Hi I am in need ofanyone’s advice on strattice mesh reconstruction . I need to have a right mastectomy due to high grade DCIS. I have a one year old and worried about flap procedure and long recovery time. Has any one had strattice mesh and could give me any advice xx
Hi Hay123
Have you tried contacting our one to one support service? breastcancercare.org.uk/breast-cancer-services/someone-talk/one-one-support
We have a couple of volunteers who have had this kind of reconstruction, and the one to one support service can put you in touch with them.
To find out more or to be put in touch with a volunteer please contact our Peer Support Team on 0845 0771893 or by email at: ukpeersupportteam@breastcancercare.org.uk
Hello Hay123,
I have had this type of reconstruction - I had bilateral mastecomies earlier this year with strattice and implants. One failed (please dont let this put you off, it was as a result of particualr complications, and I will explain if you want me to). My right reconstruction is excellent - you would not know. I kept my skin, and the implant was slipped under the top pec. with the strattice supporting the lower half of the implant. I was a bit put off by the idea of the strattice but could not face a lengthy op.
I agree with Leah that it would be great if you contacted the one-to-one service - I did this- although the use of strattice is a relatively new technique (are there any volunteers with strattice BCC??) Please do ask any questions- the one thing I would ask is about infection risk which I believe is greater with the use of strattice/implant.
In terms of practicalties, my daughter was 5 so older than your child, but I should think some practical help for at least the first few weeks would be a big help. You wont be able to lift easily and you will be sore and tired. So, childcare, cooking, shopping etc.
Front opening nightwear, and clothes as lifting your arms over your head is tricky. Good pillows, ideally a triangle one.
I could go on and on! Just let me know if there is anything you specifically want to know.
Good luck, Rattles
Hi rattles
thanks for your reply, just wondered the one that failed. Did you have it done again. Does the implant feel hard??
Hi there,
I had breast cancer in my left breast in 2009- it was treated with chemo. surgery and rads- a high dose as I had an aggressive type of breast cancer. Although it healed after the bilateral mastecomies in Feb 2009 - initially doing very well- over a period of 3 months it deteriorated. By this time I was on chemo again (another long story) and the left breast was swollen, red and sore. I eventually had surgery to remove the implant and take away the skin and remanining tissue. My surgeon told me this was a rare situation and he thinks it was a combination of the long term effect of radiation which led to poor healing and an infection. I have though come across a couple of other ladies om this forum with similar experiences, and plenty of ladies who have had no ill effects with implants, though only with the muscle from their back, not strattice. I have gone into this detail to reassure you, I hope. I still have not healed, so not sure whether I would attempt another reconstruction. Initially surgeon said no, but more recently he seemed more hopeful.
My right reconstruction looks great. You ask if the implant is hard- it is very soft. It is saline so will need replacing with silicone at some point. It looks very natural- a bit perkier than before if anything with minimal scarring.
Does this help?
hi,
I have had mastectomy with strattice reconstruction on both sides. For me that was the right choice. Happy with the resultsa happy for you to pm my any specific questions. I choose it as I had chemo first, and then immediately after the mastectomy. The strattice mesh reconstruction was done at the same time as mastectomy, and was the easiest option for me (other than to go without recon). I had one side done first. Then I developed a second primary (how unlucky is that) on the other side soon after, so I had that side done too. With the second one I had a new implant fitted on the first side to match (the first implant was a little too large for the pocket that they had created) - it’s not perfect, but with clothes on it looks pretty good.
they don’t do strattice in many places I think. So I count myself lucky that I was able to have it.
best wishes
christine
Thanks for your reply Christine. I’m really considering stattice mesh now, speaking to more people who’s had it.
just feel nervous about having sential node biopsy done on Thursday xx
Hi
I had a stattice reconstruction in June this year. I’m very pleased with the result. It was quite hard to begin with but over time has settled down and is now soft - there is a lot of internal healing that takes time.
