[Paula O]

Thanks Roz123 and VBallMom for the very helpful input--much appreciated. I tend to like the tried and true with longer term results the best and am iffy about the whole thing anyway so I dunno. I imagine any reconstruction would also up my risk for lymphedema as they are doing invasive work in that chest quadrant. I'm very proactive and protective trying to avoid lympedema. Anybody here get lymphedema with their reconstructive surgery?

Yes, Ellie, liposuction is used and the fat is transferred from other areas and injected into the chest area. I spoke with the Plastic Surgeon's wife today. She said their facility has the only FDA approved storage banking system for your own fat so you aren't getting liposuction with "fresh fat" each time but some that you banked. Not sure if that's a good thing or not--she seems to think it is because of not so much repeated poking. I wonder how well fat stores without losing viability and why they are the only one with it. She has been a "guinea pig" getting multiple MRIs to assess results carefully. She said approx 80% of the fat they transfer is maintained and not reabsorbed. How does that compare to other method? I told her I would want to lose excess weight first so I don't have shrinkage later and she didn't think that was a good idea--more is better for the procedure she said but I have way more than enough I'm sure and I am not large chested.

The BRAVA machine itself($875 for two sides ) is not yet FDA approved and not covered by insurance. They also would be out of network for me.

I might possibly get a consult just to check it out but sure wouldn't want my breast to shrivel up like a raisin over time! Perhaps I'll leave well enough alone, I'm ambivilent really. My prosthesis is a great match under clothes and my husband is very loving and accepting as is. I had pretty much written off reconstruction until I talked with that breast surgeon from Brazil at dinner at the SABCS and he was extremely positive about it with nothing to gain from me.

Folks who had reconstruction--was it worth all you went through? Happy with your results? I've heard people here say that theirs felt like an elephant on their chest and I've met a couple ladies who had terrible poblems with infection and rejection--whew! It sounds like everybody has significant pain and recovery--is that so?

Paula