Question
When I was speaking to the lady that schedules the sugery;s, she is that if the dr. did the surgery..... She said that their was alot of ifs to any patient before the decision is made. I thought I would be making this decision since i am paying for it.. Other than health reasons, could someone please tell me what these reasons could be.. I have also heard that a person that smokes is not a good candidate for surgery. I have smoked for 20 years. Should i tell them I dont smoke or does it matter? I really should quit..


Answer
I was given a lot of "if's" or I should say a lot of complications that can happen but the healthcare professionals have to give you all of that type of infrmation. I have heard that some ps docs won't do ba on a smoker and with that I would find one that will and just be aware that you are a higher risk but dont go to someone and lie as that could be worse for you and the ps relationship. I have smoked for 40 years (57yrs.old) and I was told to stop smoking or cut down prior and post op. There is sometimes a lack of oxygen and blood flow in smokers and therefore the healing can be slow or risky. I have had no problems so far and I am out 2 1/2 weeks po. I did post a SMOKING subject on here so you can read some of those responses also and hope that helps. I guess it is just being aware of what smoking can do but even non smokers have good and bad luck with the surgery and that is my outlook since I can't successfully quit smoking. Good luck on your decision and read the abundant amount of infor on this board. Miki is great and has many answers for all of us.
P


Answer
I was given a lot of "if's" or I should say a lot of complications that can happen but the healthcare professionals have to give you all of that type of infrmation. I have heard that some ps docs won't do ba on a smoker and with that I would find one that will and just be aware that you are a higher risk but dont go to someone and lie as that could be worse for you and the ps relationship. I have smoked for 40 years (57yrs.old) and I was told to stop smoking or cut down prior and post op. There is sometimes a lack of oxygen and blood flow in smokers and therefore the healing can be slow or risky. I have had no problems so far and I am out 2 1/2 weeks po. I did post a SMOKING subject on here so you can read some of those responses also and hope that helps. I guess it is just being aware of what smoking can do but even non smokers have good and bad luck with the surgery and that is my outlook since I can't successfully quit smoking. Good luck on your decision and read the abundant amount of infor on this board. Miki is great and has many answers for all of us.
P
Are you glad you got the surgery? Was it alot of pain? How soon could you drive? I am single with a 4 year old at home and planning on having this done on the 24th of this month.. my b/f wants me to come and stay with him following the surgery for 2 weeks but he is 3 hours away.. How soon could i drive there? Is the pain really bad? What does it look like when you get out of surgery? Sry for all the questions.. im very curious...


Answer
I am thrilled that I had the surgery. I am 57 yrs. old next week and 5'4", 108lbs. and size O-1. I felt fine after the surgery with very tolerable pain but I was given Demoral or Darvon and rather than wait for the pain, I took that every four hours for the first week. I would say the worst feeling was and is the tightness(almost like have a birth contraction that got stuck) There is some burning and stinging sensation. Really not that bad. I drove about the 12th day and the only thing is the pulling the door closed and opening the door. Anything that you do that uses the chest muscle, something as simple as wiping the counters in the kitchen or opening a pill bottle. My ps said to not reach out to the side or in front of me so that is difficult to try to do anything, like washing my hair, blow drying hair. Try now to do things by keeping your arms close to your side from the elbow to shoulder and see what you can and can't do. I had my surgery on 1-18-06. I went grocery shopping yesterday and litle discomfort pushing the groc. cart full around the store. I would definitely go and stay at your b/f and really get pampered for the first week or two. You can't lift for 6 weeks either so do all of your cleaning, shopping, etc. that you can prior to the surgery. Good Luck and hope this info helps. There is so much support on this site so take the time to read through and make a list of questions for your ps as there is a lot of different ideas here. Very supportive and Miki is very knowledgable on here also.
P


