Has anyone had regrets after reconstruction?

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rapop428
rapop428 Member Posts: 8
edited October 2017 in Breast Reconstruction

I am 1 fill away from being done with the expansion part.  Exchange should be in March.  I am second guessing myself do to the pain.  I have been told that I would regret not have reconstruction done but I'm actually having regrets doing it.  I just want the pain to stop.  Just wonder if anyone else has felt this way.  

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  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 6,503
    edited January 2012

    Rapop428...I hated  my TE....there were many days I just wanted to rip them out....but the implants are sooo much more comfortable....I had my fils during chemo...had to finish chemo, then rads so I had my TE for just over a year.....I've had these set of implants since July 2008.....in clothes you can't tell that they aren't real...but they are small...just what I wanted.....wish you the best.....btw...after my last fill, I was miserable so I had my PS take some saline out...went down 50cc and felt so much better....let your PS know that you are in pain....All the best to you...

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  • Volfan
    Volfan Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2012

    I totally regret having the reconstruction! Have had nothing but problems since the original surgery on nov 14. I had a second surgery about 3 weeks later to remove necrose tissue at the incision spot and I still have a place that is not healing. I also have pain on the side of one of my breasts that the dr originally thought was fluid, after a very painful attempt at draining the fluid he got nothing out of it or the port. I have not had any fills since my surgery b/c I am so swollen especially the side where he (ps)tried to drain. Oncologist put me on augmentin and neurontin. 2 weeks into this and it's no better, I'm ready to get the knife and cut them out! I had my 3rd a/c tx today and the tx's have really been ok....it's thes stupid expanders. Both drs. Have mentioned removing the expanders if it worsens and I'm on board with that but I dont want to put this chemo off. I have 1 more a/c then 12 weekly tx of taxol, no radiation as I also have an autoimmune disease that causes skin blistering. Any suggestions to ask the drs.?

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  • MondaysChild
    MondaysChild Member Posts: 591
    edited January 2012

    I completely regret doing recon. I do not like the way I look and I have pretty bad discomfort, even though it has been 11 weeks since exchange already. It just will not ease. And I have had infection and healing issues along the way, but that seems the fault of the hospital I had the surgeries in and not the surgeons, at least based on what I see from all the Tampa women with TE problems, all of us different PS's but same hospital from what I read. Maybe if I had better care I would not regret it, but I did not and hate everything about my recon and the whole journey. More than a year after my BMX and I still cry at night in the dark.

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  • Fearless_One
    Fearless_One Member Posts: 3,300
    edited January 2012

    I don't regret it.   I had dense breasts and they were ticking time bombs.   However, the recon has become more involved than I thought.   I need a nipple revision and am a little tight on the radiated side.   But these are minor things and I am grateful to have reduced my risk of recurrence in the breast.

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  • J9W
    J9W Member Posts: 395
    edited January 2012

    I don't regret it but it's not perfect. I had a new nipple built that pretty much disappeared and at that point I didn't bother with the tatoo. Just wanted to be left alone. Here's what I learned though: beware of the size. I took the opportunity to increase my breast size slightly and while, with clothes on, they look great....I had to get rid of an awful lot of my shirts and sweaters. I never gave that a thought!

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  • kriserts
    kriserts Member Posts: 224
    edited February 2012

    I don't regret reconstruction itself but I regret the implant. Never got comfortable with it, after a year or so of complaining, started hearing other women's complaints about same. Can't and don't want to do microsurgery, so am now looking into fat grafting. If that doesn't work, going back to using a prothesis.

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  • greytcruise
    greytcruise Member Posts: 105
    edited February 2012

    Liked TE's better than implants.  Looked better on me, hard to get PS to do work, doesn't want to do bigger implants.  PS did not do what he said he would do, this process sucks.  I would like to create an implant that works for BC patients.

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  • SurfaGrl
    SurfaGrl Member Posts: 128
    edited February 2012

    I had DIEP and donʻt regret it.  I love my foob and it is symmetrical to my non reconstructed breast. I went to NOLA to do the surgery.  I am 4 weeks post op from Stage 2.  I hope you can do something to relieve your pain.  I am so sorry you have to go through it.  

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  • Scuba_duchess
    Scuba_duchess Member Posts: 460
    edited February 2012

    I got the implants in 1/9/12, TE's went in 8/8/11. The implants are so much more comfortable! Will take a little while til they are 100% settled in, but I am happy I did it. How much are they filling you in each shot, seems PS's all do different, mine preferred more fills, lower volume. Which worked for me since the PS office is only 3 blocks from where I work. Hoping you can get through the final push. What are you taking for pain, I found muscle relaxers to give me the most relief when things got really uncomfortable with TE's. Wishing you the best.



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  • Sassa
    Sassa Member Posts: 1,588
    edited February 2012

    It took me two years after my second mastectomy to decide to do reconstruction with TEs and implants.

    I had absolutely no problems with the TEs, the exchange or my implants.  They are exactly the size I asked for and look and feel great.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited February 2012

    I had one step, no TE, silicone implants. I wanted to stay the same size, small C- ish. My ps didva great job and I am very pleased. I also have Alloderm , so it is like having an internal bra. This helps prevent bottoming out. I often go bra-less but am comfortable with bra when I choose to wear one. We joke about the rest of my body sagging and my foobs looking like I'm 20!

    Caryn

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  • KimmieRonk
    KimmieRonk Member Posts: 7
    edited October 2017

    Breast reconstruction is definitely not for everyone. To be honest, if I had the choice again, I would NOT do it. The day after my surgery, my right breast developed a hematoma, and I immediately had to have a second surgery, to correct the problem. THEN after several days, the skin on my new right breast started to pull horribly away from the stitches. I had to use a Wound Vac and change out dressings several times a day for weeks. Only to require another surgery later, to be restitched. My new stitches are so thick and strong, they feel like barbed wire, and cut into my skin when I move certain ways. Due to the continued problems with my one breast, it does not look like the other one. I don't want to frighten anyone. Really I don't. I just want to put it out there, that breast reconstruction should be seriously considered by everyone; and not be an automatic decision.

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  • mrssoul
    mrssoul Member Posts: 16
    edited October 2017

    I have no regrets. If I had to do it all over again I would.

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