nipple sparing bmx with immediate reconstruction

swimmersmom94

My surgery was September 18th, 2015, and I would like to hear from others who have had this surgery, and how they are doing. I got 1 of my drains out today, 1 more to go.

Englishmummy

Hello there! I had a NSBMX in June, but I always get confused on what is considered immediate reconstruction. I go for my exchange Friday - ultra high profile gummy bears. I healed really well and actually like the look even with TE's in but I know that is not true for all and so far I have been 'lucky'. My nipples came through it from the beginning per my PS notes even though they looked well dodgy to me at the first appointment!!

Feel free to ask any questions.

How are you doing? Do you have pain? Are your incisions healing well?

swimmersmom94

Hello, I am doing great! I had the round, silicone implants and like you, my nipples (per plastic surgeon), he knew with the first surgery they were going to make it. Said they were very pink. I am supposed to have some lypo from my stomach to fill in some areas and currently I am trying to put on some belly weight, lol. I got Feb. 15th to find out for sure.

Leslie13

Immediate means one and done. Your final implants are placed during the BMX. You have no expanders. There's a couple of requirements: you can't size up much since you're using your own tissue flap; you can't have large and/or sagging breasts which need the nipple moved; the tumor can't be close to the nipple, and there's a high risk of failure. As high as 25%. The entire skin flap, including nipples must show a blood supply at the time of surgery. They take the tissue down very close to the skin and core out the nipple to test it for cancer. I'm not sure how I ended up with feeling, except that breast had only .4 cm of tumor far away from the nipple and perhaps my surgeon left more tissue. It's the best looking breast.

But if the surgeon leaves any area that doesn't have a blood supply, it will die and cause infection. I have a small incision under the right nipple (cancerous breast), where a small piece of tissue didn't get a blood supply so they cut it out. It doesn't show much and saved my nipple.

I had very good results compared to every other type of reconstruction I read about and looked at. Mine was 4 months ago. I wasn't too large (B+) so didn't care about sizing up. I only wanted to look and feel like me. I'm a fuller C now.

My Dr. used anatomical gummies, which give a natural shape. Both nipples saved and one has feeling! I do need some fat infill, but that's a few months away. If I never had another surgery, I'd still be content.

Too many rads are done which ruin the possibility of this technique working. Lumpectomies need rads, but BMX's not so much. I see women who have the kitchen sink thrown at them have reoccurances after 2 years. I'm glad I chose this reconstruction option, and they can keep their rads

CateM

My reconstruction was a direct to implant nipple sparing one. My results are excellent and I was a 30D before the surgery and it now looks like I'll be a 32E now. I don't have much projection but they are round and perky. My scarring is fading and they are dropping nicely. What I didn't expect and am really happy about is that they feel warm, I thought they would be cool to touch but I can warm my hands on them nicely.

I didn't want expanders because I wasn't concerned about going bigger and I didn't want to have a second surgery with lots of hospital visits for fills.

SissiAngel

CateM Hello!

I am going to have a prophylactic nipple sparing mastectomy on my right breast with immediate to implant reconstruction. On my left breast I had a modified radical mastectomy 3 years ago due to BC, so my PS has placed a tissue expander which is now overfilled at 680cc (Mentor anatomical). I was a full cup C or cup D (depending on bra brands) prior to mastectomy. My right breast is droopy and I am wondering whether a nipple sparing mastectomy will have good cosmetic results. I am reading in the forums that for droopy large breasts, the nipple sparing mastectomy is not a good option because of not knowing where the nipple will end up. I want to keep the bra size I was before mastectomy and I will be placing the Mentor anatomical silicone implants 685cc. I have read, though, that overfilled saline implants provide more projection for large breasted women.

What was your experience with this procedure, since you also had large breasts? Are the nipples in the correct place? What type and size of implants have you used?

Thank you!