Answer
taygirl,
One needs to meet with the PS and go over what one thinks they want..and the Dr has to determine if that is doable. Size of implants, your skin elasticity, whether you need a lift or not, etc are all just SOME of the things you need to discuss with your Dr as well as the placement of the implants..over or under the muscle.
The smoking issue is a very REAl concern as it increases you risk of infection and also the risk for tissue death. For each cigarette you smoke your vessles to the heart constrict (narrow) thus slowing the flow of oxygenated blood to your body and this lasts around 6 minutes for EACH cigarette one smokes. It is also a very good reason why pregnant women should not smoke as they are depriving the baby of good oxygenation for each cigarette of up to a 6 minuter period until the effect of the cigarette leavse and then the FULL flow of oxygenated blood and to to all the necessary areas our bodies need. So when you have surgery,they have to cut to fix or add what needs doing. Cut tissues need excellent oxygenated blood to HEAL and REPAIR. If the blood flow is compromised for each cigarette one smokes PO then thsi is why one risks the tissue area dying due to lack of good blood flow to the healing area. And..the longer one is in surgery the higher the risk.
While this does not happen to all smokers it has happened enough to many so that the medical community HAD to acknowledge the significant risk to smokers.
The Dr usually has the patient stop a minimum of 2 weeks before surgery and 2 weeks after to help minimize this.
I smoked for many years too. Tried to wean myself several times with failure. Finally had to go cold turkey and have done well since and it has been 31 yrs since then.and cigarettes had a higher concentration of nicotine back then .
I realized that I would have t quit when I was pregnany some time down the road so why not just start earlier so it would not be such an issue? And..I was terribly humbled by the power smoking had over me when I realized I was willing, in desperation, to take a partially smoked cigarette in the tall cigarette cans they had outside my appt building and smoke it to "feed my need" .Was terribly humiliating to think what had the control and I determined then and there to REALLY stop. I could see in my head a video playing over and over of me coming out of the apt building and searching for a partial cigarette from who know who. So..I got my act together finally and quit.
HUgs,
Miki


Answer
taygirl,
One needs to meet with the PS and go over what one thinks they want..and the Dr has to determine if that is doable. Size of implants, your skin elasticity, whether you need a lift or not, etc are all just SOME of the things you need to discuss with your Dr as well as the placement of the implants..over or under the muscle.
The smoking issue is a very REAl concern as it increases you risk of infection and also the risk for tissue death. For each cigarette you smoke your vessles to the heart constrict (narrow) thus slowing the flow of oxygenated blood to your body and this lasts around 6 minutes for EACH cigarette one smokes. It is also a very good reason why pregnant women should not smoke as they are depriving the baby of good oxygenation for each cigarette of up to a 6 minuter period until the effect of the cigarette leavse and then the FULL flow of oxygenated blood and to to all the necessary areas our bodies need. So when you have surgery,they have to cut to fix or add what needs doing. Cut tissues need excellent oxygenated blood to HEAL and REPAIR. If the blood flow is compromised for each cigarette one smokes PO then thsi is why one risks the tissue area dying due to lack of good blood flow to the healing area. And..the longer one is in surgery the higher the risk.
While this does not happen to all smokers it has happened enough to many so that the medical community HAD to acknowledge the significant risk to smokers.
The Dr usually has the patient stop a minimum of 2 weeks before surgery and 2 weeks after to help minimize this.
I smoked for many years too. Tried to wean myself several times with failure. Finally had to go cold turkey and have done well since and it has been 31 yrs since then.and cigarettes had a higher concentration of nicotine back then .
I realized that I would have t quit when I was pregnany some time down the road so why not just start earlier so it would not be such an issue? And..I was terribly humbled by the power smoking had over me when I realized I was willing, in desperation, to take a partially smoked cigarette in the tall cigarette cans they had outside my appt building and smoke it to "feed my need" .Was terribly humiliating to think what had the control and I determined then and there to REALLY stop. I could see in my head a video playing over and over of me coming out of the apt building and searching for a partial cigarette from who know who. So..I got my act together finally and quit.
HUgs,
Miki
Miki, I was going to stay at my b/f's house after surgery but i will have to drive there. Its almost 3 hours away.. Is that possible? and if so, how so could i drive down there?


Answer
I drove on day 5 to my doctor's appointment and it was fine, I just went slowly and carefully. 3 hours is quite a long drive though - could someone else drive your there or your boyfriend pick you up?
About smoking, I definitely don't think it's something you should hide from you ps (not sure if you were considering this). Not disclosing something like this could lead to complications. It's for your own safety and health to be open with your ps.BA Jan 11/06
Mentor Smooth Round Saline partial unders
300 cc filled to 325 cc
32A to 32D


