Question about tissue expanders

Hi Druanne,

I also had bilateral mastectomy with prepectoral tissue expanders. After surgery I had empty expanders for the first two weeks. My surgeon said that if he is at all worried about the skin he does not put any saline in during surgery. He wants no stress and maximum blood flow. In my case very thin skin was the reason. Everything has turned out just fine. Skin did great! For patients who have less concerns for him, he will start them out with a little saline so they wake up with small breast mounds. I hope all goes smoothly for you!

I am 10 days out from DMX with te's above the pectoral muscles, I am still having a lot of pain mostly where the sides of the Te's meet my armpits also on top in the center where cleavage would be, my te's are really high, anyone else have similar pain?

Thanks Ebronson for sharng your experience, so far these te's have been more pain than I anticipated grrrrr

acee-ess, welcome to our Community and thank you so much for sharing your experience! If you need help around the boards or the main site, just let us know. We're here for you!

Best wishes,

From the Mods

Druanne how did surgery go? Hope you’re feeling alright.

I had a left mastectomy with expanders 6 days ago and they are so uncomfortable. PS filled it with 500cc during surgery so I wasn’t flat when I woke up. But I went for my first post op appt and they had to take 100cc out since they thought my skin was not getting enough blood flow. Since they’ve taken it out I’m having the worst pain in my underarm and the top part (so high by the way it’s almost touching my clavicle, not sure what the point of it is) so sore, I can’t touch it. The pain in my Axillary is new and unbearable. I walk around with a pillow under my arm or my arm elevated. Is this normal? They didn’t cut my Axilla during sentinel node resection instead they got the nodes through my breast incision. Any suggestion of how to relieve the pain/discomfort?

DebAL thank you for your reply. I do have my drains. One of them is barely draining but the other is a lot. My PS wanted to keep them both in because he was scared my incision may be infected. I’m hoping the drainage will decrease and they’ll take them out next week. At least I’ll be able to go out. It’s kind of weird to go outside with drains hanging on me. My doctor cleared me to do everything with my arm except lifting but this was the resident so I’m going to ask the fellow when I see him next week because I don’t want to overdo and cause more problems. I guess I just need to be patient

Well I’m new to this board but could sure use some advice.

I had a bi-lateral mastectomy in late February and just saw my PS this morning regarding a reconstruction. After my surgery I had a wound that would not heal. After 5 weeks of drains, 4 more trying to heal I finally had to have a wound vac for 5 more weeks.

I am now fully healed and thinking I would really like to have the reconstruction surgery. My PS is a little worried about the breast where I had the wound because he said the skin might just be too thin. He did say we could try the TE in both and if for some reason the skin wasn’t cooperating on my right side, he would then do a flap on that breast.

Has anyone had anything like this in their experience? I am not afraid of the surgery, recovery or the pain. I just don’t want to go through it and have complications like I had when I had the initial mastectomy.

I did not need chemo or radiation......just on hormone blockers.

Thanks much,

Jane

When I had my Tissues expanders in the talk was all about streching out the skin. The skin did ok, it has zeeeero sensation after the surgeries, it's the streching of the muscle that was a problem (my implant is under muscle). Nobody at my PS's office has said anything about streching out the muscle. I don't think I will ever be comfortable with the implant. I don't know how healthy women do breast enlargement, yuck.

Thanks everyone for your input. Gives me a lot to think about.

Where do the incisions usually go for the TE? Some of you said they were very high up. Do you use prosthetics over the TE and if so does that hurt even more?

I already am having a lot of trouble with all of my clothes.....which is part of the reason I want the reconstruction. I'm also sick of people saying “when are you having the reconstruction surgery?" When will they leave me alone if I choose NOT to have it?

We live on a lake so summer clothes are SO part of my life. I bought swim suits and some new tops, but I always feel the forms are showing.

I'm in my mid 60's and my husband is totally leaving the decision up to me. It's just a hard one which I'm sure most of you can agree with.

Thanks again!

Jane

Jane2310 - I don't know if this will help you or not. How important is symmetry to you? During my process for determining reconstruction path, the plastic surgeons I met made one thing very clear - implant will never match natural or a flap reconstructed breast. I mention this only because it reads as if your PS would do flap on your left breast if the TE/implant failed and leave the implant in the right breast. If symmetry is important to you, it's something to discuss with your PS.

Having decided on unilateral, I knew DIEP was my reconstruction plan from the beginning. My TE was in for 15 months, under the muscle, and I felt it every single day. I'm so happy to have my pec back down on my chest where it belongs and my flap breast on top. It was a big surgery but honestly, I was in less pain and back to work faster than after my mastectomy.

all the best for a great outcome regardless of your reconstruction path.