Hello has anyone had a mastectomy and reconstruction using a single inner thigh flap? If so would you please share your experience post surgery. How did you cope post surgery, is your thigh noticeably thinner? Any tips? Any complications you wish you knew about? My plastic surgeon has recommended for me as I do not have enough tummy fat.
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Hi i cant help with the tug flap but i did have an LD flap 21 years ago because i didnt have enough tummy fat!
I think id have plenty this time round if i had to have a new reconstruction!
I expect youll have a few similarities in the sense that youll probably get some numbness both in new breast and donor site. Will you need an implant as well? Be prepared for tingling and nerve pain to begin with. I found amytriptyline was the best and with few side effects.
I just wanted to wish you well with your surgery and no doubt youll find someone who can help on here with this kind of reconstruction. Xx
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Hi,
I am booked in for a mastectomy and TUG 19th Aug so I am also interested in replies. I have looked at other reconstructions using a TUG flap to see the before and after photos of the thigh and my BC nurse also showed me a couple of pics.
Have you got the TUG leaflet or discussed it with the surgeon/nurse already? You are advised to spend as little time sitting as possible for a couple of weeks after- I didn’t really process that until I read it in my leaflet.
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Thank you for your reply. I hope all goes well for you on Tuesday. I am waiting for my two surgeons to coordinate a date. X
Hi Benison,
I am now on the other side. Day 5 post skin saving mastectomy and TUG flap reconstruction.
A brief overview with the caveat I’m still on strongish painkillers and have not yet restarted my ADHD meds.
Surgery day- admitted 0730 hrs hardly any waiting to be taken to theatre.
Woke up in recovery some time in afternoon, was on oxygen mask then nasal cannula but can’t really remember when they removed that.
Catheterised. IV fluids and antibiotics. Continuous monitoring of ecg, blood pressure, SA02 (oxygen sats %), heart rate, respiratory rate all by machine
Started regular pain killers plus PRN (as needed top ups) and laxatives as I get constipated just with paracetamol.
Recovery phoned my husband and spoke to him then held phone to me so I could speak to him- I can’t really remember much but he said he was so relieved to hear my voice.
From recovery I was taken straight to Orthoplastics HDU. Apparently this is always the case but I don’t recall being told this pre op so I was a bit shocked when I worked out where I was. Once the nurse had said that was always the plan I felt much better. They needed to check on the flap every 15 minutes and this would not happen anywhere else due to the ratio of nurses to patients.
In HDU I was still hooked up to all the machines plus the flap was palpated and Doppler checked every 15 mins. Surgeons came in a lot- the flap was not a good colour and they had difficulty hearing the blood flow on the Doppler (like when they listen to a baby’s heart beat, whoosh whoosh) after a while the colour improved and they relaxed a bit and checked me every 30 mins. I pretty much didn’t sleep that 1st night but I wasn’t tired, hungry or bored so I was ok.
I’m going to post this now and continue in a bit as don’t want to loose what I have written.