Hi everyone,
Really interested to hear your thoughts on reconstruction. I’m still at a very early stage as still going through treatment but had wondered about which method would be preferable should I decide to go for it which I probably will. I have been recommended a surgeon in Guildford who specialises in LD Flap recon but does anyone know a good surgeon who specialises in Tram flap / DIEP flap near the south coast?
Thanks
ANgie
Hi Angie,
The plastic surgeons at the Marsden, Sutton are really good at DIEP’s
Maggie
Sarah,
I am in the same state as you. Had Mx Oct 09, followed by six rounds of chemo. I have seen surgeon about a DIEP flap, had a scan done of my tummy and am due to see surgeon again on 11th Feb. So decision time is looming.
If I’m honest I don’t want to go through the op. I’m worried about how I’ll look afterwards. I’m quite frightened about it all.
BUT… I hate the prothesis, I hate the way I look now, I hate having no cleavage, not being able to bend over without worrying, feeling hot and sweaty under the plastic proth, having to wear high necks, being reminded of the cancer, aching shoulder from the weight, feeling strapped in all the time, not being able to jump about, etc etc etc…
I think my hates outweigh my fears. I keep reminding myself that I will be the other side of it in three months time and I hope that like Gill and the others I will feel pleased that I’ve done it.
I’m not sure how long to book off work though? My surgeon said four weeks, I think I’ll ask for six weeks, but some people seem to be off for a lot longer.
Et
Hi Everyone.
Can anyone explain to me about a Tram Flap. LD flap. DIEP Flap. And how long do you have to wait before surgery can be performed.
I had BC 19 yrs ago and was clear until June 2010, in Sept I Had a masectomy and am now about to have my 5th FEC.(then only one more after that)
At first the surgeon was going to reconstruct at the same time as the masectomy, then changed his mind as he wanted to make sure all the cancer was removed before reconstruction took place. He gave a time window of about 3 months. Implant is out of the question he advised but, said either taking muscle from my back or tummy.
I have not seen anyone from the breast unit since my post op app two weeks after surgery!!! was told via a breast sister that reconstruction does not take place for at least 1 - 2 years. Confused I sure am.
I hate the prothesis, its so heavy and uncomfortable and my bra goes off on a walk round my chest. Dreading the warmer weather with this thing stuck inside ugly expensive bra’s. Oh how I long for the days of pretty dainty bra,s.
I would be greatful for any info
Regards Tiger45
Dear Tiger45,
I thought you might find the animation about reconstruction helpful. It explains about the different types of reconstruction. I have attached the link below:
Very best wishes
Janet
BCC Facilitator
Hi all, after dx in October I had mx with immediate recon, tram flap surgery 11 weeks ago and I have to say I don’t regret it at all. Yes, it is a long op, mine was 9 hours, but you’re asleep for all that time so what’s the difference , you have no idea what’s going on…I was kept under hourly obs for the first night, then I had 5 days sat upright in bed, 2 of those days under the bear bugger blanket which keeps your body really hot and tricks it into thinking it has an infection so you produce more platelets and so heal quicker. Im not sure why each surgeon differs in their opinion about being able to get up after 24 hours or stay in bed, mine said it was to make sure the tummy tuck heals and there is no risk of it opening. I was daunted by the idea of being in bed for so long but to be honest it wasn’t so bad, you spend a lot of time sleeping, and if you use the morphine, I gave it up after 48 hours and was fine without it, you will be a bit spaced out anyway. I was pretty fit before the op, used to be a ballet dancer but stopped 8 years ago to have kids, I am small build, size 8- 10 but my surgeon still managed to make me an impressive DD cup boob out of my tummy!! It does feel a bit like a brick n your chest for about 4 weeks or so but once it starts to soften up it feels just like a natural boob. Standing upright is weird and takes effort but the more you walk around the easier it is. I wa told 2-3 months recovery and I wouldn’t disagree with this. I now run a B&B and no way I could have worked for at least 6-8 weeks…you get tired really easily.
I was offered the op straight away as I was told that even if I needed rads it wouldn’t affect the new boob and I was so happy that I would go to sleep with 2 boobs and wake up with 2. But it’s such a personal decision. My surgeon didn’t reduce the size of my healthy boob at the same time, it is about 1-2 cup sizes bigger, but he said I can have a reduction and uplift if I want in the summer. At the mment I’m not fussed as it’s so bloomng cold I have 4 layers on and you can’t tell any difference, come the summer I may feel differently.
