anyone else's skin get too thin to finish fills?

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bellamax
bellamax Member Posts: 25
edited June 2018 in Breast Reconstruction

I have been getting expanders filled slowly for almost 5 months. Now only about 3 fills away from the finish line my skin on right side (radiation done prior to Mastectomy) I am having problems with the skin getting very thin. I can actually see the expander under the skin beneath my scar. Last week had to return the day after my fill and have the saline withdrawn as my skin had gotten very red and shiny. My PS would not do a fill this week and says depending on condition of skin next week I may be finished with the fills. Anyone else have this experience with the lovely expander process?

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  • chrissilini
    chrissilini Member Posts: 313
    edited January 2012

    Glad you asked this question. I'm wondering the same thing too. I had my first fill yesterday and although my skin doesn't seem thin, I have noticed it seems a little shinier and one spot looks like there are stretch marks. Hoping it doesn't prevent future fill as one side took more than the other. Interested to read more posts on this. Good luck to you.

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  • janetlp
    janetlp Member Posts: 54
    edited January 2012

    My skin was also very thin. I did go ahead with the implants and had them in for 6 years. I now have to have them taken out. Dr said implants will come through any time. One side has a bubble and paper thin. I am athletic and of average build. I have decided to go with the TUG. I just found an awesome site.https://aspsn.org/ASPSN2011/slides/Saturday/Concurrent Session II/1425 TUG (Inner Thigh) Free Flap Breast Reconstruction_Horton.pdf     I have been looking for information on this. 

     You may want to ask your Dr. If he can do fat injections if the skin is not too thin.

    the best Janet

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  • Iz_and_Lys_Mum
    Iz_and_Lys_Mum Member Posts: 126
    edited January 2012

    Sorry, I havent had this problem but thought Id give this thread a bump for you x

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  • Olivia1969
    Olivia1969 Member Posts: 4
    edited January 2012

    I had a lumpectomy six weels before a double mastectomy with tissue expanders.   Doing fine until three months later, when the lumpectomy incision took on a silvery stretch mark appearence and started to separate.  Needed surgery to repair from inside to reinforce the incision.  Interestingly enough, the incisions from the actual mastectomy.. fine.

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  • JoanQuilts
    JoanQuilts Member Posts: 633
    edited January 2012

    I, too, will be watching this thread with interest as I am two weeks out from a BMX with TEs, 19 years after a left lumpectomy.  My first post-surgical fill in on Tuesday.

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  • bellamax
    bellamax Member Posts: 25
    edited January 2012

    Hi Gals

    Thanks for your replies. My skin now looks a bit better but area where I can see the expander beneath the skin is still kind of whitish/blue. So, I will go see my PS this coming Thursday and see what he thinks. I am hoping I can get in a couple of more fills, but if this is it then so be it. I am not up for starting over!!

    Janetip-I am so sorry you have to go through removing the implants after all this time. Thanks for the info on the TUG. I am pretty much your build although older than you (but in good shape). I will think positive thoughts for you!

    It seems that this problem seems to arise more in those of us who have had previous radiation. My non radiated side is doing just fine.

    I will post after this Thursdays appointment. 

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2012

    I think it is important to give yourself a while to heal between the surgery and the fills.  Radiated skin is challenged in healing and having max time to heal before starting fills can make the difference.  I also recommend low and slow on the fills - I did 25cc's at a time and have not had a problem with skin on the prophy side that had been excised 3 times and had a TE removed and replaced.  It will obviously take longer to reach the desired max fill but better safe than sorry.

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  • janetlp
    janetlp Member Posts: 54
    edited January 2012

    I wish you the best, I turned 50 last year and so greatful for everyone !!!

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  • bellamax
    bellamax Member Posts: 25
    edited January 2012

    Just checking back in. 

    janetlp, just wondering about the "fat injections"...do you mean now or at the time of exchange surgery?Thanks and again I wish you the best also.

    Special K, I agree that low and slow is the way to go. I have only done 25cc fills also and even at that have at times taken 2 weeks off. From what I read everyone is different, but that is what has worked for me so far. My PS really does believe in taking his time and being cautious.

    The saying at my PS office is "Radiation *^&%s"!! I couldn't agree more. My problem child is definitely the radiated side! 

    All the best to everyone!! 

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  • janetlp
    janetlp Member Posts: 54
    edited January 2012

    Fat injections would be at the exchange. That would help with making a barrier. I had the injections,only towards the middle area because of rippling.He said my skin is too thin to do it now. Now I wish he had done more.

     You are doing the right thing by doing it slowly

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  • bellamax
    bellamax Member Posts: 25
    edited January 2012

    Janetip-thanks for the info on the fat injections.

    I just came from my PS appointment. No more fills for me, as my skin had become too thin. So my implants will be around 420 to 450cc's. I am not sure what that is going to mean size wize, but he says I will be a little smaller than I am now. Which I guess is okay-or will have to be.

    Does anyone know if fat injections can be done to boost the size of the implant if the skin is too thin to accomodate a larger sized implant? I just could not think today when I saw my PS. I see him in a month to discuss the surgery and see how my skin is coming along.

    What a process this is! I think right now I feel very confused. I hated those fills with a passion because they were so painful for me, but now that I can't have any more I am disappointed!!

    Oh, also has anyone had another surgery done at the same time as exchange? I am going to have a remaining fallopian tube removed and possibly uterus (ovaries are gone) at the same time. I meet with a surgeon who does the Da Vinci robotic surgery tomorrow.

    My best to all of you. Thanks for any advice and hopefully I have provided some! 

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  • fightslikeagirl0715
    fightslikeagirl0715 Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2014

    I know this is an older discussion but I too am curious about skin becoming too thin to continue expander fills.  I have been receiving fills for almost six months now.  Prior to my double mastectomy I was about a 38A.  I decided that I wanted to go bigger as a "trophy" at the end of my cancer battle.  I had my heart set on a nice full C but now my PS thinks I may be as full as I can be as my skin has really started to thin out.  She says that my new breasts won't look good if my skin is transparent, and that the ripples in the implants will show through.  Of course there could also be the risk of necrosis.  I am disappointed.  Even though I am bigger than I was I really wanted to walk away from this all with the boobs I wanted.  I am roughly at 420cc's and next week I will find out if anymore can be put in.  My doctor feels I am probably about a full B or C but I feel strongly that I am just a B. I have already exceeded my breast pocket so I am thinking she is really going to be against putting any more in.  Has any else experienced such?  If so, were you happy once the implant was put in?  I understand that even though the silicone implant will be larger than the expander, it will appear smaller in the chest.

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  • TonLee
    TonLee Member Posts: 2,626
    edited February 2014

    Fight,

    I stopped 1-2 fills short as well.  When the PS did my swap, he made the "pocket" a little bigger and was able to go up to the original agreed upon size.  But my skin wasn't thin, he said I needed to be "released" from the radiation damage....and whatever he did worked because the tightness was gone when I woke up!

    They may be able to get a bigger implant in during the exchange.

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  • ljm33
    ljm33 Member Posts: 46
    edited June 2018

    I see this is an old topic but I'd love to hear how it worked out for others in this situation. I went in for my last fill today and my PS said my skin was too stretched and shiny - so no more expansions for me. I was hoping to get to 400cc but now I'm at 330cc so I'll likely be a small B (I'm tall) which is what I was before. I gotta admit. I'm bummed. I didn't want to be huge but after all this I was hoping for a solid B, maybe a C. Just wondering if anyone else is in this situation and how it worked out.

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