Would be interested to hear from anyone who has had LD flap recon on one side and a redfuction on their good side to match. I am considering having this done after my TNBC diagnosis and recurrence. I have a 2 year old and am worried about how long I’ll be out of action and unable to look after my toddler. Been to see surgeon and he was talking more about having the op done from my tummy but I think the recovery will be too long. Not keen on waiting about 9 months to have reduction on good side and would be interested to know how anyone else coped with two different size boobs. My current boob is a DD and they say they can “build” me a b or small c (from the tummy) x
hello Darlojo
Whislt waiting for replies maybe you could give our Helpline a call, the free phone number is 0808 800 6000 and the lines are open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 5.00 and Saturday 10.00 to 2.00.
We also have a Service called Peer Support, where you can talk on a one to one basis to volunteer who has had an experience similar to what you are considering. Here is the link to this service
breastcancercare.org.uk/breast-cancer-services/someone-talk/one-one-support
best wishes
June, moderator
Hi, I had an LD immediate recon back in 2010, with a slight reduction and uplift of my good side. At the time I had lost a lot of weight through the Chemo and divorce stress so had gone down to roughly a C cup and was quite symmetrical (but not totally) when they did the op. Since then I have gained weight again, (which I am not so happy about)… my good side has got bigger with the weight gain unlike my LD flap so am now uneven. I have had 3 lots of lipofilling to try and regain the symmetry but due to Rads damage nearly all the fat re absorbed and am back to square one. Am now waiting for an appointment for a review of the last lot of fat transfer I had a couple of months ago. I am hoping to ask if there is an opportunity to have an implant inserted instead with a smaller one in my good side to even me up size wise as, otherwise I’d be left with droopy and perky! The plastic surgeon seems to want rid of me though and said I might just have to learn to live with the fact that I won’t be the same as I was before BC! I understand that but I am not happy with the way I am now so surely I deserve to follow up every possible solution after everything I’ve been through?!
As for recovery time, I stayed with my Mum for a week as I also have 2 boys who were 5 and 8 at the time so not quite as bad as having a toddler to pick up! Do you have family that could help out? The main problem I had was getting used to the feeling in my back from where the muscle was taken…it felt very restricted and almost felt like it creaked when I moved! A very wierd feeling! Also the measuring and upkeep of the 4 drains I had to carry round for a week or more was annoying. Pain wise, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of it…more discomfort than anything, but I might just have been lucky. All I can advise is that if you want to go ahead with it and wouldn’t be happy without, then go for it! We all struggle through some how, cos as mothers we have to! Oh and by the way…I’m TN too!
Jen
Hi Darlojo,
I have gone pretty much exactly the route you describe from the same starting cup size. I had a skin -sparing mastecomy and immediate LD recon in Feb 2011 and finally reached the top of the wait list for my reduction to the ‘good’ boob in Feb 2013. Now I have a lovely, matching pair, and am on a waiting list for tattooing but will probably not opt for nipple recon as it will be tricky to get a good match with my itsy bitsy real one!.
My plastic surgeon said she could make a ‘good C’ cup without any need for implant (which she was not keen to use), which would have left me decidely lop-sided as I was DD. In the end I have a C - D cup on that size (depends on make of bra) and my reduction has given me a D on the healthy side. I am a happy to be smaller and more symmetrical.
In terms of recovery, the first couple of weeks are the most significant after LD recon as you have to be very careful with the affected arm, and must not use it to push yourself up in bed, etc. No hoovering or grass-cutting and no heavy lifting for a minimum of six, and preferrably 12 weeks. Heavy lifting btw turns out to be anything over ~5kg/10lbs with that hand in its own or over 3lb/1,5kg if above head height. Can be tricky with little children, but hopefully you will be able to use your ‘good’ arm normally. I was in hospital for a week - slightly longer than average - as I live alone and as I developed a persisitent seroma on my back (sorted in out patient wound clinic with a steroid injection) but was able to fend for myslef formthe outset (except for heavy housework).
For the reduction I was in overnight and back to work three days later (would have been next day of it hadn’t been a weekend!). Again there were restrictions on use of the arm on the affected side for the first six weeks, but these were not long term and I now use that arm (which is my dominant hand) totally normally.
With both lots of surgery, I did the exercises religiously - and still do on the recon side, and been told I need to for life - which helps to keep the joints moving and prevents scars getting too tight.