Yes, it’s a big operation, yes you will feel rough after, but it passes so quickly, it’s already a distant memory for me only 11 weeks later.
If anyone does go for it, my top tips which I believe really helped me post op are… Drink loads and loads of fluid, even with 2 liters of fluid through an iv drip a day I forced myself to drink another couple of litres my drains all came out after 5 days, I had 6 of them. And arnica,if you believe in homeopathy. 200c of arnica, I asked for it as soon as I was awake and took it for a week. My bruising was minimal.
I know not everyone has a great experience with it, I was very lucky, but I was also very well informed and went into it with a positive approach.
I have just started chemo 3 weeks ago and for me it’s worse physically than the op and the recovery after.
Good luck to anyone who chooses the recon, happy to answer any questions or queries no matter how random!!
Xxxxxxxx
That should have read ’ bear hugger’ not bear bugger blanket!!! LOL… Predictive spelling on my iPad… Xxx
Lisaf, we share the same anniversary…
And funnily enough, after considering reconstruction, I had a first appointment in October; I am due to meet with a plastic surgeon in a couple of weeks time and in the meantine I was sent for a mammogram. I was recalled urgently for more test as the mammogram showed some shadows…
Luckily enough it was just a scare; but I now think I would rather have a double mastectomy rather than reconstruction.
I don’t like having just one breast, but I think I could cope better with none.
I don’t want implants and I am too scared/reluctant with the number of operations reconstructions would require.
A mastectomy would mean, no more mammogram as well, so less stress.
Still after three years, I find this a very difficult decision to make.
Hi everyone. Thanks for this excellent forum.
I am trying to think positive today although still worrying about the planned diep operation at the Royal Marsden. Having just finished a very busy and hectic week at work in our hospital, I am thinking there are many people who are going through even bigger operation than a breast reconstruction surgery and yet most of them do so well as I can see. I have booked an appointment with the specialist nurse as well as my PS. This time they will also show some photos of their results. The surgeon has already answered my questions on statistics like how many cases are being done per year, complication rate etc. You must ask these questions to your PS. I am also going to ask him not to do any lifting of my other breast as I don’t really care if they look a little bit different. Would like to get the natural feel back on the affected breast after diep recon which is not there at the moment because of the implant. Best wishes and good night xxxxx.
Hi guys
thank you all for your words of wisdom, it is making the decision easier for me. I am gonna wait and see what the surgeon has to say in May but i will probably go ahead and get what i can done on the NHS, the thought of a new tummy is a very pleasing thought
Please keep me update as to what all of you decide to do, its nice to have such a supported network
S
xx
Just wanted to echo what Sarah said, thank you. I have my app with my surgeon on Friday, and it will be interesting to hear what he proposes, now that I am a bit more informed,
Tracey
Hi Ladies
I had an imediate LD flap recon 5 years ago , it was a 7 hour opp and looked good. Over time it has shrunk so in August I went back to see the surgeon. He wanted do use lipofilling to increse the size and he told me to go away and think about it. Went back in october and said I could not do it and could I have an implant he said that was not best way and he would not do it.My husband got annoyed as I was being pushed to have it done when I had said no. I got really upset and the surgeon said he would not treat me and to go find another surgeon. In December I saw a PS who gave me different options and said an implant could be used going back next week and I want to try an implant just hope it can be day surgery as hate staying in hospital and have 20 cats at home that need me, work in cat rescue. Everything is so slow and stressfull and has put a hudge strain on my relationship with my husband
Louise XX
Hi All
Again many thanks for all your words of wisdom. I know that I will be asleep for the 7 hour operation but I think my main worry is my husband. He said he will be waiting at the hospital for me and won’t go home. I think that’s more of my problem worrying about him worrying about me! I was also told that I would be in ICU for 24 hours after the op, so that’s another worry.
Its such a shame that the hospital Im getting it done is such a long way away from me, I live in Chatham, Kent and am getting it done at East Grinstead which is about an hour’s drive, so its not as if its a 10 minute journey for my family, which is what it would be if i was getting it done at Medway Maritime Hospital.
