I had a single mastectomy and reconstruction with tissue expander on 16th December. All looked okay initially then skin flap went very bruised - and doctors were worried skin flap would die. Eventually much of the area picked up and bruisng went from very purple to reddish colour - except for small area at top of breast - which initially lost top layer of skin and then went black (told this was area of necrosis but skin may be okay underneath). I cam home on Sunday - but following day noticed a tiny bit of blood on tape covering stitches and that small area of necrotic tissue at top of breast had increased a bit. This morning I woke up and tape covering scar was very squidgy and there was a bit of brownish reddish fluid coming through the tape. I panicked and went to A and E. I saw a plastics doctor who took off the tape - and whole scar line was kind of open and there were places where the tissue may be dead - but he wasn’t sure. He said if rest of skin survived then I would not need a skin graft - but if exposed skin regressed - then that may be needed. It all sound so scary - and there is a risk that I would lose the implant. Though not necessarily. It seems like I have been unlucky - but they have seen other cases.
The nurse in the hospital decided to cover the whole breast - andjust had a quick look under this - and worried the smaller area at the top is getting worse (though was reassured that necrosis cannot spread to healthy tissue).
I am going back on Monday to have dressings changed.
I am just interested if anyone else has had a similar experience and what happened? And whether you were advised to cover the would in totality or encourage air to get to it… I hate the idea of having dead or dying skin/tissue attached to me… and just really scared about what will happen.
I had trouble/have trouble with my front and back wounds. The skin on the front oozed and a small patch on my LD recon boob kept doing so for about 3 weeks but it did heal with dressings on to begin with and just a small dressing to catch the oozing after a while. The oozing was brownish rather than blood coloured and I was told that it was stuff that needed to drain out. The scar there is fine, just a teensy bit wider than the rest. My back wound is still not healed and opened up after my first lot of chemo from what had been a line of darker barely oozing scar to a deep hole and about 2 inches across.
It is still healing despite having chemo (I understand from seeing you on other threads that you are having chemo too) but it takes time as there is dead tissue there and this has to dissolve first before the healthy tissue can fill up from inside and grow skin (apparently as long as the tissue underneath is healthy and granulating new skin will form on top).
I would leave well alone until Monday (difficult I know but if the dressings aren’t leaking then its best left to its own devices) and wait and see what your specialist says. I went to my A&E about a week after my op as my boob had stabbing pains and was getting bigger and this turned out to be a secondary bleed. but I was very reluctant to let the doctors there do anything and they were very reluctant to touch someone else’s work.
If it does become an issue and doesn’t heal normally there is lots they can do to get rid of dead tissue (honey has worked wonders on my wound and continues to) and deal with any scarring later if they don’t feel a graft is necessary.
If you need any advice just ask although obviously I can’t see your wound and am only an expert in my own, xxx
My dressings were completely soaked so had to go back to hospital today, but rang plastics ward and they gave me an actual time to go in. It is more apparent now as to which tissue is dead/dying. In the end I saw one of the plastics registrars who works with my consultant. After speaking to consultant - they’ve decided that I need to go in as either a day patient to have the dying/dead areas taken away and then close the wound with healthy surrounding tissue. I probably will not need a skin graft but will consent to that just in case. Apparently necrosis/tissue death of skin sparing flap happens n 15 - 20% of cases. Just guess I was on of the unlucky ones. I am having the operation early next week. Once I am through this stage I will ask the hospital about possible use of honey. I have also read maggots are nother option - but not sure I could handle that, even if they contained in a teabag!
Put something on your hair loss thread. Hope your surgery works well. Having an ongoing wound through chemo is a bind to say the least!!! I hope they can fix you with a bit of nipping and tucking so to speak!!
Manuka honey has done wonders for my wound - clearing the slough in 3 weeks that wasn’t cleared in 9 weeks!!! I have also brought my own and eaten a teaspoonful every day for about 2 months! I was looking at maggots, though initially I felt the same as you do, but in desparation (for want of a lie down bath 3 months post surgery!!!) I was willing to consider anything! I shouldn’t need them now and should be healed and have real skin in about a month!
That day, the kids are in bed early, OH will out of the house. I will be heading towards my new bed and bedding (have somewhat sensitivity to anything wound/smell related and thats an understatement!), having lain in a very deep, very bubbly bath, washed my bald (but baby fuzz growing!) head and new (never before seen prior to chemo) pjs! There will be a sign on the front door and bathroom door stating something along the lines of “bald woman bathing - fu*k off!!!” - can’t wait… sigh!
Thanks for your supportive reply - and for going onto the other strand to leave a message too. When I first registered on the forums I started posting on a few discussions, but it is a real effort to keep up with them all- I am mainly writing on the hair loss one now. Which one do you write on? I have actually managed to get into the bath - I start by sitting and then lie on my good side so I almost get the full immersion experience, taking care of course not to get the dressings wet. I am certainly going to get some of the honey you mentioned - which from reading elsewhere know it is best if it of medical grade.
You could also light a few scented candles in the bathroom - vanilla ones I like, and add a few drops of almond oil to the water to complement the bubbles.
Just to write all is now well - in case others are going through this. Just had corrective surgery - they got rid of dead tissue, cleaned expander reinserted it - and sewed me up. All healing normally this time around.
Glad to hear your wound is now healing Bright! I didn’t spot your post on the 28th, sorry! I tend to write on 1st FEC 2nd Oct for chemo support and Totally terrified aged 38 on younger women as I made some good friends post dx and facing surgery there. I saw my surgeon Weds who said if my back isn’t healed in 3 months he will look at a skin graft under local (!) but to be honest I am determined that it is going to be healed by then, my dead tissue has finally dissolved and the wound is healing from the inside out and is now only about 2mm deep - I just need skin to grow over the wound now then I shall be in that bath! My aim is to be up to my neck in bubbles by the beginning of March when I will have finished chemo and I can finally soak my active BC treatment away!!