Feeling pretty distressed today after a visit to the breast care nurse to have my expander implant filled. (this is the 3rd time)
What concerns me, is that the implant starts so high up, higher even than my armpit, and not the natural place for a breast at all in my opinion even IF the other breast wasn’t 6 inches lower…
I mentioned this to the nurse, who just said I would have to have the other side lifted. I explained that I already had! (mastopexy on good side)
She very brusquely informed me that I couldn’t expect the breasts to be even and they would always be lopsided. Think she was having an off day, but she was most unsympathetic, even refusing to fill the implant after I got upset.
Im left feeling really rubbish, and with no one to ask…is this a normal state of affairs.?
Or will, when my expander impland is full and I have it changed for a soft one, will the boob magically find itself in the right place?
It really looks freaky at the moment, and I’d almost rather be breast free than have such a lopsided chest…
Hi Tree - sorry you’re feeling rubbish. Your experience of the expander sounds very similar to mine - i know exactly what you mean from your description. I had mine in for a year exactly, it didn’t drop at all and remained really uncomfortable for the entire time. i had it replaced with a permanent implant at the end of January and pleased to say its sitting much lower and much more comfortable. I won’t lie, its not fab, its just a lot better than the expander. Still a bit lopsided ie the natural side is a bit bigger than the implant. Thought you’d appreciate my honest feedback - its just ok not brilliant.
Sorry you had to experience an unsympathetic nurse - hate when that happens.
Lynn
x
Many thanks for your reply. It has really helped knowing you had similar experience and that the perminant implant is much lower and more comfortable. That is just what I needed to hear.xx
Does anyone else have any lop-sided, turned out ok stories?
I also had a lop-sided temp expander. It was so high and was just below my collar-bone. Thank goodness I only had it in for 6mths and have since had a Permanent one. I had a Lattssimms dorsi flap- which is the muscle below the shoulder blade moved around to form the lower half of the breast and only a partial implant in the top part of the boob. This was only done in December and Im pretty pleased. I Feel like a women again and in a bra look like Ive never had surgery.
HI, I also had an expander which initially sat very high, it did settle but then slipped sideways almost under arm.
Anyway 4 weeks ago it was replaced with a silicone(I think) implant with an uplift on my other side.
I have to say I am thrilled, they are so fab, just need the nipple and i can forget!!
My expander was in for 11 months, still for me better than having to use a softie.
HI Tree
Yes i can empathise with you there!
I had the tissue expander fitted after my mastectomy - it was the most hideous thing i had ever clapped eyes on!
It was so ugly, i was in tears each time i looked at it…
I had it in for 9 mths and then it was taken out and replaced with a silicone implant. I can’t say i like that much either (sorry), as it does not resemble a breast at all to me…(does not help that it is minus a nipple!)
I am sure there are plenty of success stories on here though, but being lob sided is part and parcel of the tissue expander i think.
Nasreen x
I haven’t had my mx yet but I am due to have a tissue expander put in too and my surgeon has already warned me that it will be much higher than a normal breast so there must be a reason for it. I’m surprised that nobody discussed this with you before. Once you have the proper recon or silicone implant put it in it should resemble more of a natural breast. Good luck with it
Debs x
Hi, I also had a tissue expander in for a year, which sat very high and was pretty uncomfortable. At the beginning of March I had it removed and a silicone implant put in. I also had to have my good side made larger so there was at least the hope of a match. I have to say that although it isn’t perfect, they are roughly the same size now although the implant does seem very round and still sits quite high. It looks like I have a grapefruitstuck under the skin, while the original looks like a breast. I’m hoping that once there is a nipple on there it won’t look quite so obvious. On the plus side though, the surgeon made a fabulous job of the stitching, which will soon be virtually invisible and in a bra the difference really isn’t noticeable. It seems incredible to me that just two years ago, I never even thought about my breasts and now I’m constantly aware of them!!
Val