Exchange City

Agent, my TE had to be replaced at 6 weeks postop. Since it folded, the fill needle poked holes in it and it leaked and flattened after fills. I had alot of intense vomiting post bmx/TE placement which may have dislodged it. Also, my TE were not able to be filled at all at time of placement.

Moody:

Experienced exchangers can add more than I can (I'm still in TEs) but my PS is going to use the same incision. Below my breast fold for me -- I had nipple/skin sparing.

Discuss with your PS. I think that's very typical. I hate the idea since my incision has healed but why create more scars?

Thank you SpecialK and EastcoastTS.

Thank you meg2016 and SpecialK

Hi all, it's been a few years (over 7 already - hard to believe!) since I've had reconstruction surgery with the gummy implants. My question is for those who have gummy implants, do you have rippling and pain? I didn't have any problems the first 4-5 years, but it's been getting worse the last year or so. I know I need to see a PS soon, though I don't want to go back to my original doc. (He seemed very nonchalant about my problem when I last saw him.) I'm unhappy with how firm/solid the implants are and they are definitely not symmetrical. (MX on left only, gummy implant on both sides.) Unfortunately, I was never given the option of what type of implant I wanted to go with so I don't know any other option, though I think saline might be softer? Any input or feedback would be much appreciated!

Karen

Back from ultrasound on lefty...

No obvious abnormalities. Both technician and radiologist couldn't find anything. No cysts, no fat necrosis. No obvious abnormality. (I don't think ultrasound would show scar tissue.)

That's all great. But there is a hard *something* there and it hurts.

Radiologist then was asking if I had lifted anything heavy recently, been working out recently, anything out of the ordinary?

No, no, and no. (Shall we play blame the victim?)

Radiologist then pushes around some more with the wand at the marked spot and says "all I see there is the edge of the implant."

I ask, "if you see the edge of the implant where I am feeling this hard lump, could the implant have moved out of position and/or rotated? Could we compare the ultrasound with the MRI to check the position of the implant? Maybe the left implant is higher than the right?"

Radiologist noted, just looking at me, that the left breast is bigger and higher than the right, with an obvious bulge near the lump.

Back to Plastic Surgeon next Tuesday. I hope that Plastic Surgeon and Breast Surgeon are done saying the other guy. After the MRI and ultrasound show no obvious abnormality, and nothing there except the implant, I think we can say this is Plastic Surgeon's jurisdiction.

Of course, Lefty is very sore today after all that poking and pressing yesterday. It also feels like it has moved diagonally closer to the armpit.

Scottiemom11- I believe he is going to start with UHP and if they just don't look right he will but in the HP. The UHP do match my TE dimension and he said my skin looks ok. Thank you

Sorry for the lapse in response time...

My BS removed 16 lymph nodes during my BMX because he said they appeared rubbery. He didn't feel comfortable only taking the first one or two and leaving the rest that had that same atypical appearance/feel. In hindsight, he said they probably were just still recovering from the initial lumpectomy I had a month and a half before. I've had issues with that side since - frozen shoulder...ouch.

A word of caution for those of you who just had or are getting ready to have your tissue exchange: Limit your activity and movement. In a previous post I stated to listen to your doctor, but I also said I was a good judge for my own body and was also using that to determine my activity. Now, I still have significant swelling in my upper chest (starting an inch or two below my clavicle) that I'm dealing with. My PS and his physician's assistant feel it's because I'm being too active and not limiting movement enough...and they are right. The BMX was uncomfortable enough to remind me of my limitations, and the TE just doesn't hurt that much. I'm taking it easy now; hence, getting on the computer rather than trying to clean my kitchen. Bad choices in activity have made me miss another week of work. I'm doing now what I should have done the first few days after surgery. My PS said to limit weight to nothing more than a cup of coffee for another two weeks and to limit lifting my arms higher than shoulder height. I now plan to do that so that I can allow myself to heal properly.

12 days after exchange and lift surgery, and I think my plastic surgeon is a genius. The anatomical implant matches my healthy breast well. I still have some bruising and I know some swelling will go down, but overall I'm happy. Hang in there that first week, and maybe even first month (or three).

memyself - I often wore a Warner's bra, linked below, as my original PS did not want underwire after exchange either. One thing to keep in mind is that this particular bra does not have adjustable straps, but there are several Warner's bras that are similar, wire-free, that do have adjustable straps.

http://warners.com/intimates/invisible_bliss_wirefree/

This is an old thread that isn't very active, but there are so many good bra recommendations I wanted to pass it along. It will require some reading, but great ideas. BRAS 101

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics...

I wore the front-closure surgical bras for about 6 weeks, then I switched to this Bali wire-free, product #3372.

It is very comfortable and very supportive.

http://www.barenecessities.com/bali-double-support-wire-free-bra-3372_product.htm?pf_id=Bali3372

Everyone is different. Also, bras feel differently as the swelling goes down and we heal. Be patient with yourself.

kingster that's so clever. Ima try that. I was going to have to throw these bras away anyway.

Back from Plastic surgeon.

The hard lump that I'm feeling is the implant that is surrounded by capsular contraction (scar tissue forms around the implant). All implants have some scar tissue, it helps to hold the implant in place. The problem is when too much scar tissue forms and moves the implant.

The fix is to remove the scar tissue and reposition the implant. Same day surgery.

I've scheduled it for after everyone is done with school. Don't need the added stress of me having surgery near finals and two graduations. We're not even mentioning the surgery to the children until after my daughter's graduation.

Mominator, that's sooo much better than recurrence!!