Radiation and reconstruction

My PS is going to take a lat flap to give me some muscle to hold the implant. That's the plan anyway. I am not scheduled yet but have faith with this surgeon. I am a year out from radiation in January. All my doctors recomend at least a year recouperation to have the best results.

Good luck

Hello Dbug79,

     I don't want to scare anyone but I had radiation 14 years before my masectomy and tissue expanders.  My breast looked fine and I never had any problems with it. Before the BM  my PS thought I would do fine.  I didn't even have to have that breast removed but opted to do both and get it done and over with thinking I would have "immediate reconstruction" and move on. To make a long story short.  I ended up have my TE's in for 1 1/2 years do to getting an infection in my radiated side and having to take TE out , replaced and start my fills over very slowly.  This October I finally had my exchange surgery and was glad to get this behind me but again..2 stiches were draining fluid and became a hole the size of a pea than a quarter and just wouldn't heal.  The scab came off and implant was showing so I had 3 choices.  1 - take implant out and have a prosthesis -no!  2- take implant out and get a smaller implant on that side and remove bad tissue. 3- tram flap.  I chose the smaller implant since my cleavage was good and I figures I could wear a padded bra.  I didn't want a tram flap and lose my stomach muscle.  I had the implant removed and a smaller one put in and then the same thing happened except the hole was now bigger.  the only good thing was my muscle was showing thru so I was going to start having hyperbarrick chamber (oxygen)treatments to help with healing and bring new blood vessels to the radiated bad tissue.   Then it got bigger while waiting for my insurance to ok it and I had to have the implant removed again.  Now I am getting 10 hyperbarrick treatments before a tram flap surgery (that I never wanted) then 10 after to help with healing.  2 years out from my BM and I am still dealing with this.

    HaHa -I guess it was a long story anyway.  I am just sharing this because if I knew how bad things could get I might have opted for a different reconstruction in the beginning.  I just wanted to hurry and get it over with and I thought I would fine since radiation was so long ago.  On the other hand - many women do fine and don't have the problems I did.  I guess you never know for sure till your there but at least know what could happen when decided what to do.  I also don't want the tram flap and would rather get the diep and not lose my muscle but from what the wound care doctor (he is great) told me he said that radiated tissue with diep has alot of failures because they connect the blood vessels to bad tissue, if theblood doesn't flow -you lose it.  With the tram the blood supply is there and it will be forever.  I don't want no more failures so I guess the tram it is after all this.

    Good luck with your decision - but make sure to ask tons of questions!!  

Take Care!!

gmp300