Hi
I know this may sound a stupid question, but does anyone know if it is possible to build new breast tissue with exercise, to help fill the void after a lumpectomy? I know that nothing can be done where the scar tissue is, but what about the surrounding area? I realise it is early days, as it is not yet five weeks since my surgery, but I have dimpling above the scar area and I wondered if it is possible to exercise to reduce it a bit?
Any ideas?
Ann x
No, exercising will not make your breast tissue grow.
Fat transfer/lipo filling will do the job.
Thank you Dahlia. Has anyone had that done?
Ann
Yes, a few ladies on here have had it including me. I’m having more next month and it works, it works well but not a lot of surgeons do it.
Norwich, Nottingham, Worthing, Glasgow, Salisbury, London, Birmingham to name a few - there will be others I expect.
Where are you?
Hi Ann
When I saw my surgeon for my results she muttered something about my scar and I got the impression that she was able to do something to improve it at a later date if needed. Obviously at that time I was more interested in my results so didn’t take it all on board. So this may be want Dahila is referring to. Perhaps we should add Salisbury to that list.
Chris x
Hi Anne,
The other ladies are right. Exercise of the pectoral muscles beneath the breast can help lift them and make them look more “proud” but breast tissue is mostly fat, so fat transfer is the answer.
However it is very early days for you yet and your poor boob has still got a lot of healing to do and possibly the further trauma of radiotherapy.
I felt exactly the same as you and I had a wonderful oncological-plastic procedure but was left with a deep groove around part of my nipple. Face on it doesn’t look too bad but as I look down on my breast it makes my breast look weirdly misshapen. So it’s a constant reminder.
From 6 weeks I was nagging my surgeon to do something about it. He told me about the fat transfer op. and said he would do it when the time was right. This turned out to be after chemo, then after radiotherapy and as I was still rather tender 6 months on, he suggested we wait until that settled too. So almost 2 years from the surgery and I haven’t had it done.
Guess what? I’ve learned to live with it and there’s a bit of me that rather thinks I’ve had enough of being “messed about”, prodded and poked etc and shall I bother.
So give yourself time to heal. In the meantime you may be able to fill the hollow with something like the “chicken fillets” used for uplift. I’d say ask the breast care nurses but the ones I’ve come across have been singularly unhelpful and unsupportive so I have a jaundiced opinion of them. One suggested I use a foam shoulder pad to disguise my “groove”! I discover silicone nipple shields worn off centre did the trick.
I hope this helps
aquarian lady
Thanks for the information. I can imagine how you feel after all the treatment. I am not sure I will want too much done after the treatment ends. When I first looked at my breast, when the dressings came off, it was swollen and didn’t look that much different in size, but now it has deflated and the scar is pulling the nipple off-centre and up a bit. It looks like a lop-sided pug nose! I am not planning on going topless and from a vanity point of view, it really doesn’t matter, but I was just interested to know if exercises would help. Perhaps I should just put on weight!
By the way, my BCN is lovely and really helpful.
Ann