to this forum) and i am curious about any tips that you had. The doctors that i have gone to so far reccomend the benelli lift and decreasing the size of the areola. When i said that i wanted them to look perfectly round, he said that my expectations were too high and that he would do what he could, but that he couldn't promise that he could make them perfect, which i was bummed about. What did your doctor do to make them look round? Was it the size? Help! haha

[Akhmatova]

Originally Posted by Dieselgirl

I am another tuberous girl (new to this forum) and i am curious about any tips that you had. The doctors that i have gone to so far reccomend the benelli lift and decreasing the size of the areola. When i said that i wanted them to look perfectly round, he said that my expectations were too high and that he would do what he could, but that he couldn't promise that he could make them perfect, which i was bummed about. What did your doctor do to make them look round? Was it the size? Help! haha

Mine are perfectly round. I had another PS tell me it was impossible too, so don't believe it. I believe it is the Benilli lift that should round them out. However there are different levels of tuberous breasts, so having a VERY severe version of the deformity maybe affects your results? My areolas were super puffy though and everything looks normal now, so I'm not sure. Just be SURE your PS has tons of experience with tuberous breast surgery. One of the PS's I went to had done a grand total of THREE of them LOL and of course I did not choose him (he also wasn't recommending ANY lift to round them out wtf!) Tuberous breast surgery is actually not that common for PS's. Women generally just live with it, I am assuming.

Anyway, good luck!

[tatariffic]

Thanks for sharing your story! I was laughing so much at all your "drunken anesthesia" comments, lol! I did the same thing at my C Section surgery 6 years ago! Hopefully I won't embarrass myself too much this time! Reading all these stories makes me a little less anxious about my upcoming breast augmentation! (20 DAYS! Yipes!).