Reconstuction after radiation?

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  • Lucca06
    Lucca06 Member Posts: 69
    edited June 2014

    Put on a dreaded 1/2 stone (I'm english!!) so 7lbs on the aromasin but still count as slim I think?!  I'm 5 ft 4 inches and about 9 stone so 126 pounds.  I wear a UK dress size 10.

    It definitely still needs some work to make it look better but it is nice to put on clothes and not have to think so much about whether it is OK with the prosthesis. 

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited June 2014

    Lucca, thanks, yes of course you are slim. I am the same weight and dress size as you, but a bit taller. 

    What needs to be tweaked to make them look better? 

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 3,534
    edited June 2014

    i too am gaining weight on Aromasin, nothing seems to prevent it,...

  • Lucca06
    Lucca06 Member Posts: 69
    edited June 2014

    Lily, it is so frustrating as I really don't eat that much and am very active/busy.  Having said that a few of my friends (non-cancer) are complaining about not shifting weight so maybe it is a hormone shut down/menopausal middle aged thing?!

    Momine - it is not as big as the other and sits higher.  They will do something (I will know on Mon) to give them more symmetry and probably pump it up with lipofill.  He said before they had lots of options and also that the revisions are usually just day surgery which is good.

    I'll update on Monday in case it is useful to others.

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 690
    edited June 2014

    Lucca - yes, do update...it is helpful.

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited June 2014

    Lucca, thanks for the info.

  • Lucca06
    Lucca06 Member Posts: 69
    edited June 2014

    Just got back from London, it seems that my extra 'aromasin' 7 pounds might come in handy!  The next steps are 3 lots of lipofill to increase the size of the reconstructed breast using fat from my stomach or thighs.  They will need to do 3 goes as approx. 20% of the fat they inject gets reabsorbed.  When they do the 3rd lipofill they will lift my other breast to match and do my nipple.  The lipofills are all just a day at the hospital and the lipofill plus lift will be 1 night in hospital so all very manageable compared to the other op.

    They were very positive about how it has healed and what the final appearance will be after the 'adjustment's which was great as obviously I have nothing to compare it to!

    So any ladies contemplating delayed reconstruction, my honest advice with lots of hindsight (!) is take your time and really research the options to work out the best one for you.  

  • Lillymillie
    Lillymillie Member Posts: 192
    edited July 2014

    Just thought I'd chime in here as I'm waiting on my 2nd lipofill. I had delayed recon with implant on affected side. I healed really well after radiation but the main issue was getting enough stretch in the radiated muscle. I had implant put in on non affected side which was very straightforward and a lovely shape. When my surgeon went to do exchange on radiated side she ended up having to put 2 implants on one side as my ribs had slightly bowed due to fills pushing temp implants back instead of outwards. The result was pretty good but even though I have 2 implants on one side it is a little flatter and not as rounded. I'm a uk size 10 and a B cup. My surgeon then said next stage was lipo modelling which gives good results. They tried to get some tummy fat but said my thigh fat was much better quality!! I had highlighted an indent on my radiated side where I felt you could see the implant start (other side looks very natural). Lipofill worked really well here and after one go I'm very pleased with results.  Think it will be very a good job. Wear a soft prothesis cover without filling to even me out but after another lipofill or two I should be even. All in all it was worth it for me. I don't feel implants at all. Am glad to have less scars so I can wear a bikini on the beach. Lucca06 I was very badly bruised after lipomodelling which I wasn't expecting but it healed quite quickly. I was told to bring some big Bridget Jones underwear but found that the best thing was a pair of spanx or I cut a pair of super tight leggings into bicycle shorts to wear under jeans and it worked really well until bruising subsided. 

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 690
    edited July 2014

    Lillymillie and Lucca - thanks for sharing.  I'm in the information gathering period of delayed recon.

    Lillymillie -  did you have TE's placed before your implants?  If so, how did your radiated side hold up?  My PS said that there is a high fail rate if a flap is not used on the radiated side but also said that using fat transfer would reduce this rate.

  • Lucca06
    Lucca06 Member Posts: 69
    edited July 2014

    Lillymillie, thanks for that info really helpful.  We sound v similar sizewise and they have said will try tummy but go to leg if not enough.  I will get something sorted out as think the first lipofill will be next month.  How long do you reckon it took for the bruising to subside?

    You sound like you are in England too?  Where did you have your reconstruction done, mine was at St Thomas' in London.

  • MaxineO
    MaxineO Member Posts: 555
    edited July 2014

    I'm not sure why so many surgeons are opposed to the implant after rads.  I had a uni-MX with a TE placed.  After chemo and rads (skin held up great), I had the TE exchanged with a permanent implant.  No problems.  The radiated skin is tighter, so the implant 'rides up' a bit higher than it's supposed to, but no other problems at all.

    It must depend on the plastic surgeon, but I never heard anything close to 70% failure rate. If I remember correctly, my PS said something more along the lines of 30-40% failure.

    Best of luck.

  • Lillymillie
    Lillymillie Member Posts: 192
    edited July 2014

    Hi peacestrenght, yeah TE placed on radiated side first. Other side was just a straight implant with original breast tissue removed. The straight implant side is the one with a lovely shape. The other side has just needed the lipofill to plump it out and hopefully achieve same profile.

    Don't think I mentioned but what swung it for my decision was that my surgeon had said that if she did the back flap one she may have to add a small implant to get the shape right. As mentioned I was only looking for a modest enough 34b so I just felt that a bigger implant would do the job in one go, less invasive that the back flap and swifter recovery. 

    Lucca06 bruising cleared after about 10 days. Something very tight around your thighs or tummy and you'll be fine. Without a support it was uncomfortable to walk as my muscles there were moving about. Looked worse than I was expecting but did clear up well. Just two incision marks that have faded now. I'm quite close to you lucca06, just over the water in Belfast.

  • HomeMom
    HomeMom Member Posts: 1,198
    edited July 2014

    My PS has never said I could not have reconstruction. I am scheduled for rads in about two months and then I have to wait 3-4 months for that side to "cool down". He has not mentioned anything about a failure rate with rads. I've been getting my fills and am almost where I need to be. He did say I needed another 100CC's because the rads will evaporate that amount. 

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 690
    edited July 2014

    Thanks Lillymillie.

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