everywhere i read there are ladies who have had surgery on themselves to reconstruct my plastic surgeon says that the best option for me is an expander which she will place directly after mx next week anyone else had this option cos read a few things that worry me about it and not sure what questions i could ask surgeon so thought other peoples experiences with the expander may help thanks
Hi, dont know if this helps but I was due to have a double diep a while back and a nurse made a mistake with my medication, I already had one masectomy and rads, chemo etc. but the 2nd was preventative. I ended up been given the option of a lesser op which was a masectomy with expander fitted already filled - I was out of hospital in 2 days and it wanst too bad, it looked almost normal too. However, if you are due to have rads it does have its complications. I had rads then and expander and it still caused me problems as capsulated etc.
Useful to get more opinions so that you can go armed with questions. Good luck xx
Hi Babes
I had an mx last year and had an expander fitted at the same time. I was out the following day as I didn’t have any drains. Mine is a temporary one so it will be replaced next year, but some surgeons now use permanent ones from the start. Either way the expander gets filled up with fluid from a port on the side of your ribs until the skin and muscle is sufficiently stretched. I’m very small so I’ve only had 2 fills, one at the time and another 6 weeks later. The muscle across my chest was quite sore for a good few weeks so it’s important to do your exercises, and try not to hunch over. If you have a permanent expander I understand they take the port out later under a local.
Find out from the surgeon what sort of expander you are having. Also what is your diagnosis? I was dx with DCIS but had the mx because the mass was behind the nipple and I was going to lose it anyway. However they found invasive cells after the mx so I had to have rads. Normally they won’t do a reconstruction with a tissue expander if you are having rads as the skin may be too fragile to stretch, but I had both my fills before I started rads. However, mine seems to be OK at the moment but I too have to watch out for capsulation. That’s why I’m not having my permanent implant until next year. However, the effect now isn’t too bad and provided I wear a padded bra and haul the remaining boob up to match the other which is slightly higher it looks OK. The port is annoying - it’s like a hard lump but I can live with it for a bit longer.
Also, before you make your decision find out whether there are any other options. Why are they recommending this type of reconstruction? I was told I didn’t have enough fat on my back or tummy for other types of recon. Also, once you have seen the surgeon see if you can get to chat everything through with your breast care nurse so it’s all clear in your head before you make the final decision.
Good luck, and post again if there is anything else you want to know, someone will always be along to help.
xxxxx
thanks for commenting i have high grade dcis all margins involved so was told only option was mx and because there is so much they are unsure till results come back whether further treatment is required like you i am also small plastic surgeon said that she would be unable to use any of me to do recon so expander is only other option was still in shock when i saw her so didnt really ask any questions think i will ring my nurse and talk to her
Hi there,hope all goes well for you on the 19th,I had bc 2 years ago I had a lumpectomy and full node clearance on one side,I had 6 cycles of chemotherapy,20 rads,the time flew by,which was a good thing,then at the end of last year I found out that I carried the brac2 gene.to cut a long story short,I chose to have a bilateral mx 4 months ago,as I had expanders implants fitted which I have had filled 3 times,now I am on the list to have my proper implants fitted.I am already really happy with how my new breast look,if anything they look better than my own breasts did,all I will need then is tattoos on the nipple area.I hope you get on ok,ask your surgeon and bc nurses as much as you want,write things down as sometimes I forget ,you will feel better when you have your surgery and get a plan of action,sometimes not knowing,makes things feel worse.Take care Sandy x
Hi
I had an mx and immediate recon with expander implant at the end of Jan. I was a DD so had the largest implant inserted. It will hold up to a ltr but has only had two small fills so far but I had a haematoma whilst in recovery so needed a second op immediately to remove a clot and a lot of blood (though this is very rare so don’t panic). I had to have 3 drains and stay in hospital for a week. It is a permanent expander and my surgeon has suggested I keep it in, I have a Becker implant and he said they easily last 10 years like normal implants and it will give him the ability to adjust if required later on as I am trying to lose some weight and this could affect things. My port is on the side of my boob and doesn’t bother me at all and it does not hurt when filled. Biggest problem I have had is the nerve ending damage following the mx and my body adjusting to the implant. This is improving all the time and I am on Amitriptyline for a few months to assist with the discomfort. I will also need a reduction on my good side later to match up as I have the biggest implant possible. My scars are very good and my surgeon has even managed to make something like a nipple and it all looks very normal, just wish my good boob was not so droopy… as I still need more fills and my good side needs to be reduced, I am quite lopsided but with a special mx bra and the cumfie prosthesis they should give you, if you need it, everything g looks fine with clothes on.
Would certainly recommend you check the type of implant, if temporary or permanent and impact of nerve damage etc… I didn’t need axilla clearance, if you don’t please check the exercises they give you. I religiously did them as advised by the physio but my surgeon told me that they were not the best new for me as I was actually doing more harm than good, especially after the haematoma. I found that just normal movements, albeit slower than normal, worked best for me and allowed me to get back to normal activities quite quickly.
Good luck and keep us posted
L x
I had a double Mx (one elective) with Becker expanders. It took a while for them to settle and I think about 2 months before I was anything like comfortable with them. The ports are OK on one side and more pronounced on the other side. Sleeping on my side was uncomfortable for a while, and sleeping on my front is still only OK if I either pull myself up onto the pillows so my boobs are just at the edge or the mattress is very soft.
I have experienced an amount of rippling - it’s better when I’m filled but after a while it goes again. There’s been talk of lipofilling, but I may just have these replaced with silicone ones, or I could have the DIEP flap but will end up with much smaller boobs.
Anyway, good luck with yours!