I hate my incisions!

Footsox6

I hate my incisions!

Footsox6

I am so stressed out over these awful incisions. I had a bilateral mastectomy in June 2007. Since then, my incisions have been humpy, and contorted, and wrinkled and everything else you can imagine. They are disgusting. I have a large pocket of fat under one arm, and wrinkly bumpy stuff under my other arm. Right in the front, I have these two little humps where each incision starts. The under arm "bunches" even extend around to my back somewhat on both sides. I hate all this! I am considering plastic surgery, but I don't know if my insurance will cover it. I do not want reconstruction -- I just want to have these awful humpy things fixed or flattened. Any advice?



I have considered suing this surgeon. I am so disfigured!! I have cried countless times over this awful chest I now have. To top it off, it is so uncomfortable, and scratchie, and just plain in the way of all my clothes. I really don't want this to happen to other women. The surgeon just kept telling me to "stretch your arms." He is an idiot. I did arm stretches for months - every day, and no change.



What can I do? I guess I will make an appointment with a plastic surgeon and see what their advice is. I am kind of scared of a plastic surgeon -- what if I end up with another "hack surgeon?" What if I end up with more disasterous humps and wrinkles on my chest? Please give me advice. I am about ready to jump off a cliff. I hate this body of mine..... Thanks for listening....



Yolanda

Erica3681

Yolanda,

I'm really sorry that you have had this result. It shouldn't be this way. A plastic surgeon can almost certainly revise the incisions and neaten up the entire area. I had a wonderful breast surgeon who left me with a nice flat chest and thin symmetrical incisions. This is the result you're entitled to. My bs also told me that on a number of occasions she's had to "redo" mastectomies because the surgeon left too much breast tissue. Since you feel your surgeon is an "idiot", it might be worth seeing a good breast surgeon, too. If you need to have your incisions fixed up, it might be worth making sure that he did a decent job with the most important part--getting rid of as much breast tissue as possible.

Don't despair. This can be made much better.

Barbara

BreastFree.org    

SLH

Some drs do not know how to be tidy with incisions. When I was 17, I had my appendix out and the dr gave me a vertical 5" scar down the center of my stomach! Most people have a tiny 1" horizontal scar. I guess some feel they need "elbow" room to get the job done!



Find another who has an artistic touch.



sally

AlaskaDeb

You need to ask for a scar revision surgery.  A plastic surgeon or even a good general surgeon can do it for you.  Be VERY specific with what you want.  Your insurance should cover it.  My chest if very lumpy and bumpy too, but it doesn't bother me enough to have surgery again, but if your doesn't make you happy, make them fix it until you are pleased with the results.

Good Luck!

Deb C

Jen44

Hey Yolanda,

I was wondering if you told your surgeon ahead of time that were not going to have any reconstruction done.  The reason I ask is because I also have lumpy, bumpy mounds but that is because my surgeon did skin sparring in case I wanted to do reconstruction later.  She told me that if I decided to have reconstruction it would be easier with the extra skin.  She also told me that once all is said and done and I decided not to have reconstruction that a scar revision surgery could be done to smooth me out.  I knew that insurances covered reconstruction after mastectomy, but I wasn't sure about the smoothing thing.  My surgeon told me that it should be covered just as if it we reconstruction because it was still completing things after the mastectomy. 

I don't know if your surgeon was incompetent because I am not there.  I just thought I would see if maybe there was another reason for the results.  Either way, if you no longer trust him then you should definitely look for someone new.  The main thing is for you to feel comfortable.  Good luck and let us know how things go.

Jenny

Footsox6

I definitely told my surgeon that I had already decided not to have reconstruction. He did not make me sign anything to that effect. I think his main faults are that 1.) He does a LOT of these surgeries and 2.) He does not listen very well or care.



Immediately after the surgery, he told my husband that he removed one lymph node on each side and they were both clear. He also told this to me a few hours after the surgery, when he came to the hospital room. A few days later, I had sense enough to get a copy of the pathology report and read it and he removed 12 lymph nodes - 2 of them that were positive. I am seriously thinking about suing him for damages. (And I am not the lawsuit type) I just don't want other women in my area to think they are getting a good surgeon and then end up with all these bumps and humps. It is so depressing. It has changed my life more than cancer has.



