Exchange City

Good luck to everyone on their upcoming exchanges. To answer the question about heaviness...I have 700 ml mentor memory gels, smooth rounds, high profile. They weigh 1.5 pounds each. (I calculated after I called the implant company). My natural breasts weighed 1 pound each, so they felt heavier to me...but much more used to them now. I am a cup size C or D, depending on the bra.

Hi All,

I had my exchange surgery on Tuesday of last week.

My left side feels great. But, my right side (the previous cancer side that, also, had rads and axilary dissection), HURTS when I try to lay on it at night or if I pull my arm back.

I had my post-op visit today and PS seems surprised that I'm having this pain. Which makes me worry more that I have it.

Anyone else that has had this experience? I feel sort-of alone in this and like it's not "supposed to hurt" - that makes me feel like maybe something got torn somehow?

Just really confused and tired from not sleeping too well. And, worried that this will always hurt - because PS made it sound like it's unusual for it to still be hurting.

And, I'm not happy with how they look - also. I wish I had never had this done. 😑

Scared67 I'm sorry that you're in pain and not pleased with your implants. I'm sure once you receive confirmation that nothing is wrong and get some good sleep you will feel better about the decision for reconstruction. I myself will have to take all the advice not to judge the outcome so quickly after surgery. I'm told it could take 4-6 months to be able to really see the finished product as intended. I have one more big fill or he may split it between two as he doesn't plan to do my exchange now until Nov. because of recently having to change out the faulty TE on my left side. I've gotten to where I can sleep comfortably on my left side now so things are better and they don't hurt me anymore. I guess we just get used to them.

Does your PS have any plans to check on things if the pain persists? I'm hoping maybe since it's the side where you had rads and dissection that things are just a little more upset for now. I wish you the best.

Yay TrmTab! I hope you're really pleased with your implants. As for the no fluids thing...it's kind of BS! Apparently all over the world people are simply told to stop drinking fluids 2 hours before surgery. However, in the US it's felt that we as patients are incapable of counting backwards accurately. It's a shame, as being properly hydrated makes IV access easier and reduces nausea and headaches.

I lucked out with my BMX and exchange, as they allowed drinking unsweetened clear beverages, including 8 oz of black tea or coffee, right up to the 2 hour cut off. It was something I really appreciated.

Again, good luck! Tomorrow is my revision day as well.

Trmtab & VegGal, so happy for you that your exchange day is approaching. I'll be thinking about both of you tomorrow and praying the procedure is smooth and the recovery quick and easy. My exchange is in 2 weeks, I'm both very ready and also very nervous at the same time.

Scare67, sorry you are experiencing a good deal of pain. I hope it resolves quickly for you and you are able to get some rest and sleep.

YAY!! You did it! And no more uncomfortable TE's!! Hope the pain subsides sooner rather than later. Do you have the wear the bra 24/7 until your next visit? Did you also have one after your BMX? No drains? Just think, you are almost to the finish line.

in pre-op. Already on IV. One hour and counting to scheduled surgery time..

In post op....they put the wrong implant in me..., a textured versus smooth...what happened..???, Dr already left the building...going crazy

The Dr said he is having the SRX FedExed from CA and it will be at the hospital tomorrow at 2pm...that he can swap this TCX for the SRX  with local anesthesia tomorrow.

So confused, is that safe, will it make a mess of the pocket and placement work that was so meticulously done...unfortunately with the "wrong" implant.

From the little research I have been able to do with my iPhone while in post -op, it appears to be a "SRX" made with the gummy bear cohesive gel, just approved for use this year???

Trm Tab, you have a valid reason to be sad. What happened was terrible.

As for the safety of replacing the implant, I would like to think he wouldn't do anything that was risky. That said, just having a second surgery does raise the risks no matter where it is done. He will likely just remove enough sutures to remove the implant and replace with the new. All the basic work should remain the same.

Keep us posted and try to rest!

TrmTab - gummy is a misnomer. The original cohesive gel implants were Allergan 410 anatomicals, and they were textured. That is what I have. Then Mentor made an anatomical implant. Then several of the 'rounds' were made of cohesive gel. I believe there are some that are textured & some not - but both can be cohesive gel.

Cohesive gel is the way to go in my opinion. They can't leak into your system & it's unlikely that pieces would break off. I don't find my cohesive gel implants any heavier than my native breasts. And they are a HUGE relief after any kind of TE. Hope you get fixed up tomorrow

I just got the new SCX implants yesterday. Lots of projection compared to my old 410's. The squishiness is comparable to the 410's based on what I felt on sample implants in the PS office. I'm too sore and swollen to squeeze my actual implanted ones yet.

Good luck!

if only a SCX had been put in

Why Tcx???

Big hugs. Try to push this snafu aside and concentrate on healing. Not rushing into this is probably a very good idea.

Sorry for my meltdown this past weekend...it was just moving too fast.

I finally did leave the hospital and am now recovering from this implant exchange. The Inspira TCX is a higher cohesive ratio than the SRX, so I guess that means this will be firmer and ???perhaps??? have more projection than the SRX? So those would be considerations to include in the potential exchange in Nov/Dec to the SRX?

Plus have concerns about the Textured surface vs smooth given recent data, so before this was put into me was firmly set against textured/wanted smooth round...but, if I wind up happy with the size/firmness I wonder if the risk of another surgery is higher than the risk of ALCL?

Currently very swollen, sore and as of today quite bruised along the medial line and on my native R breast that I assume was being pushed out of the way as they worked on my left.

Thank you all for putting up with my meltdown...TT