Young women and recon options

LM070917

Hey there, just wondering what recon options younger ladies have gone with and how have you faired? I'm considering lat dorsi, because I've had radiation and not suitable for othe options..so it's literally my only recon option..not to keen on moving muscles around but don't really see what choice there is..what have others done?

littleblueflowers

Hey! Well, I just switched tissue expanders to permanent implants last Friday! How come you are only a candidate for Lat flap? I did pre pec implants, and fat grafting to heal my skin beforehand from radiation. Sooooo....even with radiation, you should have options 😁

LM070917

Thanks bluelittleflowers, that's really interesting. I've been to see two plastic surgeons and both said lat dorsi. They said the radiation side usually has high risk of infection, which is why they wouldn't do implants only on that side. They said bringing in a flap of new skin/fat/muscle will make it more successful, but that's interesting you had the fat grafting etc..because either of them mentioned that to me..I will have to ask my breast surgeon for more info..thanks

littleblueflowers

You are welcome! So far so good, btw. Implants are settling in. I think fat grafting is key post radiation if you want to try implants. There is a whole thread on here about it...hmmmm lemme see if I can post it for you. If not, I think you can search for my usename on here and see where I have posted and track it down that way. I didnt want to do lat or diep because its so invasive.

LM070917

Thanks littleblueflowers! I feel like you have highlighened me to a whole other option..I didn't know exist..which is great! I will definitely check out the older threads. Can you tell me if you had your pec muscle radiated? And if so, how did they manage to hold the implant in place..under or above the muscle? Thanks again

littleblueflowers

Oh yes, I had my whole left chest, axilla, and clav radiated. Non skin sparing bmx too,because initially i didnt plan to reconstruct. I was burned bloody! I didnt start recon until over a year later. The final implants are wrapped in alloderm, and kind of held in place by an internal sling or bra of the same. Over time, your body colonizes the alloderm and it becomes your own tissue. Pretty cool! Things to be sure you ask about, though, is how you will be monitored for chest wall reoccurrence, if you go this route. MRI seems to be the best option, but can be hard to get.

Knitpig

I had a unilateral skin sparing mastectomy and I currently have a tissue expander.

I will have a "permanent" implant placed in a few months. I didn't have any positive nodes so no rads for me.

I would have been interested in DIEP or one of the more natural approaches but I didn't have enough body fat. My PS is also unable to match my unaffected breast so I'll have an implant on my other side for symmetry.