I am going to post photos soon (here) and perhaps I will get more comments on this. I just can't imagine other women have all this bumpiness and are easy going about it. Hopefully, some women will look at the photos and tell me if I am "normal" or if I am really screwed up from this surgery. Thanks for all your advice. I'll post again when I get the photos to post. I appreciate all your advice. It really helps me. Thanks.



Yolanda

SusaninSF

Yolanda,

TimTam who's a member of this site runs a board with photos. There is a section for those without reconstruction. You can pm TimTam to get the login information. By taking a look at those pictures or those on breastfree.org you can get a better idea of what some others look like. I know it was eye opening for me as I have a kind of trench across my chest. Not bad enough for me to face yet another surgery but I know there are some women who post here who have had the scar revision surgery.

The story about your surgeon lying about the path report is seriously scary! Perhaps you could bring your findings up with the hospital he's affiliated with. It's too bad but we really have to be advocates for ourselves in this process. You should also be talking to an oncologist about the path report if there were positive nodes.  Did you have chemotherapy?

- Susan

Erica3681

Yolanda,

Also, if you check out the "Photographs" section at BreastFree.org, you'll find some photos of women who have had nice results from mastectomy surgery.  

p.s. oops, after I posted this, I saw Susan also mentioned BreastFree.org--sorry! 

nagem

Yolanda, I want to encourage you to follow through and get your scars revised. I had a bilateral mastectomy a year ago and told my surgeon I wanted to look like a 10-year-old boy, competely flat. I got precisely what I asked for. I'm not thrilled that I bear the scars of my cancer, but my chest is comfortable and not an embarrassment to me. You are entitled to the same treatment. Where do you live? I would be happy to give you the name of my wonderful breast surgeon if you live in the New York area.



Most important, however, is that you pursue the issue of the misreported pathology results. Lymph nodes are huge factors in follow-up treatment. Misinforming you about them is unconscionable. You owe it to your sisters to report this guy to his superiors.



Wishing you the best of health ...

Footsox6

Thanks everyone for the advice. I have already been to breastfree.org and it is a nice site. I am so thankful for those willing to post their photos. It helps me a great deal to see if I am really awful looking or somewhat normal. (I am really awful). But I would not even know this, had it not been for seeing photos of others. I am going to take photos of my own scars soon, and perhaps I can help others too.



As for the surgeon... and the pathology report - I got the pathology report and have a good oncologist now. I am going through chemo and everone I am dealing with now knows about the lymph nodes. It irks me that this surgeon does so many of these, that the surgery is like assembly line surgery and he can't keep his patients straight. I will certainly report him. I am just getting my ducks in a row and mulling over the possibility of a lawsuit. Since I am a cancer patient, I don't want to spend countless hours of my life with lawyers because of this guy, but I also feel I have an obligation to other women in my area, that if a lawsuit was filed, it would be on the records for other to see..... It is a lot to mull over....



Thank you all again. If anyone has any other suggestions, please post your thoughts here. Thank you all so much.



Yolanda

prayrv

Yolanda,

If sueing is not an option, maybe contacting the media about your story would be one.  Lots of media attention would help our sisters in your area.

Take Care.

Trish

ilene

I have just  reentered this site after a little more than a year. I sold my house and bought a condo and have been very slow getting organized. I had a bilateral mastectomy in June 2005. My oncologist sugested using Vit.E cream to massage the area every day which I have been doing since. To be honest my scars are almost invisible when looking in the bathroom mirror.I don't think that the cream is doing anything now but it has become a habit. I definitely think that if your areas are as bad as they sound there is something not quite right and you should question your surgeon as to why. Hope you can get some answers and help.

Riverwoman

I hate mine, too. My surgeon was more about reconstruction than getting me cancer free.

He left 'dog ears' for later reconstruction that he was sure I would want.. now this is what I look like!

SLH

Hi Riverwoman,

Love your style.  Hate your surgeon.

