Breast and nipple reconstruction and lift to other side

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Lorri70
Lorri70 Member Posts: 191
edited September 2017 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi I was with my breast DR in May where he agreed to do a nipple reconstruction and lift the other side, I didn't have a mastectomy I had 2 lumpectomies in Oct and November followed by 20 sessions of radiation the Dr said it would be better to wait a year from the operation which is November, my breast needs a fat graft or an implant as it's square as I had nipple removed it's quiet a bit smaller than the other one and the skin feels leathery I put moisturiepser on it but it's making no difference, I assume this is damage and no amount of cream is gonna soften it??.will this make a difference for reconstruction? I didn't ask the DR any questions in May cause I was so happy he was gonna sort me out now I've lots of questions, will he decrease the non cancer side or increase the cancer one? Any feed back is welcome

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  • aquilegia
    aquilegia Member Posts: 83
    edited September 2017

    The radiation changes to the skin may make healing more difficult if you get further surgery on that breast. I had radiation more than 20 years ago; my skin never got badly burned or leathery, but my PS said it still could make healing more difficult. Turned out I did OK with a DIEP reconstruction, but I did get a small area of necrosis where he sutured the breast skin together, that took 3 months to heal completely. I can't say about the risk of poor healing versus risk from surgery to your other breast.

    I'm trying to decide myself whether to have my other breast lifted and reduced. It seems like purest vanity to do it, as the difference (D versus C cup) doesn't show when I wear a bra, but I'm the one that has to look at me in the mirror for the next 20+ years.

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  • macb04
    macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
    edited September 2017

    HI Lorri70. I was just writing about Radiation Fibrosis on another thread. It means your skin can be thickened, stiff or " woody" in texture. Frequently associated with tiny little broken blood vessels called telangectasia and excessively dry skin. It can be healed by a few things. Fat Grafting involving liposuction of your fat from an nonradiated srea such as the abdomen, and injection to the breast, does remarkable things to improve the texture and health of irradiated skin. It is now a very common procedure for breast reconstruction along with implants, or use of your own tissues in a DIEP/Lat Flat, ect. Also Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is proven to be effective at rehabilitating the vascular health of irradiated skin. The final thing I would mention is oral Pentoxifylline and Vitamin E.

    I had just awful radiation damage associated fibrosis. My skin was thick, stiffy and "woody". I did Fat Grafting several times, did HBOT a number of times and am on oral Pentoxifylline and Vitamin E as well as a topical specially compounded cream of Pentoxifylline 5%/ Vitamin E 1%. My skin is now about almost completely back to normal. So don't give up hope. I was able to successfully get through reconstruction. It's not perfect, but I don't have to wear some awful, hot prosthetic boob. I can just get dressed in some confidence again.

    Pentoxifylline and vitamin E treatment for prevention of radiation-induced side-effects in women with breast cancer: a phase two, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial (Ptx-5).

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19540105

    Randomized trial of pentoxifylline and vitamin E vs standard follow-up after breast irradiation to prevent breast fibrosis, evaluated by tissue compliance meter.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22846413

    Outcomes of Radiation Injuries Using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: An Observational Cohort Study

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Hbot+and+soft+tissue+radionecrosis


    Systematic review of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of non-neurological soft tissue radiation-related injuries.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24794980


    Adipose-derived stem cells in radiotherapy injury: a new frontier.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25674565

    Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer Improves Volume Retention in Irradiated Recipient Sites and Rescues Radiation-Induced Skin Changes.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26661694

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  • Lorri70
    Lorri70 Member Posts: 191
    edited September 2017

    thank you both for taking the time to reply to me, I will look at all your links now macb4, I'm looking forward to having this done and finished so I can move on

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