Fessler tells PEOPLE the details of all the breast-related plastic surgeries she's had over the years — and why she hopes this last one will be it
Credit: Gary Gershoff/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Bravo star and podcast host Jennifer Fessler recently got her fifth breast-related cosmetic surgery
- She tells PEOPLE that when she was younger, she was “ashamed” of how her breasts looked
- After four previous surgeries that didn’t get her the look she wanted, she turned to plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Stein
Bravo star Jennifer Fessler has always had a complicated relationship with her breasts.
The reality TV star, 57, who appeared in seasons 13 and 14 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, got her first breast-related plastic surgery in her mid-20s because she was "ashamed" of her tubular breasts growing up.
Tubular breasts are elongated rather than rounded and generally occur when breast tissue doesn't develop normally during puberty, per the Cleveland Clinic. Sometimes tubular breasts will have nipples that are pointing down, but as the Cleveland Clinic states, there is nothing inherently harmful about this breast shape.
For Fessler, though, her breasts were a "source of embarrassment," she tells PEOPLE exclusively.
Credit: Jesse Grant/Getty
For her first procedure, she says a doctor convinced her to get implants rather than a lift, thus leaving her with larger tubular breasts and not fixing any of what she was uncomfortable with. This is why a few years later, she sought out another surgeon for procedure number two.
This time, she got a lift, but she says of her areolas and nipples, "It looked as if somebody had chewed up bubble gum. That's the only way I can think of to describe it and stuck it on my breast."
Fessler waited about 10 more years — and after she had her two children, Zachary and Rachel with husband Jeff Fessler — to get a mommy makeover. She opted for a tummy tuck and another breast augmentation. She says her breasts were "finally better" and her nipples were "a little better," but ultimately, they still weren't what she really wanted. However, she was starting to regain some of her confidence.
Fast-forward another few years, and Fessler decided to take out her implants. However, in doing so, one of her breasts lost its fold underneath, which made it hard for Fessler to keep bras or swimsuits on her chest. They continuously rode up and exposed her areolas. While she says she had no problem with the small size of her chest, the misshapenness was, again, bothering her.
Then she turned to New York City-based plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Stein, who specializes in breast revisions, for what she is hoping will be her last breast-related surgery.
Credit: Dr. Michael Stein
Dr. Stein explains to people that the implant removal — an en bloc capsulectomy to remove implants and surrounding scar tissue — can sometimes also remove the "supportive tissue" that the breasts require to keep their shape. This can affect the breast fold, which is what happened to Fessler. Because she had had so many surgeries that impacted this tissue, her breasts bottomed out, blending her abdomen skin with her breast skin and causing the issue where she couldn't keep a bra in place.
To address this concern, Dr. Stein had a few things he needed to do.
"I basically reconstructed her folds, and then put an implant in and tightened the whole breast tissue and restored everything," he tells PEOPLE.
He also used what has become known as an "internal bra" to help reshape Fessler's breasts. He explains that it's made with absorbable "suture material" (though it is sometimes made with permanent mesh) and creates a hammock under the implant. This supports the implant and breast tissue during healing so that the weight won't "disrupt the fold and stretch the skin."
After it is absorbed, it forms scar tissue, which then supports the implant.
Fessler, who also hosts the Dirty Rush podcast and the Killer Thriller Docu podcast, admits that she didn't go into her appointment with Dr. Stein wanting new implants. She just wanted to be happy with her breasts. They compromised with a small size, Dr. Stein shares.
Credit: Dr. Michael Stein
"I haven't [gone bra shopping yet], but I can tell you that they are exactly the size that I want them to be. And I'm guessing they're like a full B," Fessler says, noting that at one point in time she was a full DD cup.
"When I looked at my breasts 24 hours [after surgery], when I could take off the surgical bra, I was thrilled," she continues. "[Dr. Stein] set me up that he almost didn't want me to look at them because … he said they're going to look so much better as time goes on. But of course, like most women, there's no way I wasn't going to look."
Fessler has been healing well from the March procedure and wearing her surgical bra as recommended. She says her new boobs are "better than I could have even wished for."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Credit: Dr. Michael Stein
Dr. Stein adds, "I always tell my breast revision patients, I hope I'm your last stop, and this is the last one. These are very complicated surgeries. End stop. I'm very much hoping that I'm Jennifer's last surgery. So far, it looks excellent, and everything I want to achieve has been attained. I'm optimistic it's going to be her last one."
After five breast surgeries, Fessler's advice to others in similar situations is to do your research, find the right doctor and ask all the questions. She admits she didn't do enough research on her medical professionals the other times, but this time she was more careful.
"Do your homework. I didn't, and so I had five breast augmentations. Thank God I won't be having another one."
Read the full article here
