Results with Radiation and Reconstruction

LiveWellToday

Hi all, I had a bilateral mysectomy on June 8. Radiation of every possible node using IMRT and a Bolus (even though I am only Stage IB--long story but made a bad decision and trusted the wrong doctors). Radiation finished Sept 7 and within one month my radiated breast has lifted up and moved out. It hurts! Does anyone have this experience? Can this be fixed by the plastic surgeon during reconstruction. I was told 50% rate of complication but I hoped I was in The other 50%. Just wondering if you could tell me what your results were if you had radiation and extent of yours (mine was the chest wall, underarm nodes, supraclivary nodes, and internal mammery glands).

CENOK2017

livewelltoday,

I’d be very happy to hear from anyone who had chemo, MX and then radiation, and the tissue expanderwith implant too.

CaliKelly

Hi, ladies, so I had chemo first, then mastectomy and tissue expander placement, then I had radiation with the expander in place. About 6-7 weeks after rads, I had the exchange surgery with the implant. I had mastectomy only on one side, but had small implant on the "good" side to lift it up a bit. The results were ok, not great symmetry, but acceptable. Over time-months-,however, the radiated side got higher, smaller and firmer. So eventually I had to get the latissimus dorsai flap recon, with implant. Just recently I had some fat grafting around the recon breast, and I must say, now it looks Fabulous! I should have done the l.d. flap recon to begin with, but I took the option that sounded easiest, even though, like you said, kind of 50/50 chance of success. So that's my experience with radiation and t.e. and straight to implant. Didn't work out for me. I'm super happy now with my nice ,soft, recon breast, got great symmetry, and the l.d. flap surgery wasn't too bad, pretty easy recovery. Best of luck to you!😃💗

allebasi

I had chemo first to shrink the tumor then mastectomy on left side with expander placement. Then radiation. I then had a LONG break because I had a baby and breastfed him for 3 years. Just had my exchange Monday the 25th so dont really know what it looks like yet. Only went back to ps on Tuesday to switch out bandages for a bra and compression strap so hopefully since my radiated skin had so long to heal I'll have good results that last. I'll keep you updated.

LiveWellToday

Allebasi--Good luck to you. Hope it works out. After 6 months of the end of radiation, I feel less tight. My skin is still darker and I have capsular contracture. I have TEs on both sides. I am doing the DEIP on April 8th. I guess I feel I can handle it since I am in my 40s and in good shape. I wish we didn't have to go through all this damage to our body but I don't want to be flat and don't want implants. I very seriously looked into fat grafting to create a breast. That requires 4 procedures and possibly more even though they are not as long or invasive as DIEP but then you are in process for 12 to 18 months. I am a one-and-done kind of person.