I'm trying to find the inner strength to have my implants of 2 1/2 yrs removed.  They are very uncomfortable, digging into my ribs, and shifting under my arms when I lift anything heavy.  I'm nervous that my pec muscles will be stretched out and the dr won't be able to flatten my chest.

I also have a big vertical abdominal scar like yours.  I had my bilateral in March'05, final implant surgery Sept'05, hysterectomy Oct'05, and then an emergency surgery April'06 for scar tissue wrapping around my intestines!

I think you should have a new ps tidy up your scars.  Flat chest with straight scars.  A nice rebirth-day gift to yourself!

sally 

   

SLH

A few more words...

When I first had my bilateral surgery, I had an immediate expander placed.  But I was surprised to see that the side that was done by my surgeon was very tidy and straight.  The other side, done by my PS, was not "pretty".  The skin was hanging down more, and the scar was crooked.  In fact, there was a little pucker, like the start of a nipple in the wrong place.

I complained to the surgeon that I didn't match, and she said that the PS was just preparing for the implant and nipple construction.

Yolanda and Riverwoman, I'm sure that is why they left you with hanging, loose skin.  But it should be pretty easy for a PS to clean it up. 

SusaninSF

SLH,

I had a failed reconstruction with an implant and it felt so great to finally get rid of that thing. Like you, I found it to be really uncomfortable. I have read that your pec muscle goes right back to normal and I have found that to be true. My PS did say that the incision wouldn't look as good because there is a kind of a ridge that forms below the implant. He did say that that would diminish over time and that seems to be true. I don't have a nice pretty scar like many women I have seen but I assume that at some point I can have scar revision surgery if I want to. I'll post some pics when I finally replace my broken digital camera.

- Susan

ilene

I guess I am very lucky.I had my surgery-bilateral-in June 2005. At my first visit to my Onc. after surgery she told me to massage ths scarred areas with Vit.E cream to prevent the areas from becoming adhered to the chest wall as they healed. I did that and am still doing it over two years later-just habit.The outcome is that standing in front of my bathroon mirror my scars are barely visisble. Maybe this would help even old incisions. Eileen

Footsox6

Riverwoman. You are an inspiration!! Thank you so very much. My scars/dog ears look very similar to yours. I remember telling my surgeon that I had already decided on NO reconstruction and I remember him brushing it off with some comment. Little did I know how important it was to emphasize this with your surgeon. I have now learned. They should make you sign a form with a witness that you do not want reconstruction, and they should explain the difference if they leave "dog ears" versus not leaving any "extra" for reconstruction. I have learned the hard way. Perhaps people who haven't had their surgery yet, will find this thread and know what to ask.



I have just gotten through my last chemo session so am pretty exhausted. I figure when I start feeling more normal (perhaps mid-january) I'll start searching for a good plastic surgeon. I want to thank you for posting your photo. You are fantastic for taking the time and posting it. You have probably helped hundreds of us or many more. Thank you so much. Good luck. I'll post back here about my search for a plastic surgeon and perhaps this thread will help some other women.



Yolanda

SLH

I'd hate to think that surgeons leave a "mess" to tidy up in order to make more money on the next go-around!

But they might be cautious about a woman changing her mind after having a boobless body.  As long as the extra skin is there, the implant can be placed weeks, months, or even years after.  But without the extra skin, it's a more complex plastics job.

sally 

sbono

I hate my incisions also. I had a left breast mastectomy

and left me with alot of skin,bumps and fat under my arm pit.

I had to have radiation and was burned really bad..So now the Oncologist says no surgery after radiation ..just live with it...I feel like there is a potato under my arm...its driving me crazy. JA

nagem

My suggestion: give it a few months and then raise the issue again. Once your radiation burns heal, and you see what condition your skin is in, your doctor may reconsider. I decided that I wanted to have a bilateral mastectomy after I had finished treatment since I had high-grade LCIS in the margins and my cancer has a relatively high recurrence rate. I was told my prospects for a good result were much better if I waited six months after radiation. I did so, and had no trouble healing. Also, are you sure the potato is flesh and not fluid? Would an aspiration help? Best of luck to you

SLH

Hi sbono,

Your oncologist said no surgery after radiation, but have you talked to a plastic surgeon? I don't see that an oncologist would be qualified to judge something out of his specialty.

