Radiation with Tissue Expanders

i have heard different things r/t this and depends on your doctor. I do believe that there is more concern with radiation and actual implants than the expanders.

Hi Jane,

I had a bilateral with expanders, knowing that I would likely need radiation.  I had several fills prior to starting rads  (surgery 11/2008, rads started January 2009).  Then I healed for 9 months and had a few more fills every few weeks.  I had my exchange surgery for saline implants on 11/2009 and so far am very happy with the look (symmetry with radiated and nonradiated side)  and the site healed well.

My PS has had a lot of success with implants in radiated skin because he takes a slow approach, I think.

I had rads with my tissue expander in place.

I had about 275 cc's when I started rads. I was told NOT to have any fills during the rads and to wait atleast 8 weeks post rads to continue with fills.

I finished rads 1st week of July 2008 and just had my exchange surgery 2 weeks ago. I was in no rush to get filled and I wanted to make sure my skin could stretch well.

I handled rads very well. I apllied cream 2-3x a day and had no blisters or redness, just slightly pink. Skin healed good.

So far I like the look of my implant...I did develop a slight infection a couple of days ago, but that antibiotics seem to be taking care of things. Lets hope it stays that way.

*I do feel that it is important not to rush to get your exchange surgery, especially if you are doing rads. You want the skin to heal as much as possibe. I was told to wait a good year ( i waited 18 months)*

Looks like I'm getting radiation to:

1.  Super Clav

2.  Chest Wall

3.  Axilla (with boosts from the back)

4.  Skin (w/Bolice (sp?) gel)

Anyone have that much radiation and KEEP their TEs?  My Rad Onc isn't very optimistic it's going to work out.  Says if I don't lose it, the rads will make the boob very ugly.

TonLee,

I had almost the same rads as you , except not the axilla.  my skin did pretty good i have some discoloration to that side but its not big deal, i finished my rads in january and getting my exchange 4/27 yahoo!! my suggestion is put whatever lotions they tell you to use, use them a lot, i used aquaphor - hated it very greasy and ruined a lot of shirts, i tried aloe but i felt it dried me out, i did find emu oil and really liked it, my rad onc never heard of it , but i think it worked better than anything else.  i had 28 treatments of rads.  the bolice is where i burnt the most and i must say it hurt like hell.  for about a week or so.  the emu oil i swear it healed me better than anything else i am still putting it on, its making my scars a lot lighter.   good luck

TonLee,

Are they giving you something to put on the open wound?  maybe you should just wait and see how the healing goes for a few weeks and then decide.  when you say after healing you have to be filled, do you mean your expanders, from my experience my rad. onc wanted me to be completed expanded before i even started radiation, because the skin does get somewhat tighter.  i dont know much about radiation and time frame to prevent recurrence, but i finished chemo a week before thanksgiving and the rad onc. had me start rad the first week in december so i did feel they don't like a lot of time to pass by.  i felt like the process from the beginning has been rushed, when i met with the onc. doctor he had me start chemo the next week, i was shocked i didnt expect it to happen so quickly, i guess thats how most of the doctors do things.  i think you should go with your gut, after all its our bodies they are messing with.  but who am i, certainly not a doctor.  take care

I too would get another opinion. i don't think i would like your rad onc doctor either.  i have heard of rad onc having fluid removed from expanders but i would not have done that either.  how big are your expanders now?  i had 3 different opinions on getting radiation, i tried like hell to avoid it but each doctor said get it.  but the one doctor i went to , i asked him a question and he said i will be right back, he came in with some printed material from the internet and while we were both reading he said and i quote " we are both learning"  i left and never went back. 

Hello.  I had radiation with TE.  Rads needed to deflate the expander opposite to the one being radiated so that the beam can get the correct angle.  If someone had natural breasts they could use pressure/weight to move the breast tissue out of the way.  With a TE, as you know, they don't move so there is no way to get the correct angle for the beam without deflation...sorry!

Hi ladies....I really feel like some how there was a miscommunication with my PS and RO.  I am to start RADS Tues and the PS delfated the side that will be radiated?? That just doesnt make sense to me! I have a call in to my RO....I really feel that trying to expand the radiated side is going to be more difficult!!

My PS fully inflated the TE before my 25 rads. We then waited 15 months to do a DIEP flap, and PS was pleasantly surprised to find that radiation had not done the amount of damage she expected. DIEP surgery was a huge success. The way this was done obviously worked well for me.