unsatisfactory tissue expander implant

Hello Ladies

I’m posting a question on behalf of my friend Gaynor who I met up with today, we’re both 12 months post mx and she had completed her tissue expander reconstruction surgery, she doesn’t use the forums so I said I’d get some advice from those in the know!
Gaynor is not satisfied with her new reconstruction it was carried out end of March and has settled down, she had an uplift on the unaffected side also. The reconstruction is much smaller than her other side- has this happened to anyone out there? What is the solution, does she have the unaffected side reduced to fit the reconstruction or can the reconstruction be modified to fit the good side?
Any help or advice gratefully received.

Jude

Jude

It sounds as if she may have had radiotherapy? If so then she is most likely to achieve symmetry by having the “good” side reduced because radiotherapy is so damaging that the skin will only stretch so far before becoming too thin and in any case the elesticity is limited especially after radiotherapy.
If she didn’t have RT then perhaps the expander needs to be topped up further to get better volume.
Expanders are pretty awful and are often eventually swapped for anatomical impplants which can (not always) give better shape.
It’s early days - 2 months - so perhaps things need a bit more time. Hopefully she has a sympathetic surgeon who hasn’t just discharged her to “get on with life” as so many of them think we should do.
Having the good side altered is quite a leap but plenty of women do it and find it helps although beware loss of feeling/sensation that comes with that - something women are not always warned about.

Best wishes
CM

Hi CM

thank you for that, I’ll pass it on. Gaynor didn’t have RT only chemo (‘only’ said tongue in cheek!!) Is it possible then to have the expander topped up? that seems like the better option rather than more surgery on the good side.
She has a wonderful surgeon so I’m sure that this can be resolved.
Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Jude
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