Give your body some time to heal, and then find a good surgeon.  Even if your skin can't be stretched to contain an implant, it possibly can be tidied up.  Look at the photos on the breastfree.org site.  The women look great!

sally 

sbono

Hi..Thanks for both of your comments...Just wanted you to know I had my surgery in March of 06 and finished my radiation Aug of 06.  I went to my surgon in April of 07 telling her that I would like to have this area cleaned up!..She said I would not heal  well, and was best to leave it alone...Well I fired her! I will not go back, as there is more to that...But I just seen both Onc this Tuesday and they both said the same thing..live with it..yes one said there is some fluid just under my arm pit, but I guess thats normal..All nodes were clear of cancer, but wanted me to have radiation as my margins were not clear...My radiation Onc just told me that my potato feeling  is all from my radiation and it will go on for 2 yrs or so...I feel some what relieved in my mind, but  the potato is still there...Thanks  

SLH

Hi again, sbono,

Drs don't talk about the effects of radiation, like the hardening of the skin and the problems with lymphedema.  If the "potato" doesn't go away, then it might be lymph problems.

Take care.

sally 

Binney4

Hi, sbono,

I agree with Sally that lymphedema may be a problem. Most women don't realize they can develop lymphedema in their axilla, breast, chest, side or back as well as in their arm and hand. Most doctors don't seem to know this either, so they're not likely to come up with a referral to a qualified lymphedema therapist by themselves.

But lymphedema is staged (like bc is), and without treatment it progresses through the stages, adding fibrosis (hardening of the tissues) to the already blocked lymph system. So you want to at least rule out the possibility of lymphedema before you decide to wait-and-see for two years, or even two months.

Since this sort of lymphedema is less common than arm lymphedema and requires special skills to treat effectively, you'll also want to make sure any lymphedema therapist you see has at least 135 hours of specifically lymphedema training beyond her PT or OT certification, and at least a year's experience treating lymphedema. Ask before you go.

I hope it's not lymphedema, but until you know that, you don't know it. Hope you're able to get relief and answers soon!

Binney 

Footsox6

Sbono - I know exactly how you feel. I feel like I have a potato under both arms. it is disgusting. I have been searching for a word to describe it, and "potato" is perfect. I did not have radiation, but I do have lymphedema in both arms, and my "potatos" are not lymphedema related, but it might be worth checking out, because yours could be lymphedema related. I am hoping to see a plastic surgeon in a few weeks and see what he thinks. I'll post back here, if this thread is still rambling around. Good luck to you. I just wanted to tell you I understand the "potato" thing....



Yolanda

flobento

I too have "lumpy" bumps ( i call them dog ears) at the end of my insisions ( near the underarm) Sometimes they feel hard ( after a real busy day) Surgeon say they look good - my sister-in-law ( who has only one side done) says that is pretty much what hers looks like too- I use lotion and massage the area after showers - I don't think i would consider surgery and I don't think it would be covered and I don't want reconstruction - you are not alone Flo

GaPastor

I had 2 lumpectomies as i really wanted to save my breast-

the 2nd one took a LOT of tissue out-

and now i have a valley crossing my breast going to my side; my nipple no longer points forward but turns to the side like a badly focused headlight.

 is there any kind of reconstruction that would make me at least not lop-sided?

my surgeon said that implants would make future mammograms difficult if not impossible-

i can live with this (I think- its only been a week) but wonder what the options are--

any help or suggestions would be apreaciated 

starzhere

You should talk with a plastic surgeon if you're unhappy.  It seems like there is something that can be done.

 ~elaine~

Sher

I've seen several photos of thin women who have great looking incisions.  But I'm wondering what those of us who are overweight (with those nastly little rolls on the outer edge of the breast) can expect to look like?  I'm 3 weeks out from bilats and have straight incisions, but they bulge out with hunks of tissue on both ends, especially on outer edge under my arms.  My surgeon said beforehand that she couldn't make it too tight or there might be a problem with arm movement, etc.  Does/can this ever smooth out somewhat or will it stay as it is?