Help??? One year after Surgery/Implants

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CyndiJW
CyndiJW Member Posts: 18
edited June 2014 in Breast Reconstruction

My surgeries went so well! The NS mastectomies were such an unbelievable success. The exchange surgery was, too. I have been ecstatically happy with all of it. And now, one year after my bi-lateral mastectomies (8/21/12) & implants (11/28/12) my left breast, the one where my cancer was, is hard, swollen, itchy & hot. But I have no fever. What do you think? Anyone else had this experience? If so, what was it? Pease respond. I am so scared. Both to think about it and to do anything about. I will call the doctor tomorrow. But I'm terrified!!!

-Cyndi

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  • alcb70
    alcb70 Member Posts: 166
    edited September 2013

    You may have cellulitis. You need to see an MD asap for evaluation & an antibiotic if that's what they diagnose. A fever may just not have shown up yet....don't wait for it to. Just to be on the safe side. :) I'm an RN, and I would tell anyone with these symptoms ... wherever on the body they may be...to do the same. Good Luck!

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  • CyndiJW
    CyndiJW Member Posts: 18
    edited September 2013

    Thank you so much for your quick reply! It's not like me to procrastinate where my health is concerned, but I've just been through so much surgery this year. The thought of another just makes me sick. (I had to have my basal thumb joint replaced, the other thumb joint repaired & the ruptured tendon repaired this March. It was much worse than the surgeries for the breast cancer!)

    I will call my breast surgeon this morning. Thank you, again. :-)

    -Cyndi

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  • Nahelton12
    Nahelton12 Member Posts: 29
    edited September 2013

    Hi CindiJW. Saw that you are in Nashville. I live near Chattanooga. Just met with PS and just don't feel confident. The only reconstruction option here is TE followed by an implant. Mine can't be done simultaneously with the mastectomy so I will need at least two more surgeries - more if I have a nipple made. But I'm glad to hear you we're pleased with your implants. Most posts seem to be unhappy about them. I called Vanderbilt today to see if their PS's do reconstruction using donor tissue. The person I spoke with said she thought so. Where did you have your surgeries? Really sorry to hear of your new issue. Hope it is resolved now. About your thumb surgery - only childbirth wash more painful for me. Yikes! My joint repair was years ago and I still shudder when I remember that pain. Glad to know mastectomy wasn't that bad! Nancy

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  • CyndiJW
    CyndiJW Member Posts: 18
    edited November 2013


    Nahelton12, I am so sorry I am just now checking back with this website and saw your post! I guess I'm too late with my info, but Dr Pat Whitworth was my breast surgeon and Dr Brian Tierney was/is my plastic surgeon. Both are absolutely fantastic! My OBGYN actually was about to touch my new breasts in July (about 7-8 mos after my recon surgery) to do a breast exam. She and her Asst could not BELIEVE it when I reminded them that I had bi-lateral mastectomies and recon. They were stunned! Said it was the best they'd ever seen! :-D

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  • CyndiJW
    CyndiJW Member Posts: 18
    edited November 2013


    I need to update my situation. Apparently, the hot and swollen (let's now just refer to it as "hardened") breast was the beginning of my left breast tissue forming a layer around the implant. It's called encapsulating the implant. At the time, it seemed no big deal. The next week or two my nipple started "weeping". Enough so that I had to wear a bra or I would have a wet spot on my shirt. So I again called my breast surgeon and they wanted to see me immediately. I could tell they were extremely concerned because the Surgeon wanted to do a biopsy right then & there. (They'd already done an ultrasound & couldn't see any pockets of fluid, otherwise they'd have just drawn that & tested it). So he took two pieces from my left nipple. (This was the same breast that had the cancer in it originally). Anyway, thankfully, the biopsy was benign. So we were fine, grateful for that, but then the bad news: the "hardness" of the breast was something entirely different. I needed to go see my Plastic Surgeon. I had an appt coming up soon anyway so that was today. Today's bad news is, repeat surgery, replacing this smooth silicone implant with a different, less-smooth one. Said this happens less often with those. I'm near devastated. Everything went so perfectly!!! I had such an easy time of the whole ordeal. And now this? Again??? We're thinking of not replacing the right one, I mean it is just perfect. Anybody else have this happen to you? If so, what did you do, and how were your results? (I haven't scheduled surgery yet. Going to think about it until January). Help? Advice? Experience with this? Please? Anybody?? :-(

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  • CyndiJW
    CyndiJW Member Posts: 18
    edited May 2014

    Just to update anyone that may care:  

    As I stated earlier in my Nov post, this was a case of encapsulation.  This is when the tissue around your implant tries to envelope your implant which causes hardening of the tissue & muscle contraction. I had to have the replacement implant surgery.  They removed the scar tissue inside and replace my implant.  

