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BRAVA Patients FAQ
- What is the BRAVA device?
- How does BRAVA work?
- How long does a patient have to wear the BRAVA before and after the procedure?
- How much does the BRAVA system cost?
- Is The BRAVA device used to expand the already expanded skin?
- If a patient already has stretched skin on their breasts with little to no fat tissue, is there a chance the BRAVA breast may not be necessary?
- How long does the BRAVA process take from start to finish?
- What is the recovery time for this procedure?
- Does it make a difference if I have had children and breast-fed them both? I have stretched out saggy breasts. As far as the amount of time I would need to wear the BRAVA device, what can you tell me?
- Do I need to wear BRAVA to the office or can I carry it in a bag and put it on there? I'm planning on wearing it most of the time that day but would like to take a short break to take the taxi over to the office. The wide, extra large domes are huge and I can't go in public like this.
- Can I leave the timing of surgery open ended?
- One of the possible risks mentioned is scarring at the puncture wound sites. What can I do to prevent that? Is there a prescription or over the counter cream to use?
BRAVA is a soft, gel-like external breast tissue expander. You wear it like a bra, at night when you sleep, to gently expand the breast area. You can find out more on the BRAVA page of our site.
BRAVA applies gentle, sustained tension on your breasts, which causes cells to replicate and produce new breast tissue. Not only does it expand the skin from the inside, it also has the effect of regenerating a breast through the expansion of tissues and nerves while keeping blood flow. This does two important things:
1.It creates an adequate matrix into which fat is later injected through liposuction.
2.It allows the patient to keep sensation in her breasts and nipples.
Fat is then removed from one area of the patient's body and meticulously injected back as hundreds of tiny individual droplets at the breast site that has been enlarged by the BRAVA expansion.
How long does a patient have to wear the BRAVA before and after the procedure?
It varies depending on the patient. Usually about 3-5 weeks of usage prior to fat grafting is recommended. You are in control of how large you end up and how long you wear the BRAVA. The more you were the BRAVA the more your breasts will expand, the larger the breast augmentation we can give you.
How much does the BRAVA system cost?
Cost of the BRAVA System varies depending if the BRAVA needs to be customized in case of different sized breasts. Reduced prices are available if patient schedules for fat transfer surgery. For more details on pricing please call 305-365-5595.
Is the BRAVA device used to expand the already expanded skin?
No, BRAVA does not stretch further the already stretched out skin. BRAVA will expand the deflated breasts to create a recipient lattice or scaffold which will allow us to disperse a larger amount of fat grafts and get a much better augmentation.
If a patient already has stretched skin on their breasts with little to no fat tissue, is there a chance the BRAVA may not be necessary?
Compared to the tight breasts, the stretched out breasts will expand much better and faster with BRAVA, thus allowing you to get a better final result. But even if your skin is previously stretched, you still do not have the internal structure/space that will allow us to successfully graft the large volume of fat required for your augmentation.
How long does the BRAVA process take from start to finish?
The day you come to see Dr. Khouri you can have your MRi done. You will then need to order the BRAVA system. The BRAVA system is worn for 3-5 weeks before the procedure. During that time you will use the BRAVA for about 10-12 hours a day or while you sleep. You will also need to send Dr. Khouri photos every week of your breasts to see how you're doing in terms of expansion. On the final week or wear you will be required to wear the BRAVA non-stop (only taking it off to shower). Your procedure will take place on a Saturday so we ask our patients to come into Miami on Thursday night. Dr. Khouri will see you on Friday where he will prepare you for the Saturday procedure. On Saturday you will need to go to the surgical facility wearing the BRAVA system and you must not take it off until Dr. Khouri takes it off of you on the surgical table. You will need to come with someone to help you after surgery or hire a private duty nurse. You will be seen in post op the following Tuesday and be ready to fly back Tuesday evening or Wednesday.
What is the recovery time for this procedure?
Recovery time is 4-5 days. After that the soreness will almost all be gone. We have patients that have their procedure done on Saturday and they are back to work on Tuesday.
Does it make a difference if I have had children and breast-fed them both? I have stretched out saggy breasts. As far as the amount of time I would need to wear the BRAVA device, what can you tell me?
Unless Dr. Khouri tells you otherwise during your office visit, most women wear it between 3-5 weeks before the procedure and for about 3 months after.
Do I need to wear BRAVA to the office or can I carry it in a bag and put it on there? I'm planning on wearing it most of the time that day but would like to take a short break to take the taxi over to the office. The wide, extra large domes are huge and I can't go in public like this.
On Friday when he sees you ... you need to have them on. Wear them until you need to get into the taxi. Take them off right before then put them on immediately upon arriving at our office. On Saturday you need to wear it non-stop from the night before. Dr. Khouri will take it off himself on the procedure table.
Dr. Khouri expressed a number of times that the ultimate outcome of the fat transfer process lies in the hands of the patient; those willing (and able) to put in as many hours as possible, for as long a period as possible, would reap a far better return on their investment. That being the case, can I leave the timing of surgery 'open ended' until I have given the BRAVA system sufficient time to maximize expansion and growth.
If you have started using the hand pump more than a couple squeezes when the pump vibrates you should stop that until you decide when you will go in for the surgery. Using BRAVA to obtain some permanent growth requires a different wear protocol than using BRAVA as a precursor for surgery We had guided you to start BRAVA in the non-surgical traditional manner, sport box only and you could use the hand pump just to get a quicker seal. However, you need to know that if you have been doing any cycling repetitions or pumping up with the hand pump to extreme levels, yes, you will see greater swelling but you may also see greater levels of sagging in the end if you don't do the lipo filling surgery.
Dr Khouri always says that the ultimate outcome of the fat transfer process lies in the hands of the patient; what he is referring to is using BRAVA's correct protocol for the correct procedure and the intense wear and pressure is only for the Surgical route: the fat transfer. Certainly even for the Non-Surgical routine, the more you wear BRAVA, the better result you may achieve but that does NOT include increased pressure. Non Surgical protocol is low pressure over extended periods of time and it all depends on their circumstances as to how much permanent "gain" they may achieve.
One of the possible risks mentioned is scarring at the puncture wound sites. What can I do to prevent that? Is there a prescription or over the counter cream to use?
Dr. Khouri will have to tell you about the creams. The puncture wounds are done by very thin cannulas and it usually isn't an issue.
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