Has anyone got any experience of East Grinstead hospital. Someone told me that its one of the best hospitals to get it done because the after care service is fantastic, but i’ve also been told that its quite old fashioned too.
S
xx
My hubby refused to leave me too, he arrived a at 7am, I was taken to theatre at 8.30 and didn’t come back till 6.45. A friend came in at lunch time and dragged him off to the nearest pub for some food… If it had been the other way round, I would have stayed too. My hubby passed the time reading and playing on his iPhone, he said it actually went quite quickly. We live over an hour from the hospital too so too far to go home really. I’m sure he will just want to be near to you. Xxx
The hospital asked my huband specifically not to come in on the day of my surgery. I was away from the ward from 7.30am until 9.45 pm, so there really would have been no point him being there. The plastic surgeon rang him personally at about 7.30pm to say everything had gone well and Mike came in at visiting time (2pm) the following day.
There really is nothing they can do and you aren’t much up to conversation immediately after.
Good luck ladies, I hope all goes well for you all.
Jacqui
Hi ladies
Sorry for the long time in getting back to you all. I decided to go ahead with the operation. I had it done in June 2011 and it was the best decision I had to make. I was under for about 10 hours in all and then into ICU overnight. My surgeon was brilliant he even rang my husband to reassure him that I was ok.
The staff at East Grinstead are lovely! They couldn’t do enough for you. I took 3 months off work, simply because it was the summer holidays and I wanted to spend some time with my daughter.
I would say to anyone with worries, yes it hurts (take as many drugs as they offer you), but the end results are amazing, I am now thinking of having the nipple tattoo done. I am now looking forward to a very deserving holiday, two weeks in Egypt, something I would not have done before my reconstruction.
Xx
Great to hear your good news Sarah, I think it was. DIEP recon that you had, so a tidy navel and flat tummy?
Hope you have the bikinis packed! I too had a mx/DIEP but as an immediate recon…the surgery was much faster than I expected, only 6hours. There were a couple of tough weeks overall but a lot of the worries turned out to be nothing. I didn’t have pain in the op sites at all, but I did have bad back ache with improved as soon as I had some physio tips.
So, I was terrified in advance but for me, I’m so glad that I still have a pair of boobs…and a very nice tum.
Best wishes to all still making the choice.
I’m day 14 post op. struggling a bit with tummy but boobs are causing no pain. I had double recon and when in there ended up with a diep one side and tram other side so bit painful. Unfortunately I had a blood clot so ended up back in theatre 5 hours later, however, this is only a very small number of people this happens too. My boobs are totally different sizes but trying not to bother until swelling goes down. I found the coming of drugs and dizzyness when sitting up and the heat the worst, once some drains came out and had control of my own bed and shuffling to loo myself I felt lots better. My stay was only 6 days in hospital and Im staying with parents to help with some things where I cant bend etc. im back to hospital tomorrow, had a horrid reaction to dressings so covered in blisters and possible infection. However I would say that I think it is amazing what they do, the implant i had was over the centre and up neer my chin so to have two boobs that belong to me is amazing and Im totally in awe of what they do and the care you get.
I think I underestimated on restricted I would be and im impatient, and I am realising that toward the end of the day i need to take it easier more as i get tired and need wee nap. Lots of people say it takes about 4/5 weeks to start to feel more active so im looking forward to that.
Good luck all with op, it is worth it !!! Im hoping to go on holiday in 7 weeks so something to aim for, bit I struggle with is knowing how much I should be doing.
Waffle over… xx
Hi Lisaf
Glad to hear you are getting on well after your operation. Once the swelling goes down it will all be worth it. It helps if you’ve got a great support network and if someone says to you don’t do it then listen to them!!! You may think you can do it but you’ll pay for it a few hours later.
I had a reaction to the tape too, wasn’t something I had beforehand, strange eh?
I hope that you enjoy your holiday, I can’t wait til mine and yes my bikini’s are packed
Xxxxxxxxx
Thanks Sarah, wierd about reactions isnt it when havent had before. All dressings removed now apart from belly button, yuk seeing all scars but that’s me, massaging starts next week and must start moving about more!
Thanks xx