Hi,
I am 35 and going to have a mastectomy and been offered immediate reconstruction. I have choice of LD with an implant or DIEP. Very tempted to have DIEP as not too keen on changing implants every 10 years or so, and results from it seems more natural. But on the other hand worry about having a big scar on my tummy and various complications after surgery. I’ve seen two plastic surgeons and their opinions are quite opposite.
It would be great to hear from some of you what type of reconstruction you’ve chosen and what influence your decision.
Hi I had mastectomy Dec 05 aged 37 and just had recon December 07 using my tummy (free tram flap) I am very pleased with the results and recovery. I am now just over 7 weeks, started driving again this week although only short journeys and feeling ready to go back to work. The recon is still swollen and slightly bigger than my other boob, but PS will wait a couple more months for things to settle and then can sort size with liposuction if needed. My tummy scar is long, but neat and low enough to hide under high leg underwear and already I can see a massive improvment in the scar as rubbing in loads of E45 every day. My tummy was tight to start with, it took a couple of weeks to straighten but I have been out on loads of big walks and it is getting some feelings and strength back again.
PS recommended this op as best cosmetic result and if I had insisted on back then I too would have needed an implant which I really wasn’t that keen on and also my skin on my back is very freckly so not a good match.
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I’m a good 10 years older than you, but have the same pride and concern for my body (for myself and my partner) that I had when I was your age. I had a mastectomy and immediate DIEP flap reconstruction in July and I am pleased with the result, despite having to wait until this April for the nipple reconstruction, which couldn’t be done until 3 months after my last chemo.
Before I had the mastectomy I read up about the options on the web and looked at loads of pictures, and decided this was the best op for me. I was also lucky enough to meet a friend of my sister’s (who’s about your age) who’d had a DIEP and she showed me the results. The hospital I’m at now also has a regular session run by the breast care nurses where women who’ve had LD and DIEP reconstructions talk to women thinking of having one of those reconstructions and show them the results. This was all very reassuring as, unless you looked at them closely, you wouldn’t know they’d had anything done.
My right breast is now the same size as my normal breast, except for a small dent that my plastic surgeon is going to fill through fat transfer in April. He is also going to tidy up the small dog ear I have on one hip. My tummy scar does go from hip to hip, but I will be able to wear a bikini as long as the bottoms aren’t too skimpy. In fact, this year will be the first time I’ve worn a bikini since the birth of my second son 11 years ago, as after that my tummy would wrinkle if I bent over but, thanks to the op (which has a similar affect to a tummy tuck) my tummy is lovely and taught again now.
Another reason I didn’t go for an LD is that we go skiing every year and, although I’m not very good, the loss of muscle in my back might have meant I’d be a lot worse.
It is a very personal decision, but I recommend doing as much research as possible and talking to as many people as possible who might be able to help you. Then, I think you will be very sure and confident (as I was) when you go for your op.
Thank you, ladies. I’m doing as much research as I can and asking everybody’s opinion. Yours experiences are very valuable!
Strange thing that I’ve noticed – here in UK LD flap seems to be the most common and standard procedure for reconstruction, and younger women are more often choosing implants or LD rather than DIEP. In US it seems that nearly every woman is having either DIEP or Tramp or implants alone, LD flap is almost unheard of.
Not sure whether it is because their medicine more advanced than ours or they have more choice due to health insurance, or whether as they say it on TV that Americans on average are fatter than Brits and therefore more women have spare tissue for DIEP.
Foxychick, agree with what you say about the US and my guess is that budgets come into it. DIEP flap is a very delicate, time consuming and, therefore, costly operation. But, if you listen to The Archers, you will know that yesterday Ruth had a delayed reconstruction using DIEP flap! You can’t get more British than that.
Just thought i would add that I have just had double mastecomy for prevenative reasons. I’m 42 and chose to have the tissue expanders. I had skin sparing mastecomy and choose to keep my nipples. I had this done 2 weeks ago and already am very pleased with the results. I was a 32b now a 34b i have to wait another 2 weeks for my first expansion although they did insert 150mm during the operation. I’m hoping to have the peremant impants fitted by April, ready for the summer. I choose the method as I am petite i did not really have enough body fat to transfer, but was not really keen on having scars across my back, and i wanted to get back to normal lifestyle asap, being a single parent of 2. The operation was a lot easier than i thought and i was off the morphine and onto paracetmol the day after surgery, and up and walking around.
Had another talk with my plastic surgeon this morning. After discussing all the pros and cons of various options – LD seems to suite me most. Must admit that I am quite surprised as being a large woman myself (size 12-14) and having medium breast D-cap, I’ve been told that I don’t have enough fat on my tum or buttocks to reconstruct without an additional implant or changing DIEP to TRAM. Booked my surgery for this Thursday – scary!!!
I just wanted to say good luck for Thursday!
Im 30 and had a mastectomy when I was 27. Last year I had implant only reconstruction and I now feel fab!!!..I found the surgery pretty straight forward with a quick recovery…hope you do too…will be thinking of you
Katey x
Good Luck for tomorrow. I had tram flap reconstruction 5 years ago and when i have been for mammograms the radiographer has had to look twice to check which breast. The scars heal and it is a fantastic result. So fab that i went topless on holiday last summer! Ive just had the latisimus dorsi reconstruction on my other breast its still early days but there are more scars to deal with this time. Hope all goes well for you x