Immediate Reconstruction

Public Archive
1

Need to vent about the situation my Wife Melanie is waiting for reconstruction

First a little background info, we’ve been married since 2002 and shortly after we decided to try for kids, after about a year of no results we went through harrowing fertility treatment, after months or getting our hopes up and then having them dashed we took the decision to try and enjoy our life without kids and carry on.

then about half a year later my wife found a DCIS lump.

She was diagnosed last christmas eve and after a lot of delay due to constulant sickness and cautious surgery she had the lump taken out with clear margin about a few weeks ago, now the breast cancer surgeon told us that she would be disfigured due to the size of her bust and the size of the lump so he recommended a mastectomy.

We sat down and weighed up the pros and cons and decided the mastectomy and immediate reconstruction was the way to go.

the plan was to do this early this year but that changed to just taking the lump out and then do the mastectomy and reconstruction.

now that the lumps out we’ve had a plastic surgeon consultant tell us that the companies he uses for the tissue expanders don’t do standard implants and expanders for the narrow chest of my wife and have to custom make them, this was found out three weeks ago! I assumed that the ball would be rolling for custom made expanders but the surgeon hasn’t even found a company yet.

I got home after the consulancy and found a company in the UK straight away.

Now we are having to cancel a holday we booked to get over not having kids (booked before the cancer was found and no holiday insurance)

I feel like they simply did not want to do the bigger operation at the time it needed to be done and now we are paying in stress and heartache waiting for the reconstruction and mastectomy.

I’m now wondering if we should get a second opinion, We are at Sunderland hospital and from looking at hospital stats they haven’t been doing the reconstruction side for long.

Sorry for the long winded mail but to be told that we are no further forward three weeks on is a real downer

2

I would go for the second opinion, without a doubt!!

Why do you have to cancel the holiday? What a shame if you do.

Jackie.

3

The holiday is in September this year and melanie was hoping for at least a month after permenant implants were put in to recover and be fit and well.

I think my wife is speaking to the doctor for a second opinion as I type this message.

4

Try James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough which is where I had my mast with recon in 2006.
The plastic surgeon who did my op is Mr Allison and Mr Cody also does the same op.

5

Thanks, I will speak to my wife

6

Hi
Just wondering why they are only offering your wife implants is it because they do not do the full range of reconstruction? If they don’t I would definitely go for a second opinion. She really needs a Plastic Surgeon. There is a web site called www.optionsforbreastreconstruction.com that will give the all hospitals and the ops they do. Cancerbackup have some good explanations of the different ops. It sounds like now the lump is out there is no need to panic too much so make sure you do your homework.

7

Hi Shell
Did you have an immediate recon at James Cook?
Lisa

8

Update,

our hospital has finally conceded defeat, the plastic surgeon advised that due to my wifes dimensions he could not get a standard tissue expander to fit her.

He also said that even if they could get one custom made that the hospital would query the price and probably not pay for it.

The problem is that my wife has been left post lumpectomy with an indentation (which may get more noticable as time goes by)

We have been referred to Newcastle hospital now and to a PS named Joe O’Donaghue so hopefully he can provide us with more options (the other forms are difficult as Melanie is quite slim so no fat can be taken anywhere)

9

Hi Lisa,

Yes I did have an immediate recon at James Cook.
I was so nervous before each op I decided to have the mast and recon together
so that I didn’t have to go back.
Saying that I’m hoping to go back for an up lift of my okay boob if the PS okays it.
Not scared about that as it’s cosmetic, lol.

10

Hi Shell

Oh - I can so relate to what you are saying - that is my take on it exactly! I just want the single all-in surgery.
Im going to see Mr Allison on Tuesday (I hope).

I hope you dont mind me asking lots of questions -Im just being denied any options at the moment by my surgeon, even though my prognosis is being relayed to me as good.!
What was your diagnosis at the time? Who was your breast surgeon?
Did you need any follow up treatment?

11

Lisa, I’ve answered your post on the surgery fourm page.

12

hi tonyguk,

Although im in london and had immediate recon, Im also small without spare fat, I had a procedure called TMG and IGAP , where PSurgeon opped, taking muscle from my thigh(grassalis) and some fat from my buttock on same side and grafted this into my right mastectomy site , it has worked wonderfully, i only need nipple recon now if i want it as it was removed. St Thomas’s hospital surgeon Dr H Asjo.Lovely Japanese man.
good luck with your research and recovery of your wife
julie x