Life Update | Breast Reduction News

As most of you all know, last summer (2020) I underwent a breast reduction. You can read all about why I chose to have this procedure in a previous post here, but in a nutshell, my objective was to remove as much breast tissue as possible to mathematically reduce my risk of developing breast cancer, or at the least, make early detection of any lumps much easier.

As I explained in my previous post, since the nipples are, shall we say ‘relocated’ during a typical breast reduction surgery, there is a limit to the amount of tissue that can be safely removed. The reason for this is they have to leave enough tissue behind to support blood flow to the nipples as they heal, otherwise there is a risk of them becoming necrotic.

I was extremely happy with my results following my surgery. My scars healed beautifully, my breasts honestly looked pretty freaking great, but having aesthetically perfect little boobs wasn’t my main objective.

After a good 6-7 months of healing, I consulted with my incredible surgeon again, Dr. Dennis Schimpf, founder of Sweetgrass Plastic Surgery, and we had initially discussed a minimally invasive option of going back in and removing additional tissue through liposuction, but upon a second consultation we ultimately decided to do a second reduction. The second reduction would only require a single incision under each breast, so from my understanding there is no risk of nipple necrosis.

At the end of my appointment, Dr. Schimpf asked if there was anything else he could help me with, and without much thought, I asked him if I was a good candidate for a lower eyelid lift. With all the mask wearing over the last year, it really made me hyper aware of my aging eyes and crepey under eye skin. He took a good look and manipulated the skin around my eyes, presumably to be sure there was enough excess skin to work with. He explained that while there are some non-invasive treatments that can be done to help tighten the skin, I likely wouldn’t be as satisfied with the results, compared to the results I could get from the surgical procedure known as blepharoplasty. He said we could do both my reduction and the lid surgery at the same time, and suggested we should do my upper lids as well, and I’m so glad he did. At that point I hadn’t quite realized how hooded my upper lids had become, because I was so fixated on my crepey under eye skin.

Dr. Schimpf asked if I had any questions or concerns about it, but honestly I didn’t have any. I trust his surgical skills implicitly, and knew I was in good hands. Then, I basically skipped out of the clinic excited about scheduling my surgery.

I was lucky enough to be able to take advantage of a cancelation, so I didn’t have to wait long at all and had both procedures done in February (2021) at the Sweetgrass Plastic Surgery center in Summerville. I had almost no anxiety leading up to this surgery. I didn’t have terrible anxiety prior to the last surgery either, but the anticipation leading up to my surgery date was a bit agonizing at times. I had none of that this time around, and frankly it felt a bit like I was visiting old friends again when I arrived at the clinic for surgery. It was almost more of a social event for me, with a nice big nap in the middle.

Everything went amazingly smooth. Dr. Schimpf always visits his patients prior to going into the operating suite to be sure everyone’s on the same page and confirm there has been no change in the client’s wishes. We talked about one of my lids being slightly droopier than the other, and he marked my eyelids up accordingly. I also showed him pics of some female athletes who had very flat chests to make sure he understood how small I was willing to go with my reduction. I recommend doing this with any surgeon, as words can leave so much up for interpretation. Descriptions such as “small C” or “full B cup” can mean something a little different for everyone. Whereas visual aides take out the guesswork.

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I am over the moon with my results from both procedures. I just wanted to post this little update for now for those of you who aren’t on instagram, but once I hit my six month post op mark I’ll be sharing my before/after photos, as my scars should be pretty much healed by then.

As far as my lids are concerned, I know it looks like it would hurt, but I swear I felt almost zero post-op pain. The only tenderness I felt was if I actually applied pressure to the bruised area around my eyes, not where the actual incisions were. Currently there’s only one teeny tiny spot on my one lower lid where you can slightly see evidence of an incision. It’s honestly incredible how well, and how fast the lids heal.

My breasts are tiny now, as you can see in the photo at the very top of this post, and it’s honestly such a great feeling. This all might sound odd to most women, but I had zero attachment to them before and wanted as much of them gone as possible. Now if I ever do develop a lump in the future, it will be very noticeable, and that’s a huge relief.

I’m obviously not a medical professional, but if you have questions about my experience, I am more than happy to share. That said, I always recommend doing your own research legwork, and speaking with a board certified plastic surgeon if you’re considering any plastic surgery procedures, so they can accurately address any questions or concerns you might have.

And of course, if you live in the Charleston area, I highly recommend scheduling a consult at Sweetgrass to discuss your options. They truly have such an amazing staff and top notch surgeons!