Ask plastic surgeon Scott Sullivan, M.D., your recon questions!

Very frustrated!!This topic site is very frustrating to read. Suggest that the info I found in one post by moderators be included in the main area so we will understand that the doctor's answers are not posted here, but instead, certain questions are chosen by the moderators and appear elsewhere in a blog topic. I had to read through many posts before finding that information. The doctor's answers were excellent, but clearly, there can be many months before a question is answered.

Dr. Scott: Hello, thanks for giving us the opportunity of having a forum where we can express our worries and concerns.

My first question is why BSs cut nerve terminals of the breast skin which is not removed?

Second, PSs when inserting the implants do not remove the excess skin from a former biopsy and leave those skin folds next to the recon breast. Why the folds are not part of the recon?

Third, I received my implant on Dec. 8 and had a piece of areola and nipple transplant from left breast. It's almost a month and the sutures haven't dissolved on their own. Can I remove them?

I'm brand new to this forum, very happy I found you! I had DCIS in 1999 with lumpectomy and radiation. The doc misread the dx and gave me "extra" radiation, which has caused 18 years of fibrosis until my breast essentially disappeared. I had hormone receptive tumor in the other breast 5 years ago with lumpectomy and radiation with a much better result. I recently decided to have breast reconstruction; I'm 68 years old and a widow, but I was tired of being angry with the doc.

Anywho, I'm dealing with pain from tissue expander and asked the plastic surgeon if I could have fill of 60 ml every 2 weeks instead of every week, as I have 3 days of pain requiring oxycodone to function. He said the expander might "close up" if I went to 2 weeks and I've not found a report of this anywhere or any mention of it. I'm wondering if this is just his schedule that he wants to stick to or if this is a valid caution. Thanks!

bethesue, - My radiated side was much more uncomfortable than the non radiated side. My fills were reduced to 25 ml on that side, and were at least 2 weeks apart!

I had a mastectomy on my right breast, this is a recurrence, my 1st surgery on my right breast on 7/2010 was a lumpectomy with 18 to 20 lymph nodes removed 1 positive. I was diagnosed with a recurrence on 10/2016, had surgery on 12/12/16 Stage 1A, no nodes positive.  My question is I am having swelling in my right breast a few days after my drains were removed, my PS tried to aspirate my breast and nothing came out, he tried several areas on my right breast, my PS sent me to the hospital to have a drain put in because he thought there was a abscess or infection, and I had no symptoms of either of these, the Radiologist at the hospital said only a small amount of fluid in breast and it was under my TE so he could not install drain and thought it would cause me to get an infection. Now my right breast has swelled more it looks like almost have a normal breast.  What can I do?

My TE's were put in Oct 2016 after bilateral mx. I developed a hematoma in right breast and had new TE put in two days later and it had to be replaced.

I'm having radiation on chest wall for left breast with intermamery nodes. I will most Likely need DIEP or SIEA. However that breast was sewn in a straight line using alloderm instead of being rounded. It liooks higher than right breast and is painful.

Is this a common problem that can easily be fixed or do I need to see a reconstruction specialist especially after radiation?

My PS doesn't think it will be able to be fixed so that it looks like the right. Where do you find specialists that have experience with fixing thus

Hello Dr. Sullivan,

i have pre pecs TE's ,400 cc. i was small to begin with ( cup A) and my PS mentioned putting a bigger implant.i want to go small, maybe 300-320 and the 400 feels so heavy on me.is it possible to have smaller implants than TE's at the exchange.Thank you.

Thanks to the Mods and the Team at the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery!