This is long overdue and for that I am sorry, I thought I had already written a post explaining what was going to happen with my second surgery but turned out I hadn't. I apologise.
My last post said I was on the waiting list to have my implants exchanged and that I was waiting to see the surgeon for him to size me up for round implants.
I went to the sizing appointment and after speaking to the man himself (previously I had spoken to his registrars) we decided that it would be better to keep my current teardrop implants and to do lipo-modelling.
Lipo-modelling involves removing fat from elsewhere in the body (liposuction!) and using this fat tissue to smooth out the area around the implants, giving a more natural shape and feel. No big incisions are made, its all done with big needles and you are left with just a few 5mm cuts that heal very quickly.
This surgery still involves a general anaesthetic but it somehow felt like a less drastic surgery than removing the implants all together and swapping them. It is done as day surgery (no hospital overnight stay needed) but I was warned by the breast nurse that it is very painful and some women do stay overnight to manage the pain.
I had the surgery done during my summer holiday. Just like the nipple reconstruction I had to starve from the night before then turn up to the day case ward first thing in the morning. I had all the swabs again, a needle put in my hand and my surgeon came and drew where he would take the fat from (bum, hips and thighs) and where on my breasts he would put it.
I went down to surgery, they put me to sleep and I believe the surgery took about an hour and a half. I woke up fine but with uncontrollable shivering, they got me a few blankets and this soon stopped. When back on the ward the nurse did some obs for a while, made me drink water and didn't let me have a biscuit! I had to wait about an hour before I was allowed a piece of plain toast and a cup of tea and then I finally got a biscuit (after the lady opposite me had eaten about 5!). After I had eaten Sean was allowed to come and pick me up and I went home to bed.
I was just on normal painkillers (paracetamol/ ibuprofen/ aspirin) but it was sore. My boobs didn't hurt too much but my bum, thighs and hips were very painful. I had the biggest bruises ever all over the top of my bum and down my sides from belly button level to mid thigh, these stayed for at least two weeks. The pain was the type you would expect associated with a big bruise, a constant sting and a very sharp pain when pressure was put over the area. This made it difficult to sleep as the areas affected included my back, sides and front so there was no comfy position to lie in.
I have made it sound awful but really it was fine. I don't want to downplay the pain as that would be unfair to people who might be considering this surgery, I want them to be prepared for it. But really it is just pain and pain is manageable, I could have taken stronger painkillers and this would have sorted it but they make me sick and for me that is worse. The good thing was there was none of the fatigue that the first surgery brought, I didn't need any down time and nobody had to do anything for me. I had to stop running for a couple of weeks as the jolting made it painful but I was straight back to it after that and my fitness hadn't reduced.
The worst thing about the surgery is that my trousers don't fit any more! I suppose being a dress size smaller isn't really something to complain about and some people actually pay for liposuction so I should stop moaning...but I can't afford new jeans!
I think this surgery was the right choice, if I had swapped my implants for round ones I would most likely have required lipo-modelling anyway as the round implants have harsh edges and often require lipo-modelling to make them look mo
My boobs look and feel much better and despite the pain I would do the surgery again if I needed.
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