anyone have implants put in over your pectoral muscle.?

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macb04
macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
edited September 2014 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi,  I am doing a fourth Brava/fat grafting procedure September 23rd.  My PS says every time he sees me that I should get an implant, that I will never get symmetry with my real breast with fat grafting alone. Initially I was going to do a Diep flap. Then I found out about Brava and fat grafting and decided to do that to reconstruct instead.  I have a A plus size mound there now and hope to get to nearly a B cup on the next fat grafting procedure.  I HATED having that TE under my pectoral muscle. It hurt all the time and completely wrecked my strength.  I couldn't even open a bag of potato chips.  I had terrible problems to my skin from the radiation,  burnt me to a crisp.  I have radiation fibrosis and my chest is always too tight. I am afraid of how it might bug me to feel an implant, even if I have fat over it. I am very athletic,  swim a lot, kayak, run and walk. what do you ladies think of your implants?  Anyone have one  put over their pectoral muscle..? If not, why not? Having something stuffed in your pectoral muscle is very uncomfortable, especially with  TE. Does that too tight feeling go away when they swap out the TE for a softer implant, but one that is still stuck inside the pectoral muscle.? 

I just feel frightened of getting the implant and hating it. I keep hoping that I will eventually suceed if I do enough fat grafting,  so that I will be able to skip the implants altogether.

Comments

  • dltnhm
    dltnhm Member Posts: 873
    edited September 2014

    Mac, 

    I do not have an implant. I had DIEP reconstruction. 

    However I did research this and learned a great deal on this site as well. When a woman has breast augmentation, there is opportunity for a choice of above or below the pectoral. When a woman has breast reconstruction, she is usually reconstructing with NO breast tissue left, therefore there is not a choice and below the muscle is necessary. 

    It sounds as if you have a unique situation with the fat grafting, but it sounds as though the implant would still need to be placed under the muscle. 

  • duvan
    duvan Member Posts: 24
    edited September 2014

    I had TE's for 6 months and had absolutely no problems with them, which really surprised me. Actually, they were the best implants I've ever had. I've had implants before, then I had them in front of the muscle, and I didn't like them but that was mostly because the shape of the implants didn't really fit me then, they looked a bit odd. When I had the TE's I had pain in the beginning of course, for 3 weeks or so, but after that it really felt good. I recently had them changed to silicone implants. The new ones look good but they are a bit too small for me, unfortunately. 

    I think the reason why the TE's (and also these new ones) feels good is because of the way the surgeon cut the breast muscle. It seems like they cut it differently, or at least cut them differently much. There has to be made enough space. 

    MAYBE the discomfort you had with your previous implants was because of this? Maybe you wouldn't feel that discomfort if another surgeon operated on you and made the breast"pocket" large enough?  

  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 968
    edited September 2014

    The reason implants are put under the muscle in reconstruction is multi fold: protection of the implant, support of the implant (to reduce risks of migration) and coverage to reduce any rippling, oh, and reduce risk of capsular contracture which is riskier in over muscle implants, even for augmentation patients. I have seen a couple women on here get them over the muscle, but have not seen their long term results. I have also seem some examples on the internet but to be honest, I was not impressed with their appearance.

    I never had TEs as I went direct to implant with Alloderm, so cannot compare to what TEs may feel like (I have also never had radiation, so can't speak to that either), but what I can say is that I am very active - I also kayak, run, swim (a bit), hike, scuba dive, weight train, and so on and I honestly have no issues with my implants. I don't know if it was luck, my PS's skill, the surgery procedure I had, that I was in great shape and health before, but my implants are very comfortable and do not cause me any issues with my activity. I was aware they could, and there was a risk, but they just haven't. They are firmer than my natural breasts were, but still soft and do feel like part of me...to point I really don't think about them much, they are there just like my arms are, or whatever. It does not feel like anything is "stuffed under pec" though of course that is where they are.

    That being said not everyone has that experience, and I don't think you should get an implant if you are not comfortable with the idea, and I also know that with rads implants are generally contradicted as the risk of failure is higher...though this risk is reduced it seems with fat grafting and/or lat flaps, etc. It sounds like you may have other issues, like fibrosis, that may add to complications for you. I am not sure an implant over muscle would be a solution or not for you, as there are still those risks above (and I am not sure how they are reduced by BRAVA fat grafting).

    TEs are also a bit notorious for being uncomfortable as their purpose is to stretch the tissues. They have hard backs and harder shells than implants, and this can create pressure points, etc.

  • Blessedsp
    Blessedsp Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2014

    Hello Divecat- how long did it take you before you became comfortable with your implants?  I also had one stage direct implant on July 21st, but I currently have very tight chest and feels so uncomfortable...

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