steroid injection's purpose lipo - Dr. Schaeffer

[Pendulous]

Well this is my first post here. At age 36, I weighed in at 270 two months ago. I now weigh 242 and dropping. I had huge pendulous breasts for many years that I had grown to tolerate, despite hating them passionately ever since I was a teenager. I have lost weight, even gotten down to 165, and never got rid of the boobs.   :-/ Let's just say I had given up.

I elected for lipo only surgery after consulting with a doctor in  San Diego (Dr. Schaeffer - New Image). He uses an ultrasonic device in his lipo and insists that he can do the gyne surgery without excision, after having done many such operations over the many years he has done this procedure. He claimed that he can get great results without the scaring. He had the photos to prove it. It cost more, but I am hoping it works out. I will eventually post pre and post pics.

I am now in the recovery stage since I had the surgery nearly 2 months ago. I am active and on the south beach diet. After the surgery I continued to push my weight lower , and with the surgery and weight loss, I went from pendulous to about in between an 'A and a B cup'. One boob is a little bigger and the doctor gave me many 'steroid' injections in the larger boob. At nearly two months, I am not thrilled with the results, but then again considering how big they were, it is a HUGE improvement. I think a lot of the 'boobs' I see now are loose skin really. But I don't know. I am worried. I will post and tell you if UAL lipo only works as well. If it does, I would recommend it then and ONLY then.

He claims he took over 1 liter of PURE fat from each and a little more than that from the right one. Still, they are far from flat now.

Nonetheless,  I'd like to know if anyone can please comment on the effects, if any, of these injections, and their possible side effects? Do they even work?

Pendulous in San Diego.  

[uk2000]

when u say u recieved a steriod injection, was it the injection to help get rid of extra fat without having to do more manual liposuction.  as there is a injection out called lipodissolve whic claims to get rid of fat without having to do lipo,  is that what u had?

[Pendulous]

No, after the first weeks, they injected my stomach area where there were hard lumps (got lipo there too since if I was gonna do this,might as well get it done right heh). The scar lumps diminished, as was the case in the love handle area (which was also done 2 days after my boob/stomach job). When I went back, the Dr stated that one boob had to 'catch up to' the other boob. Since the left one was getting close to flat, and the other one protruded a bit, he injected 5 vials of a solution he described as a steroid into the right breast.

I am not sure of the purpose of the steroids. Research on line seems to indicate that it shrinks scar tissue. But I wonder if it's a temporary effect. Hmmm.

Can anyone please comment on after lipo steroid injections into 'problem areas' ? Hazards, if any? Permanence of the steroids' effect? Anyone?

[YoungDoctor]

He was my physician as well and I received the steroid  injections.  In general I would not recommend Dr. Schafer.  After you pay for the surgery, he has little interest in you as a patient following surgery.  I believe staff tried to lengthen time between steroid injections as much as possible in order to avoid having to see patients (as they do not receive any money for follow-up care), which forces one to live with the protrusion for an unneccessary amount of time after surgery.  

The steroid injections basically break up any fibinous tissue that accumulates under the nipple  as a result of the inflammation following liposculpture.  I continue to have some mild protrusion following my surgery with Dr. Schafer and although it is much improved compared to where I started, I have a hard time understanding a plastic surgeon who is not a absolute perfectionist.  All plastic surgeons are interested in making a profit as it is a business with significant overhead; however, I believe this is Dr. Schafer's only concern and that her is so burt out on medicine that underneath it all he cares little  for his patients.  

I must also add that Dr. Schafer is an Ear Nose and Throat surgeron who started doing cosmetics.  I must tell you that when looking for a plastic surgeon, one must look for someone  who has completed a residency in plastic and  reconstructive surgery and a diplomat of the american board of plastic and reconstructive surgery.  Many ENT doctors are boarded in "cosmetic and reconstructive surgery," which is basically a meaningless certification that one pays for and displays to fool the general public which has no concept that there is a difference between that and a board certificatin in plastic and reconstructive surgery.  

[turfpro]

Schafer was my Dr and I received 2 injections on the right side only. It was used for some left over hard lumps are scar tissue, not sure what they were. One was the size a marble, and the other longer and flatter hard area. Both hard spots went away within a week after the injections and there isnt any noticable hard areas left. The niddle was so small, I didnt even feel one of the injections.

[tonysoprano]

how long after your op did you get said injections turfpro ?

[turfpro]

3 weeks.  I went for a 1 week check up and then 3 week. They wanted me come in again, but its a 5 hour drive, so I havent gone back.

[removethese]

Are any of you guys still around?

What's with these injections?  Did they cause any "dents" in your chest?  I guess the steroids shrink tissues, and they could possibly cause your nipple to invert.

Did the injections help any?