I am 40 and was dx in feb with bc. I had 2 tumors and chose to have a MX with immediate recon (the only reason I decided I would have the MX was that they promised I could have and implant straight away).
I had healing issues straight from the start as I had a reaction to the surgical glue they used - the wound ended up getting infected, but in recent weeks seemed to be healing at last. I have had weekly visits to hospital to keep a check of things.
Last thursday my surgeon said that things seemed to be getting better and that I had a fighting chance that things would heal. But today I saw him and he said the implant needed to come out and the scare tissue removed. I am sooooo soooo sad about this.
My op in planned for Monday. He will try and preserve the skin and when the wound has healed with try and put tissue expanders in - all I keep thinking is that he told me at the very begining I would get a much better cosmetic result if the implant was inserted at the same time I had the MX.
I am so worried that I wont cope very well emotionally when I just look down and see a flat flap of skin - after all Ive been through this now seems the hardest part emotinally.
Has anyone had a similar experience - can the breast look ok with a delayed recon with strattice and implant?
Sorry you haven’t had any replies just yet, but I’m sure someone will be along soon to give you some support. In the meantime our helpline is open today until 5pm if you would like to talk to someone in confidence. Calls are free 0808 800 6000.
I am so sorry you got this news after such a long time. I can’t offer any advice as I have not had a reconstruction since my MX, but can reassure you that, providing you have a well fitting bra, living with a prosthetic is OK and not obvious. Will be thinking of you on Monday, fingers crossed for swift healing and successful future treatments. Big hugs, xx
Hi meemoo sorry to hear that you are having problems with your implant, I had to have my implant removed as it had moved to the side and I was having a lot of pain. Since having it removed I have no pain and as I’m a size 16 it does not look much different, and as I’m in no pain I’m not thinking about it all the time. So I feel fine about it emotinaly and just wear my silicon in my bra, and people can not tell the difference.
Hope this has helped a little. Hope it goes ok Monday.
Carol.
Thank you - it does help. It’s such a disapointment and I do feel alone in this.
Mungosmum - you are star and thank you for the hug. So pleased you are on your last treatment.
Carolann - did you have a mx before you had your implant in (and then subsequently out) - sorry you had to go through this but so pleased and encouraged you have dealt with it well emotionally.
Ii had an immediate reconn with expander, 6 months down the line from the op, I got an infection, and had to have the expander removed, and no implant in. But my reconn boob is only slightly smaller than my natural floppy one, I am mor ethan pleased with the outcome.
I think I also hated the word Failed, I felt i was a bit of a let down, sure yours will turn out fine in the end.
Meemoo I am similar to you although mine is bilateral mx with immediate recon with Becker expander implants had my op 2 May. The left is beginning to look good and that is the side I have just had BC. The right is another story as rads from 14 years ago has damaged pec muscle and also skin so I am not healing and surgeon is not sure he will be able to inflate as he does not think muscle will stand it. A couple of weeks ago he said implant was to come out due to the trouble healing but I asked for a little more time and now it is gradually improving. Long term I might still have to more surgery if inflation does not work. Do you have an infection? Or is it just not healing ? If no infection could you not ask for a little more time ?
Thinking of you know how you feel it is very disheartening
It is sooo dissappointing when the promised reconstructions don’t turn out to be as wonderful as we hope they will be.
My delayed pediculed tram flap reconstruction went necrotic right from the start due to the damage caused by radiation treatments after chemotherapy and mastectomy. The skin and blood vessels just weren’t robust enough on one side of my chest. I have ended up with a B cup reconstruction and a D cup on the good side. Still have an open wound that needs packing and dressing 3 months after surgery. BUT I am getting there and I can live with what I have. I have been called vain for going in for reconstruction - but I don’t think that they understand what it is like to lose a breast.
I am delighted with how my chest looks - the horrid horizontal scar and most of the dark skin has gone and in it’s place is a rather delightful pale boob that is just crying out for a nipple tattoo - how vain am I!!
Hope all turns out well for everyone reading this thread. I am just delighted to be still here x
Sorry to hear that you are having problems. I had mx and immediate LD flap reconstruction with implant last June. The implant has gone hard due to the radiotherapy so this weekend I am going into hospital to have the implant removed and replaced and some scar tissue cut away. I am hoping that this will result in a much more natural reconstruction but who knows!!! Good luck xx
Hi meemoo, When i had my mx they put the implant with tissue exspander in at the same time, It was not filled with any water till after my rads. Just before that the implant started to move round and was getting painfull by end of rads it had slipped from under my mussle completly. Once I was not so sore after rads they tried to fill it to see if it would move back, but unfortunatly it just made it worse. Thats when the surgen and I decsied to remove it, which was done in March, I had seen a plastic surgen before that time to talk about reconstruction. He said he could not do the back flap as he would have to use an implant again which would not work as my body had already rejected one, and he thought that might happen again. To do the stomach one would be ok as he said I had plenty to make a good boob, but unfortunatly I suffer from and ongoing back problem which would be much worse after the surgery, and as I did not want to do any thing to make my back any worse I thought i would just see how I coped without any thing. Thought I may change my mind in the summer months when we wear less clothes, but so far so good, also I’m been married to a wonderful man for 27years who said he could also cope with just one lol. Plus once I found the wright bras and silicon plus swim suits, to me it looks no different to any women. Yes it does when we undress and even that I am getting use to.
Hope your op went well on Monday and please come back on and let use know.
Carol.
Hi
S/Trouper - How on earth could anybody call a women who wants their breast reconstructed after going through breast cancer VAIN - that makes me SOOOOOO cross. I am very glad that you are now delighted with your end results. I have heard that the nipple tattoos are amazing. My surgeon even sugested that I elected to have my nipple removed so that it could be tattooed back in the most symetrical place. (I decided to keep my own).
Wolsty - Wishing you all the best for your implant replacement - and a speedy recovery
C7 - My op went really well (I cant believe I, saying that!). He removed the implant and kept most of the skin so when I heal this time he can try an put in a new implant. I understand what your saying about how you have got use to things. I thought I would be really upset to see my flat chest but I’m ok with it I think - you sound like a very positive women who has a lovely husband. x
Hi meemoo
I’m really glad to hear your op went well and that you’re feeling ok about your flat chest.
Your story is very similar to mine. I have a BRCA2 mutation and I had a bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy with immediate recon using strattice and implants in December.
My left side healed very well and looks amazing but my right nipple went a bit necrotic and after watching and hoping for a couple of months, the scab came off exposing the implant so it had to be removed. I was totally devastated but, like you, it really didn’t take long for me to get used to my new appearance. My husband was extremely supportive and within a matter of days life returned to normal and I spent very little time thinking about it.
With the implant gone (and tests showed there was no infection) I healed very quickly and 6 weeks later, I had surgery to place an expander. This has been expanded quite gradually (they have been very conservative because of my previous healing issues) and I’m now booked in for my exchange surgery three weeks from today.
It has been a much longer journey than I anticipated, and having three surgeries in just over three months definitely took its toll on my energy levels etc… but I have surprised myself with how well I’ve coped. I’m nervous about my next surgery but hopefully it will all be straightforward and I will be able to move forward with my life with beautiful new boobs! And I will appreciate them all the more for the complications I have had along the way.
All the very best
Emma
Gosh … our story is so similar. I am so glad that you have healed well and that you can look forward to the implant being replaced (with NO problems this time ). It does make it a long journey but the finishing line is now well and truely in site for you. Have you got a date for surgery yet?
I wish you and your beautiful new boobs lots of future happiness (I think we all deserve that!)
Hi meemo
i had double reconstruction 2 years ago. However, it didn’t go according to plan and on the day, due to an infection following SNB, surgeons insisted they did skin-sparing mx of left breast and wait 3 weeks to do other mx and double LD flap. Like you, I never wanted a time without a breast… So it was not nice for 3 weeks and I was worried about all sorts.unfortunately I had further problems with haemorrhaging on the left side during the reconstruction and so i had a tissue expander put in on the left side and had it replaced with an implant at a later date.the left is still not as great as the right and I have had 2 further surgeries to improve the shape and deal with scarring and CC. 2 years down the line, I am used to them and the surgery has not stopped me wearing bikinis and evening gowns. I am really pleased I went through all the surgery because even though they are not perfect, in clothes they look amazing and quite frankly I can go braless on holiday and there are not many 48 year olds who can do that!
Hang on in there. some people have a more complicated outcome and it can be a really long journey (I still haven’t had nipple reconstruction…) but take heart that most plastic surgeons will listen to your concerns and will also want the best result possible in the end…x
I had right mastectomy in 2010 and they put in an expander, which they attempted to expand but I kept develping cellulitis and had to keep having it drained so it was eventually removed. I then had a prosthetic boob until after radiotherapy when I had reconstruction from my tummy as they could not do a back flap as they had found lung cancer when testing me for chemo !! lucky they say lol. They lifted my other boob to match in 2011 and from a distance it looks ok. I say I look like a patchwork quilt close up and I did have a few healing problems but all seems ok. I continue on tamoxifen. Good luck on your journey. My plastic surgeon did do a teaching session on the breast cancer moving forward programme which I found so useful, so do check if there is anything available for you.
