What do you mean "high % failure with implant on radiated side"?

Options
living
living Member Posts: 45
edited July 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

At the time of my DMX, I had TE put in, then did radiation.  8 months later did the swap.  My radiated side implant goes higher and higher:/  and feels so tight.

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited July 2014

    Hi living, I had implants put in at my mastectomy, a one step procedure, silicone implants not a TE. I too was told this may not tolerated the radiation, and it is true, there are definite changes. Tissue encapsulation, harder, tighter tissue around the implant. Lifting higher. It is not painful...yet. If so, I guess I will have it removed. As it is now, It is still ok although not what I would like it to be. I have to resist the temptation to want the perfect boobs I had before. Really, they were far from perfect, but they were real and they were mine and yes I miss them. The new set I have will take longer than the 6 months I have had them for me to really love them and they will never ever be like real ones, but thats ok. Ladies who tweek their recon breasts with surgery after surgery sometimes end up creating problems and might have been better off tolerating some imperfections which are just natural to reconstructed breasts.

    I read once someone said. "With clothes on my boobs look natural and perky. Naked, they just look perky." Thats pretty much me! Do you feel like you need a follow up with your plasic surgeon? He can tell so much more than I can or anyone here on this thread.

    There are massage techniques to do to lessen tissue hardening, do a web search if you need more info. I think they help.  Meadow

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • awhbabies
    awhbabies Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2014

    Living,

    I believe the failure rate refers to those who are unable to keep an implant and must resort to another type of reconstruction or with no recon.  I lost my implant a few weeks after exchange to an infection.  Even with stem cell transfer my radiated skin was just too weak for the implant to be successful.  I have since had a successful lat flap and 2nd implant exchange.

    I agree with Meadow.   My PS and his PA have told me all along that massage is good.  A follow up with PS would probably be a good next step.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lkc
    lkc Member Posts: 1,203
    edited July 2014

    Hi living. It sounds like you have capsular contraction , which happens with with implants, sometimes without any raditiation. Anyway, It is not a implant failure. It's really just scar tissue that developed around the implant. 

    You can have the scar tissue,capsular contraction  removed and have new implants inserted. I had to have mine done a while ago, and am very happy and much more confortable 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories