Posted on behalf of new user greengage
Jo, Facilitator
I am scheduled for a mastectomy on the 1st October. I was diagnosed in July and told that this would be the treatment. I am lucky enough to have been able to go for immediate reconstruction. After much pain, heartache and indecision I have chosen to go for the SGAP. This is where tissue from your buttock is used to create a new breast.
I wondered if anyone out there had received this type of reconstruction? I would be keen to hear from anyone on hints and tips ‘pre’ and ‘post op’.
I love sport and keen to know as well whether sport has been okay after this type of surgery?
This all sounds a bit clinical. It’s the only way I am dealing with this. Waiting seems to be the worst thing and all the nighmares.
I am hoping someone out there can help as there are not any BCC volunteers that have had this treatment that I can talk to.
I am not keen on computers……….only taken me 5 weeks to go online!
Hi there,
I’m afraid I haven’t had an SGAP reconstruction but I have had an IGAP which is similar but the fat is taken from the top of the thigh as opposed to the buttock. Mime was a delayed reconstruction (6 years) and this was the only option open to me as I am quite slim so don’t have a lot of fat anywhere else (yes I know most women hate me lol!).
The operation itself is quite long (mine was about 8 hours) as there is a lot of microsurgery and for the first 24 hours you are monitored every half an hour to make sure the new blood supply doesn’t fail. This will probably be your most anxious time. My main problem was sleeping as you have to lie on your back, keeping your leg straight for days afterwards. The pain was manageable and mostly in my leg rather than the breast. I must say I was hugely disappointed when I first saw the breast as it just looked like a hard lump and I don’t think I had been prepared enough for that. I now know that most women require “tidying up” with some lipofilling at a later stage (which is what I’m going through now). So my main advice to you would be to not expect too much too soon, though of course you may be one of the lucky ones for whom the result is great from day one, but just be prepared that it might not look as you had hoped it would at first.
My recovery was fairly quick. I am a very fit & active person and I was soon back to doing everything I used to do with no problems at all. Please feel free if you want to ask me anything else because, like you, I found that very few womwn have had this type of reconstruction so us raritites need to stick together. I will be thinking of you on the 1st October and hoping all goes well.
lbx157
Thank you so much for your lovely message. I have struggled with this site and trying to get online. I was so delighted afte rso many days to get a reply and I cried.
I think at the moment I am just scared about the operation itself, as for what the result looks like I am trying not to even think about it. It is really good to hear from someone who has gone back to being active after this type of surgery as that is one of the things that worries me the most. I use sport as my outlet form work, teenage kids, a sometimes travelling husband and mad dog!
Can I ask some daft questions?
Did you spend lots of money on supportive long pants? I have just looked online and the ones the nurse recommended are £62 a pair. I did not envisage having to take out a second mortagage aswell!
How quickly were you walking round outside ?
How many days before your op did you shower with the hibi scrub? I was aiming to try to look glamorous next monday so that the surgeon tried harder to go for the best he could> However if I use this scrub more than once I am going to look like I have have cronic sunburn.
I would be so thrilled if you could answer,
Kind Regards
xx
Thanks Liz,
You are right, I was hoping there was a magic answer out there, with magic treatment. The more you read, the more you realise it is a very personal thing and it also comes down to your level of trust in your surgeon I think.
As of this week, with just a few days to go now, I am feeling okay with my choice, just scared in a way I never have been before.
Thank you for searching through for me, as you can probably guess I have never used a chat room before and I struggle to find everything!
