I need help! I was diagnosed two weeks ago and have been told I need a mastectomy due to the spread of micro calcifications. It’s grade 2 invasive breast carcinoma. The lymph nodes seem clear on the scans.
I have been told to think if I would like to consider reconstruction or wish to go flat. I am very confused as I am uncertain about the effects of radiotherapy on the implant, and the likelihood of further operations.
Delayed Reconstruction using an implant is not an option for me as I’ve been told that there wouldn’t be much skin left to have it done later. I definitely do not want to for reconstruction using my body tissue.
I need some advice. Thanks
I had radiation 6 years ago for DCIS and just had a mastectomy for recurrance and they told me that they couldn´t do implant reconstuction only the DIEP (stomach) or LD flap (back)+implant. The problem is the skin might not stretch well enough and cause failure of 70%. So I decided LD flap after a good think about the outcome but half an hour before my surgery they ran into difficulties to find my lymph node drainage to see if I had cancer in them and my LD flap couldn´t be done. If there was cancer in nodes the LD flap would need to be removed. So now I do have an expander only which I got in during the mastectomy, just under the skin (not under muscle). Radiation causes expansion problem with the muscle, also many find under the muscle uncomfortable and the implant looks high.
I have seen that if you have an expander put in, then have radiation, get your skin expanded (which isn´t too bad as area is very numb and no feeling) then you can switch the expander for an implant in a quicker proceedure. The problem is if you have the implant already in before radiation it can go hard and painful. I would ask if this is possible and join some mastectomy reconstruction groups in facebook and ask there. They also have photos too and very helpful. Hope this helps… It´s all very overwhelming… another thing is you don´t wake up completely flat with the expander in, like you do without…