Breast Reconstruction Surgery - Ask a Surgeon

I am not sure where you heard that you have to wait till you are in your 20's. If you have disproportionately large breasts and have symptoms consistent with those produced by macromastia then you are probably a candidate for breast reduction surgery. When someone is as young as you are I think it is not only important to understand the typical potential risks of complications but to also understand some of the potential life long side effects that you will be incurring. There will most likely always be scarring on your breasts and you may lose sensation to many areas on your breasts, including the nipples. Additionally, I think it is important to note that you may be likely to have problems breast feeding in the future, once you decide to have children. One of my other concerns about operating on someone your age is making sure that the patient is emotionally mature enough to go through the procedure and deal with the healing process as well as potential complications. If all of those things check out and you are still motivated to go forward then you should have it done.

There are always options for you to consider after having a visit with a board certified plastic surgeon (not a trainee) and making sure your surgeon you choose acknowledges what your goals and expectations are. Photos would help discern how 'botched' your procedure was and also help us understand better what your concerns may be.

Correction of this problem depends on the severity of your deformity. Most board certified should be able to improve your breasts and make them more symmetrical. Your scars, however, may be more difficult to correct, as would the shape of your nipples. If possible retrieve your operative report from the hospital or doctor and bring it to your consultation. Best wishes to you.

Sorry that you are unhappy with your results. There are different things that can be done to revise reductions. Finding someone in your area that is an ASAPS member assures that you will be with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Hopefully they can present options to you. All of us hope to have patients that are happy with their results. There are times that the outcome is disappointing even in the best of hands. You are basically asking someone to redo someone else's work. Personally, if I see a patient who uses the word "botched" it is an immediate turn off to me. Best of Luck!

The problem with radiation injury to the skin and muscle is its permanent and can be progressive. Adding fat, which you have already done will help in softening the breast skin and soft tissue but, does not eliminate the radiation injury. Placing an implant, no matter what shape or form, most likely will result in capsular contracture and may accentuate the asymmetry. In cases where the skin is noticeably affected by radiation bringing healthy skin and muscle to the breast from a non irradiated areas gives the bestsellers long term results and an implant can be more safely added.
You may want to consider and Latissimus flap since you already had a tummy tuck.

I agree with Dr. Whitfield on the benefits of 3D planning in these cases. Assessment of the skin excess you have on the unaffected side is key. The more you fat graft the unaffected breast the harder you are making it to match with the radiated breast. Some scar release, Rigotomies, SAFE lipo techniques with exploded Becker style cannulas, simultaneous separation and tumescence (SST) as well as expansion vibration lipofilling (EVL) techniques can optimize fat grafting as well as even out irregularities in the fat donor sites. A small implant may help, but complications like infection or capsular contracture may be a higher risk due to the radiation.