Four Months Out Implants Are Hard

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited January 2017 in Breast Reconstruction
Four Months Out Implants Are Hard

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  • Loves2learn
    Loves2learn Member Posts: 2
    edited December 2016

    First post but have lurked her for a year. I had my reconstruction on both breasts August 19th. Mentor silicone high profile 375cc under the muscle. My tissue expanders were at 320 and I told my PS that I didn't want to be any smaller than where I was. They feel like very hard memory foam. I was hoping they would be much more comfortable than the expanders and they are, somewhat, but not nearly as much as I thought. My PS wants to do some fat transfer and I am wondering if I need to ask for smaller implants? I am 5'5". My thyroid flared up and went hyper about a month after my recon and I lost some additional weight and am now down to 120 lbs. I am not a candidate for any kind of flap reconstruction due to my thin frame. I am currently in PT as my range of motion is not where it should be. I am always quite sore after my PT. Have I not given it enough time to soften up? I was thinking they would gradually soften but I have not seen any difference at all.

  • ravzari
    ravzari Member Posts: 277
    edited December 2016

    It can take 6-12 months before you'll begin to see/feel what your final results will be, so you're still considered pretty early on in the settling in and healing process; that is something to keep in mind.

    Have you talked to your PT or your plastic surgeon about doing any sort of massage of them? If they're non-textured implants and implants that are round (as opposed to anatomical; massaging anatomical shaped implants can cause them to flip, which you don't want!), many times they recommend daily massage of the implants to help them settle in, help the muscles relax, and to help potentially prevent scar tissue build up around the implants (which can make them feel hard as they're being squeezed by the scar tissue).

    There are videos on Youtube that go through how to massage breast implants, but I wouldn't recommend doing that without talking to your plastic surgeon first, especially if you're not sure if you have textured implants or anatomical implants.

  • OrcaPorkka
    OrcaPorkka Member Posts: 61
    edited December 2016

    I don't have any great suggestions other than to keep up the PT. If your muscle is still really tight, that might make everything feel hard? I would make an appointment with your PS for a followip

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited December 2016

    I didn't have implant but had DIEP. I was 5'3" 123 pounds so maybe not as thin as you but was able to get DIEP for one side. I did have fat transfer. They took as much fat as they could from thighs, leaving inner thigh alone. I think maybe 700 to 800cc's. I have to tell you I didnt notice much difference from the transfer maybe a tiny bit fuller. I think the fat gets absorbed easily. I hope it works for you.

  • Loves2learn
    Loves2learn Member Posts: 2
    edited December 2016

    Thank you for following up. I have an appointment next week. They are smooth round implants. I kept asking if I needed to massage them but my PS didn't recommend it. I forgot to say that while I was on Herceptin, my port got infected and it spread to the left side of my chest. Spent 3 nights in the hospital getting the infection under control. From my research, it looks like an infection can cause capsulor contracture. I guess I'll just wait to see what he says. Maybe I just need to wait longer for them to soften up? Hope so.

  • macb04
    macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
    edited December 2016

    Ask about Pentoxifylline 400mg three times a day plus Vitamin E 400IU THREE times a day for Capsular contracture. I am on that preventively. I also read about doing low level laser therapy as treatment for capsular contracture. Here is the article about it. Sounds so cool.


    Laser therapy for capsular contracture?

    April 07, 2015

    By Bill Gillette

    A new study suggests that low-level laser therapy may be the solution to capsular contracture, a troublesome problem associated with breast augmentation and reconstruction procedures.

    According to the authors, fibrous capsular contracture is a common complication of those procedures, one that typically results in significant patient dissatisfaction. Surgical and non-surgical measures both are used to treat the problem, mostly with mixed results, though surgery is considered the best method for treating the more severe grades of capsular contracture.

    For this study, two osteopathic physicians and a plastic surgeon, all from the Philadelphia area, conducted a study involving 33 patients with grades III and IV capsular contractures. For six weeks, patients underwent one weekly 10-minute laser treatment with a 904 nm laser over a 2-cm2 grid pattern at one minute per area. Patients were asked to complete a post-treatment survey to determine their level of improvement and satisfaction.

    The research team found that surgical intervention was avoided in 93.9% of patients with grade III and IV capsular contraction. Of the patients who avoided surgery, the laser improved breast stiffness by an average of 43.6% and improved comfort by an average of 48.2%.

    The researchers conclude that low-level laser therapy is a promising alternative treatment for grades III and IV capsular contracture.

    "This study is the first to look at using low-level laser treatment for capsular contracture," study author William L. Scarlett, D.O., of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, tells Cosmetic Surgery Times. "The technology is promising for non-surgical treatment of capsular contracture. A larger study needs to be done looking at the protocol, frequency of treatment and long-term follow-up."

    The other authors are Jason D. Johnson, D.O., also of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Paul M. Glat, M.D., of the Drexel University College of Medicine.

    The study appears in the March issue of the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery.

  • SeattleBound
    SeattleBound Member Posts: 48
    edited January 2017

    Thank you to all of you who posted! Trying to learn everything possible about any topic related to our journey is like walking through a maze! Wish it was easier! So much is still experimental and not backed up by much research! Hard to know what to do. Currently, I am trying to locate surgeons who have a lot of experience with reconstruction and subsequent problems that I have - implant migration and capsular contracture. Maybe a false hope, but I want to aim for a final solution. I never expected to have multiple surgeries related to reconstruction complications, but that seems to be very common! :-

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