Hope all goes well for you and that your end-product is as lovely as mine.
Thanks ladies for the info and advice. Had either of you had lymphoedema on the affected side as I’m wondering if the surgery made it any worse. Also because I haven’t had it done straight away there is no spare skin and I would say I’m quite sunken and the skin over the breast is very thin, the whole thing seems so much to take in after we’ve all had chemo/rads etc etc.
Jen, I can’t believe what you’ve had to go through and still your not happy with the result - its the least you deserve.
Ladies - what does the reduction involve, is it “simply” cutting under boob, taking some away and then removing/replacing nipple, phew!! I would be happy with two small ones as long as they were similar although the guy that carried out my MX did say I could have the other boob removed as he thinks I have a susceptibility to cancer! I don’t have a BRCA gene fault but because of the quick recurrence he said this! X
Hello again.
Lymphoedema - so far so good, but I am boringly good at looking after my at risk arm! Sometimes if I’ve used the arm a lot it feels a bit heavy but thus far it always recovers. As you know, this is not due to the recon but the removal of lymph nodes. I don’t know if a delayed recon has a greater risk of this.
There are various ‘patterns’ for reduction. Mine was the most common I think, and is called a ‘Wise pattern’ or ‘anchor pattern’ the latter being what they say the scar looks like… I describe it as a teddy bear smile (if that’s not too crass). My surgeon toook away just over 250g of breast tissue (which had full pathology as a matter of course, two kinds of benign changes but no nasties) and lifted the nipple areola to be closer to the psoition of the circular ‘patch’ on my recon. So I have scars around the areola, vertically down from that to the bottom of the breast and then the ‘smile’ which is a long scar along the underside of the breast (so if you imagine an embroidered nose and mouth on a teddy bear…). They are already fading well. There are other patterns (such as the lollipop shape) so it may be worth asking your surgeon which pattern he uses.
Hope that helps!
Hiya
I had a WLE to begin with and an axillary clearance at the same time, followed by chemo, then the MX with immediate recon and I didn’t have any probs with lymphodema…same as RevCat, I sometimes get an aching or heavyness in my arm but don’t get any swelling. I never do exercises any more…just looking after my 2 boys and every day life I think gives me plenty of exercise.
With regards to you worrying about your skin, as far as I know with a delayed recon when they take the muscle from your back they take it with skin attached and that is used to reform your breast. If you do a google search of “delayed ld flap reconstruction” you should find pictures including before and after. That really helps cos I know that it is worrying wondering what things are going to look like, even though everyones situation and results are slightly different you will get a general idea.
My reduction/uplift was the lollipop style and that is the most basic. I think it all depends on how much they need to remove as to what style you will need. Would you be happier with another MX to minimise the risk? If you would, then it should be something you should push for with your surgeon then they could rebuild a matching pair, so to speak.
Hi, thanks again for the replies girls, I’ll go and have a look on Google and take a look at some pics x
Hi
It will be two years to the day this Friday since I had an LD flap recon - initially with fixed implant but later swapped for a tissue expander as I had a skin healing problem.
Just under a year later - last June - I had a reduction and uplift on my good side, (plus new nipple recon) leaving me with a perfectly acceptable D cup (I had been a DD and C post MX) I won’t fib - recovery was quite slow and painful but that was partly my fault for treating it as a ‘cosmetic’ procedure. After about eight weeks though the discomfort eased and I was able to finish off the job with a nipple tattoo.
I have to say, the results are pleasing. The scarring on my good side has faded a lot, my new nipple, though flatter, looks real enough and I’m now confident enough to strip off (quickly) when changing into my swimming cossie at the gym.
I’m 51 and a size 14 so am not intimidated by the gym bunnies! Must share with you though my (literally) uplifting experience.
Last week, while buying a pretty v neck, wrap over summer dress in a department store, I got chatting to an older lady shopper about our respective purchases. She commented on how nice the dress was and I agreed it was very flattering on the fuller figure. She replied “oh you can wear that. You’ve got a great bustline.” I could have kissed her!! What a testament to the skills of my lovely surgeon and her team.
Lou XXXXX
Hi Lou,
what a lovely comment about the bustline! Thank you for much all of you for responding to my query, I’m off to see my breast surgeon tomorrow so will have a word with him about it all - thanks again
Jo x