Sub pec inflators wanting to go pre pec DIEP?

NancyGC

Hi, I have sub pec inflators after a BMX and hate the feeling of the muscles. I'm active and can feel that weird contraction of the pec. My PS didn't even give me an option of pre or sub. I had skin sparing so I came out of surgery with 500ccs of saline. I've decided on the Diep procedure but won't even be done with treatment until January. That means the inflator will sit under the nuscle until probably March. Has anyone gotten a deip pre pec, and did the muscle return to normal? Thanks

MinusTwo

Nance - TEs are horrible no matter what - but I lived through it. 7 months of inflation until exchange. And what a lovely difference. Sorry I had sub pec & can't speck to Deip

NancyGC

thanks Minus Two. I'm glad to hear the implants are much better. I hate the TEs too.

MinusTwo

Nancy - take a look at this thread. Lots of good questions & answers from women going through the process.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics...

OCDAmy

I had sub pec TE for 16 months and then switched to a different PS who does DIEP. They just have to repair the muscle. DIEP breast is so comfortable.

NancyHB

I haven’t had TEs but wanted to share that DIEP is always pre-pec, so I would assume the underlying muscle would eventually return to normal

abigailj

Hi NancyG - I had BMX with immediate skin-sparing DIEP - no TEs so different experience but I'm 5 1/2 month out from that now and echo OCDAmy's comment that the reconstructed DIEP breasts are very comfortable to live in, they feel like real breasts to the touch (sensation is also returning, nerve grafting working thankfully) and also I look pretty much like I did before (only 20+ years ago - I'm 63 and these don't sag yet), apart from a divot from an infection I got in one (expect I'll graft some fat to fill that out next year). I never wore underwires, wear same soft bras now I did before this in same size (they were kind of tight before, fit perfectly now, went from DD to modest D/large C, which is more comfortable for me too). I did have this slightly uncomfortable, weird sensation on the undersides when I took off my bra at end of day, not pain, hard to describe - it was those big scars stiffening up but I'm doing massage therapy (PT showed me and I do twice daily) with just a little coconut oil and that's very much reduced this sensation, my guess is it will be gone in the coming months. My bikini-line scar is also fading and I'm doing PT exercises to stretch and increase the strength of my abdominal muscles. Overall, I feel really good now and happy with the outcome. I do want to mention it was a long healing process and I've had 2 out-patient surgeries too but very glad I went this route despite that and the infection thing. One other thing - I insisted on staying in hospital 5 days (that is UK and Canada standard, here they want you out in 2 or 3 days at most) - that was not an issue with insurance or anything. That way I was better prepared to get around using a walker for the next 2 weeks before they removed the 'insurance' flap which I thankfully didn't need and 2 of the 4 drains (out-patient procedure). Again, I want to mention I am a 63 ex-smoker, you look like you're half my age so my thought is that as a younger woman who I'm guessing never smoked you'll have a quicker healing experience than me. The 2018 DIEP flap thread has a ton of good info, very helpful to me, and also many of the women there did have delayed DIEP as you are doing - I highly recommend reading through it. All my best wishes to you for a successful outcome and rapid, uncomplicated healing!

NancyGC

thanks!

NancyGC

That's awesome! Thank you

NancyGC

thank you!