Implants vs. DIEPA

ckgrayoh - Please also ask your PS to explain all the possible problems you might encounter if you decide to go with implants and are having to have radiation. 

I lost my implant due complications with radiation. My docs confirmed that it was the radiation that caused the problem, so it's not just my opinion.  Further confirmation that the rads were the culprit is that I had a bilateral mast. and the side that didn't have radiation is just fine.  Great, now I have one perky boob, LOL!

My PS tried to get me to choose a different reconstruction method before he would even do implants.  I was very stubborn & had already made up my mind that if I was going to have reconstruction, that was the only type I wanted.  Still, with the details from my doc, I went into with my eyes wide open.

Please don't let this post make you think you should NOT choose implants.  There are MANY who did and did not have any, or many, complications even though they had to have rads.

Good luck, hon!  There are so many decisions to make at the beginning.

Just adding my 2 cents.

I had a 'one-step implant' after my MX, a saline implant that could have stayed in place. I also had rads.  My PS said as many as 50% of implant procedures fail with rads, but I wanted to try anyway.  I had very little reaction to rads.  It did push the impant/expander up higher on my chest, but no problems at all.

2 months after rads, I had exchange surgery for a saline implant.  I am thrilled with the result and have had NO issues. I went in a D-cup and remain so (since I still have one natural breast I wasn't going to change the size!). Silicone is definitely softer than saline, but it's a personal decision, I know.

My PS also said, you can always get even better results with DIEP or TRAM flap (you have to have enought abdominal fat for the DIEP), but I just wasn't ready for more invasive surgery. Who knows, someday. The option is still open to me. Good luck!

I had a lump and rads.  Because of my history I am still at a high risk for getting a local recurrence so will be having a BMX done in March. I had problems during rads and problems with my pec muscle after rads.  I am currently in PT for that and it has greatly improved..  I am too thin for diep so my PS and I have decided that I am going to try the implants.  He said despite my problems with rads my skin looks really good. He wants me to be one year post rads before we do the surgery which would be the end of Jan and then my boss is pretty much gone until mid March so I am waiting until then.  Also he wants me to finish with PT because of my pec muscle . He said that would be even better with my rads side.  We discussed that even if it fails I will still have other options of flaps like Latisimus Dorsil or gain weight for diep. But he stressed lets not worry about that because we are going to do everything we can to make it take.  He discussed that if my healing is slow he will have me do hyperbaric treatments. If my pec muscle bothers me again he will have me back in PT.  I sought out 3 PS opinions and several BS opinions and he is the only one that said he thinks he can save my nipple and if not he can recreate it and make it match.  The other PS that I liked said she could not save it and could not make it match.

Get another one or two opinions and get all the information you can so you can make the right choice for you.

ckgrayoh-that was me too just enough fat to make me the size I am which is not very big.  I worked hard at changing my diet and did not want to go back and pick up bad habits again.  I will if it is my only option but for now I have other options to choose from.