Answer
taygirl,
One needs to meet with the PS and go over what one thinks they want..and the Dr has to determine if that is doable. Size of implants, your skin elasticity, whether you need a lift or not, etc are all just SOME of the things you need to discuss with your Dr as well as the placement of the implants..over or under the muscle.
The smoking issue is a very REAl concern as it increases you risk of infection and also the risk for tissue death. For each cigarette you smoke your vessles to the heart constrict (narrow) thus slowing the flow of oxygenated blood to your body and this lasts around 6 minutes for EACH cigarette one smokes. It is also a very good reason why pregnant women should not smoke as they are depriving the baby of good oxygenation for each cigarette of up to a 6 minuter period until the effect of the cigarette leavse and then the FULL flow of oxygenated blood and to to all the necessary areas our bodies need. So when you have surgery,they have to cut to fix or add what needs doing. Cut tissues need excellent oxygenated blood to HEAL and REPAIR. If the blood flow is compromised for each cigarette one smokes PO then thsi is why one risks the tissue area dying due to lack of good blood flow to the healing area. And..the longer one is in surgery the higher the risk.
While this does not happen to all smokers it has happened enough to many so that the medical community HAD to acknowledge the significant risk to smokers.
The Dr usually has the patient stop a minimum of 2 weeks before surgery and 2 weeks after to help minimize this.
I smoked for many years too. Tried to wean myself several times with failure. Finally had to go cold turkey and have done well since and it has been 31 yrs since then.and cigarettes had a higher concentration of nicotine back then .
I realized that I would have t quit when I was pregnany some time down the road so why not just start earlier so it would not be such an issue? And..I was terribly humbled by the power smoking had over me when I realized I was willing, in desperation, to take a partially smoked cigarette in the tall cigarette cans they had outside my appt building and smoke it to "feed my need" .Was terribly humiliating to think what had the control and I determined then and there to REALLY stop. I could see in my head a video playing over and over of me coming out of the apt building and searching for a partial cigarette from who know who. So..I got my act together finally and quit.
HUgs,
Miki
Miki, I was going to stay at my b/f's house after surgery but i will have to drive there. Its almost 3 hours away.. Is that possible? and if so, how so could i drive down there?
You'll not feel able to drive 3 hrs within a 2 week period. A short distance is not the same as driving 3 hours and might not be safe to do so.
Train or plane or a friend to get you there
Miki


Answer
taygirl,
One needs to meet with the PS and go over what one thinks they want..and the Dr has to determine if that is doable. Size of implants, your skin elasticity, whether you need a lift or not, etc are all just SOME of the things you need to discuss with your Dr as well as the placement of the implants..over or under the muscle.
The smoking issue is a very REAl concern as it increases you risk of infection and also the risk for tissue death. For each cigarette you smoke your vessles to the heart constrict (narrow) thus slowing the flow of oxygenated blood to your body and this lasts around 6 minutes for EACH cigarette one smokes. It is also a very good reason why pregnant women should not smoke as they are depriving the baby of good oxygenation for each cigarette of up to a 6 minuter period until the effect of the cigarette leavse and then the FULL flow of oxygenated blood and to to all the necessary areas our bodies need. So when you have surgery,they have to cut to fix or add what needs doing. Cut tissues need excellent oxygenated blood to HEAL and REPAIR. If the blood flow is compromised for each cigarette one smokes PO then thsi is why one risks the tissue area dying due to lack of good blood flow to the healing area. And..the longer one is in surgery the higher the risk.
While this does not happen to all smokers it has happened enough to many so that the medical community HAD to acknowledge the significant risk to smokers.
The Dr usually has the patient stop a minimum of 2 weeks before surgery and 2 weeks after to help minimize this.
I smoked for many years too. Tried to wean myself several times with failure. Finally had to go cold turkey and have done well since and it has been 31 yrs since then.and cigarettes had a higher concentration of nicotine back then .
I realized that I would have t quit when I was pregnany some time down the road so why not just start earlier so it would not be such an issue? And..I was terribly humbled by the power smoking had over me when I realized I was willing, in desperation, to take a partially smoked cigarette in the tall cigarette cans they had outside my appt building and smoke it to "feed my need" .Was terribly humiliating to think what had the control and I determined then and there to REALLY stop. I could see in my head a video playing over and over of me coming out of the apt building and searching for a partial cigarette from who know who. So..I got my act together finally and quit.
HUgs,
Miki
Miki, I was going to stay at my b/f's house after surgery but i will have to drive there. Its almost 3 hours away.. Is that possible? and if so, how so could i drive down there?
You'll not feel able to drive 3 hrs within a 2 week period. A short distance is not the same as driving 3 hours and might not be safe to do so.
Train or plane or a friend to get you there
Miki
Thanks MIKI!!!!