Mobility and latissimus dorsi

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LM070917
LM070917 Member Posts: 323
edited April 2016 in Breast Reconstruction
Hey everyone,

Just wondering if anyone has had the latissimus dorsi on one side and encountered problems with mobility on the upper body?

I met with my surgeon the other day and she mentioned that this maybe one of the options I may want to go for, but I'm really keen on skiing, swimming and yoga and don't want to go with this option if it means not being able to do these activities properly again. There's a plastic surgeon near where I live who has created the scarless latissimus dorsi, whereby there are no back scars.

My other options are gluteal flap or Tug, as I'm not suitable for a Tram.

I'm not having recon for another 9 months so plenty of time to think about it. Just wondering your thoughts..
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  • nash
    nash Member Posts: 2,600
    edited April 2016

    I had a uni lat flap done May 2015. Lots of women do very well with this surgery. I was not one of them. However, many of my problems may be due to the mx itself (rotator cuff and pec muscle extremely tight) and fascia tightness issues that I may have had regardless of reconstructive option. Basically for the last year I've felt like I'm being crushed to death in an iron corset. And yes, my upped torso has been extremely restricted. I can function, but with great discomfort. I am a competitive figure skater, BTW. I can still skate, but I do have issues moving my body in certain directions. And housework is a real chore (no pun intended).

    That being said, now that I am finally on track with the proper therapy over the past month (myofascia release, scar release, and soft tissue treatment for the shoulder) I am starting to feel better. Not anywhere near normal, but better. I can move better and am less restricted.

    One of my problems has been the back scar pulling and restricting my ability to bend certain directions. A scarless lat flap would be a good option to avoid that potential issue. Now that I've started Graston therapy for the back scar, the resctrictions are much less, but I have suffered a great deal from it. Other women have absolutely no problems.

    I don't know anything about potential problems with SGAP or TUG, so I can't advise on those compared to lat flap.

    What I do know is that when I was researching potential lat flap complications or talking to the PS, never did any of the issues I ended up with ever come up. I find that really frustrating. Also, I was not given any post-op direction on how to address them. I was told they were in my head, that I needed to "get used to" the tightness, that it was nerve damage (PMPS) and I should take gabapentin, etc. The PT group I stuck with for 8 months, who ended up being clueless, referred me to a psychologist. I fired them shortly after that. Even the PS's nurse told me I should go for somatic therapy. Everyone wanted to blame the extreme tightness on repressed emotional trauma, rather than addressing the very real physical issues I was/am having. I had to figure things out on my own through trial and error. If I'd had proper therapy right after surgery, I'm sure I wouldn't have felt so crappy for so long.

    Anyhow, sorry if TMI, but I wanted to make you aware of what can potentially happen. But like I said, many women do very well with lat flap and are very happy with it.

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  • KSteve
    KSteve Member Posts: 486
    edited April 2016

    Lottemarine - I had the lat dorsi procedure done on my right side after my radiated skin started failing and opening up. You'll see from the dates below my signature line, that it was long after I was originally done with treatment. I can honestly say I'm in better shape now then I've ever been. I'm 50 and started working out with a trainer over a year ago (about a year after my surgery) and continue to lift weights with him two nights a week, and go to a regular gym on my own at least two other nights a week. I needed to lose about 25 lbs and get myself in better shape, which has been a big success. I feel much healthier now (and look a lot better too haha). Now, as far as the actual surgery goes, I found it to be a tougher one to recover from then anything else in my previous treatment. Having said that, I feel great now. There is a lot of numbness along the scar line, so if you can go scarless, that would be great. I don't have that iron bra feeling that some report. Of course, my radiated skin had tightened so much before this procedure, that I actually have relief from my pre-lat dorsi life. I also switched from the round implants to the teardrop shape, and am super happy with the cosmetic results.

    Good luck with your decision. It's tough to know which way to go. I didn't have a choice, so it was easy for me! Don't hesitate to ask questions if you have them.

    Hugs,

    Kathy

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