Shiny skin; how much more can we expand?

My surgeon told me that he used a 450-500cc tissue expander at the time of my mastectomy so I knew ahead of time what the maximum fill would be. I've had three fills and after each fill my skin was really shiny, then after a week or so the shine went away as my skin stretched.



I wouldn't worry about the shiny skin, it doesn't necessarily mean your skin is thin, or too thin to continue the fills. You can ask your doctor what size of tissue expander she gave you.

Your expander can be filled beyond its stated capacity - the forward facing shell of the TE is pretty flexible.  Mine were overfilled by 100cc - part of the decision making behind the TE choice is your anatomy, as they come in a height and width as well as total cc measurement.  Tissue expanders are medical devices and come with identification cards that give the details on their sizing, as well as their serial numbers.  This information is on a card that comes with the TE and should have been given to you at the time of placement.  At the very least, your PS should have a copy of the card in your medical file, and the facility where your surgery was done should have the same info.

Anything implanted in your body is considered a medical device and comes with a serial number that is unique.  All medical devices have the info cards - it is just a question of whether anyone at the hospital remembers to give it to you.  This information is always contained in your surgical report in medical records at the hospital (which you can obtain) or in your physician's file in their office.