    More issues (complications) occurred after that ("that" being 12/10/2013), but due to lack of interest in this post, I won't bother you with further details.

    Thank you to you that posted concern or recommendations.

    -Cyndi

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  • Topquality2
    Topquality2 Member Posts: 12
    edited May 2014

    Cindi:

    I am meeting my PS tomorrow.  I currently have implants and have to have them removed when I have surgery.  My surgeon told me I can't keep the implants while I am having radiation.  I will have implants put back in after radiation.  I am so sorry about the encapsulation.  That is one of my fears.  I have never had any problem with my implants (30 years), and am very afraid about having them removed and new ones put in.  What type of issues did you have after your second surgery?  It seems like it is not enough to have BS, you have to have so many other issues because of that.  I hope that you are doing better now.  Did your surgeon tell you that encapsulation is common after putting implants in after BS surgery?  Sorry about all of the questions, but I am so fearful of everything.  I was just diagnosed a week ago, and everything is happening so fast. 

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  • CyndiJW
    CyndiJW Member Posts: 18
    edited May 2014

    Hey, Topquality2,

    Please try not to worry so much, particularly about my strange complications.  Although encapsulation does happen, it isn't the norm, but rather the exception.  Honestly, the original surgeries for me were quite "Easy",  compared to other types of surgeries people have to go through.  Sure, it was uncomfortable for a while & the tubes & all were a hassle, but with the help of my husband (& a good friend would work just as well), I made it through all of that w/o any infections or lymph issues.  

    Additionally, I was a heavy smoker for 30 years, but quit in 2001 for 11 years.  The BC diagnosis gave me that little emotional push to start back smoking again.  Stupid, yes, I realize that.  But I'm telling you this b/c my BC Surgeon told me that for some unknown reason (and probably not even documented), it seems encapsulation is much more common to smokers.  So, there you go.  Probably brought that on myself.

    The second complication was a defective implant.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Another very weird, strange, almost unheard of issue.  But after six months with my new implant it just looked & felt weird. (Actually, it had ever since my initial post-op visit back in Dec 2013, but since I know it takes time for these things to settle in, I figured maybe it was just that, and I'd give it some time.). Anyway, it wasn't.  So, two weeks ago I had it replaced with a new implant.

    Both of these things are really rather unusual, and I hope nobody reads this & expects to go through this themselves.  The odds of that happening, I'm sure, are ridiculously low.  So, please don't be so scared.  At this point, my breasts look & feel great.  Every implant I've had put in was a very, very minor surgery compared to the original bi-lateral mastectomies.

    *Hugs*

    Cyndi

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  • Topquality2
    Topquality2 Member Posts: 12
    edited May 2014

    Cindi:

    Thank you for replying - I truly appreciate it.  I'm so glad that your breasts look great with the implants.  It is such a hard journey, isn't it?  I'm just about to start mine.  I do have lots of support - my husband has been right there with me at every appointment that I have had - from mammogram to untrasound to biopsy and then the BC diagnosis.  I also have a daughter who is wonderful - but there is just no way to convey to them how scary this is.  You keep wanting to reassure them that everything is o.k.  This discussion board has been a life-saver for me.  What you wrote has calmed a lot of my fears about getting the implants.  I do want to have my breasts look as normal as possible.  My PS is supposed to be a very good reconstructive surgeon.  Thanks again for the info and soothing some of my fears.  

    Hugs to you!

    Linda   

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  • DeeLN
    DeeLN Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2014

    Hi Cyndi -- I saw that you posted recently. Just wanted to tell you that your thread has been helpful to me. I'm trying to decide whether to have an implant or not. Am afraid of encapsulation, continual pain, etc. Am going to search through these  boards to look for more information. I'm not happy about going without a breast but getting an implant doesn't sound so great either. Thanks -- Dee

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  • CyndiJW
    CyndiJW Member Posts: 18
    edited May 2014

    DeeLN,

    In spite of the strange complications I have had, I would urge anyone "on the fence" about the implant issue to go ahead & get the implants.  There is no continual pain at all, once you are past some minor discomfort from the TEs (Tissue Expanders).  In fact, your breast area is pretty well numb after the mastectomies, so any additional surgeries after that point are relatively painless, as far as surgeries go.  Recuperation time after all these additional surgeries of mine was two-three days, but I don't mean lying around in bed; I mean just taking it easy & not lifting anything heavy.

    I feel like a normal woman with these implants.  Maybe it's just me & my own vanity, but emotionally all of this would have been devastating to my personal feelings of womanhood if I'd not gone the implant route.  Just my two cents worth.

    Good luck with your decision.

    *Hugs*

    Cyndi

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