Thanks Claire for your message xx nice to know you were pleased too xx
hi hay123 just wanted to say i was recommended the strattice and was going to go for it, although fairly new in the uk, it has been used a lot in the US, not so much in the uk for BC, mainly for hernias. Perhaps ask your surgeon how many he/she has done (Mine had done over 25). I had researched in to it and was very happy and felt very lucky to be offered this method as it is much less invasive than the DF, although there is a minimaly slightly higher risk of infection than not using porcine, (you can ask what the exact %risks are), this is very minimal from my understanding and is not because it is strattice, but just because it is a foreign body being added in, the same with the implant. As I had asked a lot of question at the apt, the surgeon kindly looked into other options and there is even a newer one, which is veritas bovine membrane, from a cow rather than a pig. It is thinner both oath give excellent results, was the first time for him to use this. I decided to go for veritas although I knew it was higher risk being his first one, but as it is very similar to strattice and I thought even if it goes wrong I could advance some knowledge for others after me. I also asked to meet the sales lady from Baxter who supply veritas and did so while being prepped for surgery, and this was fab. I had my left mx with veritas on nov 1st, out the same day with 2 drains and have recovered well with no infections (Was given 2 wks of precautionary antibiotics). I would be very happy to go with either strattice or definitely veritas again if I ever have to have the other mx, I am sooo pleased with the recovery and the shape is amazing, even without a nipple duels was due to the pagetts, so nit sre if you get to keep yours. I had pagets and small amount of DCIS and found out today no other treatment required, which is fab. I have a nearly 3 yr old and 6 yr old. I had the op on the Thu during kids half term, was home that night as I mentioned. I was very mobile even with the drains in (had 2 for 5 days) and got used to carrying them around and was off the painkillers very quick. I would just suggest you ask as many questions as you want, my surgeon has been FAB, every time I go in with my iPad full of questions he is really happy to be asked. Good luck with your decision and the op. I am part of the younger women’s Facebook group if you want fancy chatting on there as well as here. There is a piccie of me coming out of hospital:) best wishes, Jayne
Sorry last message was so long! Meant to also say that I was soo nervous about my lymph biopsy too! I was really worried about the radioactive dye injection first (I had to go to one hospital in the morning for that and then over to another hospital for the lymph op at lunch time) but actually she said it would sting for a minute but it honestly didn’t! I laughed because it was so easy for me! And the recovery for the lymph op was great, I had 2 sentinel out in the end and the funny thing was how grey I looked from the blue dye and my wee was bright blue for a few hours! Drink plenty of water, it helps get it out of your system 
Thanks Jane for taking the time of explaining it to me, it of great comfort to hear that you were please too. I’m so worried about node biospy. Was yours negative??
Also how did your reconstruction breast look to the other one.
Can you send me link to Facebook Jane that you mention
Hi Hay123 I too had S.node biopsy in August before my mx. Was soooo scared. Please don’t be. Everybody knows what you will be going through and will put you at ease. You will lie there imagining all manner of things, blink and it’s all over! Please God you will have positive results. Let me and other ladies know how you get on. Thinking about you, be brave. Hugs from Capital xx
Hi Hay123, for the FB link you can search on ‘younger breast cancer network (uk)’ then send a message to Vicki Manchester, she will then add you, it’s private like this is :). For me the node biopsy actually was better than i could have imagined, I was apprehensive about having an op and this was smaller than the mx so sort of got me familiar with being in hospital, and how I would be post op/recovering, my lymph were clear New boob looks more pert, slightly larger version of my other one, its swollen still making the implant higher, but is expected to drop more to a sort of pear shape natural one. He has also said all along that I could have an uplift on the other side if I wanted to match/if it doesnt even up as they cannot guarantee what it will turn out like, but to be honest at the moment it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. It doesn’t move like my natural one yet but again it’s swollen a little and the sensation is different, with bra or clothes on you would know at all what I have just had done, hope this helps and good luck, Jayne
Hiya emma just read this thread in the gentics section and though it may be of interest as she had the strattice recon…
http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/community/forums/family-history-genetics/brca2-just-had-preventative-double-mastectomy-strattice-reconstruction#comment-2064890
im also in Vickis younger breast cancer network on FB so pop along and say hiya.
x