Bilateral Mastectomy DCIS with implants. Your experience?

scottchickee50

I'm new here with a recent diagnosis Stage O DCIS multi-focal DCIS on one side. I am 54 healthy. I'm being given the option of a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. My mother was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at 59 and died 9 years later at 69. I have not had gene testing. I'm strongly leaning toward a full bilateral mastectomy since the insurance appears to be covering it and my feeling is I should just be done with it now. Everything I read indicates the DCIS is likely to return and I'm not one to to want to worry my head off. I already have silicone implants that are now 8 years old, and am not afraid of dealing with new implants, etc.

I'm curious what other experiences women have had here and what choices were made going forward, and if you were happy. I'd be happy to hear all your thoughts. I am very open-minded and will be meeting with a reconstruction surgeon very soon.

MinusTwo

scottchikee- you will see everything from soup to nuts for answers. It's a very personal choice,.

I decided to have a BMX with TEs and reconstruction and be done with it. Yes, I did have a recurrence in a lymph node after two years, but I have never, not one time regretted or second guessed my original decision. Good luck

gracie22

I had one-step implants in early 2015 and was satisfied with the initial outcome cosmetically and did not have any issue with extreme pain/discomfort. But I did have a post op infection in the non-cancer side (I had a BMX) which led to an undoing of the original surgery since the breast can't overcome a serious infection while the implant or expander is in place. The infection went deep in the tissue and was likely due to a contaminated surgical implement (or hand) per the infectious disease doc who treated me for it so I don't blame the one-step procedure itself; infection is relativey common during reconstruction using implants only or implants plus tissue expanders and can be very serious. I was on IV antibiotics for 3 weeks and in the hospital for a week--a much bigger ordeal than the BMX! I chose one step because I did not want to do expanders; since I had large breasts and the tumor position was favorable for the procedure, I was a good candidate for the surgery (and used a surgeon who does a lot of them, not all PS do the one-step.)

I would ask about your doc's approximation of infection rate in his own practice, and check on the facility infection rate in advance, and be very loud about your concerns about infection. Might not help but it can't hurt and may encourage them to take additional steps to avoid infection, e.g. personally checking on sterilization procedures, running through checklists pre surgery, etc.; it should always happen but it does not, and infection is the most serious and common issue with reconstruction--the stats range from a 2 to 30% rate of infection (varies with procedures and hospitals, but getting good numbers from individual hospitals can be a challenge.) Mastectomy without reconstruction has a low rate, about 2% in general.

If I was young enough to do it, I would devote myself to this issue--so much needless suffering and pain is caused by hospital acquired infection (related to all procedures, not just BC surgery)--it is a real crime.

TB90

There are no right decisions, just what is right for you. However, having implants is a huge difference from reconstruction. Please research this further with women who have more experience than I have.. All the best!