I found out yesterday that I will be having a mastectomy due to two lumps being present in my left breast. I have been offered immediate recontruction, which I think I would prefer to get it over and done with in one operation but have to choose which option I would prefer.
Being a bit larger (34DD) I have been advised that silicon implants would probably not be the best route.
I would be really grateful if you lovely ladies on here could share your experiences of the different types of reconstruction… problems, limitations, recovery times, how happy you are with the result etc… to help me make up my mind.
To be honest, being a surgery phobic, all of the options are pretty hard to get my head around but I don’t want my fear in the now to influence what at the end of the day is something I have to live with long term.
sorry to hear your news, your not alone, I am in the same position and was given the same news last week after my WLE didnt give any clear margins…my head is in a spin also and Im a complete coward so would rather not go through any more ops but I know of course that I have no option at the moment!! I have been told though that whatever I decide it doesnt mean I cant change my mind later on which I guess is reassuring! Hope all goes well for you, I know all too well what an awful time this is!! xx
Hi Mel, I had mx in August last year, with a tissue expander implant. In may I had the expander swapped to silicone implant and a silicone on the good side, to achieve symmetry. Unfortunately my mx side implant is took hi hand I need one more op to get it right. After the mx and immediate tissue expander implant, I was very pleased with the result, luckily my nipple was spared. I was 32a and now I’m 32b, so I’m pleased. The recovery was slow, I went back to work after 8 weeks. I have a very demanding job and it was hard to go back. Physically, I needed help with housework. I went back to horse riding after three months… However, since I’ve had the recent op, and both sides have been operated on, I’m much more restricted. Not being able to lift is frustrating . My advice is to think about the long term and how good you will feel about yourself with a new body shape. I really didn’t want any more surgery than was necessary and I’m about to face my fourth op (lumpectomy, mx, reconstruction), but I’m going with the flow, as I feel the end is in sight. There’s a lot of conflicting info out there, but I found the breast cancer research uk website useful and the American breast cancer care. I would also advice speaking with your breast care nurse, mine was fab
Good luck
Z
Hi Mel, I’m 11 months post mastectomy with immediate LD flap reconstruction and permanent silicon implant. I remember at the time feeling so confused, overwhelmed and panicking about the decision I had to make so quickly ( I had recurrence of High Grade DCIS and no option but Mx after previous treatment). All I knew was I wanted an immediate recon if possible, and I made the right decision for me. 1 op, came home looking normal, and because it was DCIS no further treatment. What I didn’t know and couldn’t really find out were the long term implications, everyone I asked said it would take a year. Well, not quite but almost. It is a big operation, it was 5 weeks before I was driving, housework was put on hold, I had help for a few weeks and I was very tired and swollen. The exercises are incredibly important to keep doing , they seem so easy now but at the time it was a real struggle with some of them. I kept reaching “levels” with my mobility and thinking is that it? And then things would improve again. I think in the last 3 months I am finally there. I am as mobile as I was before, I have had no problems with my back other than a seroma which was drained a couple of times. The scar on my back is about 4 inches long and hidden under my bra and I don’t even think about it. The reconstruction is a great shape, I was and still am a 36B, have an elliptical scar from armpit to below where the nipple was and again , can be covered. I have sensation on the cleavage side of the breast, the outside where the muscle is just feels like implant. I have reduced sensation in my armpit, part of my back and upper arm but nothing that can’t be lived with. I think the main side effect which lasted a lot longer than expected was swelling and even now if I overdo things I get a little. I am active, work part time and look after my 18 mth old granddaughter the rest with all the lifting and crawling about that entails.
Even though at the time I said only one operation I have decided to get the other side lifted to match and will be seeing my surgeon next week to hopefully sort that out. As you said, you have to consider the long term implications of your treatment and not just how it feels in the first few weeks. I hope this has been of some help, if you need any more info let me know.
Take care H xx
Hi Mel - I also had the LD flap with implant, but mine was a bigger op than Helen’s was, as I had all of the skin removed from my breast (due to lymphatic recurrence in the skin), This means my scarring is quite considerable, but the stitching was very good and bio oil is reducing them well. I also lost my nipple too. I was told all this was happening 30 mins before the op happened. I had to come to terms with it really quickly, but horrible though it was, I knew I wanted to wake up with a boob in place. I just trusted my 3 surgeons to do the right thing and they did. I drove around 4 weeks later (I was Right side) I think the time scale in when you drive again can be down to which side has been operated on. I tried to avoid reversing as much as poss! I was back at work within 8 weeks - a job that involves a lot of arm movement, but I can sit down a lot. The first few weeks after op I could do very little - I had a lot of physio which helped. I had a nipple recon, in Feb, and lypofill to even up the two breasts, - really good match now - I am a 34D - please feel free to PM me if you need any more info - I don’t like putting certain things on a public page, but very happy to help. Good luck with whatever you decided. Take care K M x
I had an immediate reconstruction, albeit 11 years ago, and opted for a Tram Flap (tummy fat). I was around the same size you are and had great results. Due to location of tumours I lost my nipple but the reconstruction was done through the circular area they cut away. Unless I was naked nobody would have ever known and after 5 years I got my breast tattooed with a flower rather than nipple.
Hi Mel66, I had a DIEP immediate recon on my right boob a year ago. I was a 42DD and they managed to harvest sufficient fat to do a good reconstruction using tummy tissue (always knew I was storing it for a reason).
I was offered a reduction on the left side but so far I haven’t opted for it as I really don’t want to have more surgery until I am good and ready.
I was back at work after three month but chose to go back part time. I did a blog when I was in hospital and for a few months afterwards if you would like to take a loon then pm me with your email address and I will send it to you.
A year on now and the recon has loosened up nicely - it is a little smaller than the good side but nothing a ‘knitted knocker’ can’t disguise