Radiation with silicone implants - who's done it?

Lavender2012

I had DCIS (8.5 cm in right breast), ER+ and PR+, and I'm BCRA negative.  I had a double mastectomy with tissue expander reconstruction 10/3.  Originally told my margins were clear, no need for radiation.  Mid last week was told that my margins were close, too close for comfort, and they're recommending radiation for 6 1/2 weeks.  They fast tracked my implant surgery as a result, to next Wednesday, 11/21, so radiation can happen without much more delay, and because it's better to do radiation with implants than TEs.

I'm concerned about the risks of radiation with implants, and would love to hear from any of you who have done it, with implants.  The good, the bad and the ugly are all welcome info.  Thanks!

sundermom

I did. I started rads one week after my exchange. It didn't go well for me initially. I developed a capsular contracture, suffered an extrusion and ultimately had to have the implant on the problem side removed. After 3 months of healing with no implant, I was able to re-do reconstruction with a TE and another implant. Now it's perfect! However, I think there are lots of women on the boards that have had only positive experiences. Hopefully, one of them will come along soon.

Rose_d

It did it.  I had my TE exchange to my implants on Aug 20th and started radiation on Sept 17th.  I finished 3 weeks ago.  I do find that I am tighter than I was before radiation but my implants so far look fine.

I had my surgeries at Memorial Sloan Kettering and apparently they (or at least my plastic surgeon) always do the exchange ahead of radiation for anyone who healed ok from the original surgery.

My RO is not from MSKCC and I asked her about doing the exchange before radiation since so many of my fellow radiation buddies on this board had been told that it had to happen after radiation (and 6 months after for many of them).

She said it seems to be a personal preferrence of the surgeon (she said NY docs seem to do it before and NJ docs are more likely to do it after).  She has not seen a difference in the overall cosmetic outcome of either so didn't have an opinion about which was better and she was not concerned about either.

I was glad to get the TEs out after 7 months!

Good luck!

Rose