I saw my PS yesterday and he has agreed, at my request, to do a reduction on the good side first as the main reconstruction won’t be before October.
I am pretty fed up with having a large breast (don’t really know the exact size anymore but before BC used to be 36/38 G cup but am probably more now as I have put on 10 kg in weight)that is causing lopsidedness. I find it difficult to wear a bra and I can’t get the soft padding right in the MX side.
I’m hoping this might help the problem but am wondering if anyone has had it this way?
Hi Peacock,
My situation is slightly different to you as I had mx with immediate DIEP recon but was meant to have reduction to good side at same time. Unfortnately bled during op so woke up without reduction being done. I struggled post op with coming to terms - or not as the case may be, with the rather large unaffected boob(38 FF). I became desparate for the reduction and found it really difficult to “match” up my boobs. I had a prothesis but found this heavy and it caused pain as it pushed down on my recon and in the end became clever with dressing ensuring that the recon was disguised with layers of clothes and soft padding instead of prothesis in bra, used a padding called “soft band” made by 3M. I had my reduction and other tidy up jobs on Tues and am waiting with baited breath for the dressings to come off. At moment it looks really high but PS and nurse say it will drop and be a good match. I think by waiting the surgeon probably has a good idea of the shape and size he will need to make to so could be an advantage in having it your way round except for the waiting. But time does go and before you know it, the reduction will be done and it won’t be too long until oct.
Hope this helps,
Marjay
Hi Peacock, mine is different again to Marjay12. I had my mastectomy in May 08, and couldn’t have immediate reconstruction as I needed radiotherapy, was advised this can have negative effects on new flaps. Had my reconstruction in January this year, but surgeon wants to wait for settling of new boob before reducing the other one, and I think he’s made a good call as the plan is to do the reduction and any tidying up on the new flap at the same time. I have a feeling that my next op won’t be my last, but I don’t mind as long as the end result is worth it.
Hope this is useful
Ber
well I am off to have the reduction on 20 May, this week, so although excited also very nervous and worrying about pain etc. so my questions purely for reduction are
is there much pain/discomfort afterwards?
is it necessary to wear a bra, if so will an ordinary bra suffice?
does it swell much post surgery?
I think that is all for now, thanks
Hi Peacock,
I had my reduction on the 20th April and did suffer with pain around the drain site mostly although the nurses were brill and kept the pain killers a coming, but it did not stop me moving about and was discharged the next day once the drain came out.
I “came to” in recovery to hear the 2 nurses looking after me arguing about me wearing a bra - apparently my surgeon liked his ladies to wear a bra immediately post surgery, but I had dressings on that held it like a bra and so I went into my sports bra the next day when the drain came out. My surgeon likes the sports bra as it gives good support and slight comression to help to minimise the swelling. Yes my boob has swollen but it is slowly going down, but it was also mis-shapen which bothered me more but again 4 weeks post op it is nearly normal looking, and incredibly it is a very good match and no-one would know that I have had this surgery when I am dressed.
Do hope this helps and I know that it is very difficult to do, but try hard not to worry too much it will be over before you know it.
Big cyber hugs,
Marjay xxx
Hello,
I had a WLE last almost a year ago. My surgeon also agreed to perform a reduction to both sides at the same time.
My experience was very positive. I had no pain or discomfort at all. Hardly needed any painkillers and even forgot about the morphine drip I was connected to!
When I came out of surgery I was trussed up with dressings but was asked, the next day, to wear a supportive bra (sports bra) continually for a number of weeks. Ended up about 6 weeks I think.
I had a minor problem with one wound taking time to heal, but all in all no complaints.
Remember to make it clear to your surgeon what size you would like to be. I didn’t and would have like to be a bit smaller!
Good luck!
Sheila xx
I am now a bit concerned after having read that you were both strapped up with dressings. I am allergic to any type of plaster, they’ve tried the sensitive ones, the hypoallergenic ones but each time I end up with big red wheels, it causes burns and makes me very sore.
I have told them about this and hope this time they listen as when I had the mx two stupid nurses thought I was getting a seroma and decided to truss me up, despite me telling them not to. Next day the surgeon was cross that they had done this and removed all the dressings, I then had to use a special burn cream.
I haven’t got a sports bra and won’t be able to get one before I go in, so I will just have to take in an ordinary bra - wish me luck, not long to go now.
Hi Peacock,
I don’t know where you are having the op, but I to am highly sensitive to dressings and the surgeon and his team have been wonderful in trying to find one that doesn’t cause any problems. The initial dressings were a foam backed one and then I moved onto Mepilex Lite which does not have adhesive but does stick gently without causing any trauma to the skin - the team could take advice from the Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist - most hosps will have one and their knowledge is invaluable. I am now looking forward to my nipple recon on the 1st June and the team are already discussing which dressings they will try to use to prevent the horrendous blistering and soreness I get with most dressings. My problem is trying to get the GP to prescribe as these dressings are usually very expensive!!
Please don’t worry about the bra thing as you shouldn’t be in for long and the nurses should have advised you if this is the course of action they wished you to take. I think it is probably more important to have a bra that prevents the reduction from “hanging in mid air” and having no support what so ever and the ordinary bra should give some sort of support anyway.
Please let us know how you get on.
Marjay xxx