the implant that comes with latissimus dorsi surgery

kirklandkid
kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
edited October 2018 in Breast Reconstruction

if you have had this surgery, could you please tell me if the implant put in place during the surgery is a FULL implant or is it a tissue expander type of implant that needs to have saline added to it until it reaches the proper size? Thanks! I'm totally new to this type of reconstruction and I'm just researching.

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  • GG27
    GG27 Member Posts: 2,128
    edited October 2018

    When I had my lat flap recon, it was tissue expanders. I had them changed out a year later for implants.


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  • Wink22
    Wink22 Member Posts: 39
    edited October 2018

    I have just had LD flap reconstruction with tissue expanders...will hopefully exchange to implants in January.

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  • nash
    nash Member Posts: 2,600
    edited October 2018

    I had direct to implant LD flap. During revision surgery, the surgeon swapped out the first implant for a second, slightly larger implant.

    It's surgeon's preference whether they do a TE or go direct to implant. I think it also depends on how large the reconstructed breast will be. A larger breast will most likely need a TE first.

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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    Thank you!

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  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited October 2018

    I had the lat flap surgery about 18 months ago. The implant I had was not a tissue expander, it was the permanent, silicone one. I already had had a direct to implant reconstruction, but radiation tightened it up so it looked weird, so I had the lat flap done. Looked way better! I had unilateral mastectomy. Small implant other side to balance. About a C cup which I've always been. Going to have a minor revision on the "patch" to correct a little overlap. Scar on my back healed very well, just thin line, already not noticeable. Pretty happy overall!

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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    Thank you, CaliKelly! The scar was another concern of mine. My cancer was discovered after breast reduction surgery. That left dramatic scars. Then I had a mastectomy on the left side so a smaller, mastectomy scar was added to the two dramatic scars. I looked at drawings of Lat flap scars and it looks like a huge area is taken from the backside so I was envisioning another dramatic scar there. If it fades out within 18 months, I will be very happy.

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  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited October 2018

    Just a thin curved line, about 9-10 inches. Kinda sexy😉My breast mound has a football shaped scar, a patch of sorts, I guess, also already fading. On the outer edge of the"patch" theres a 2cm, kind of overhang that im getting fixed soon, to make a more rounded contour on that side. I also had a nipple reconstruction, which unfortunately "died", and fell off😕I was bummed, that was going to be my cherry on top! So I got nipple tattoo, which looks pretty great. And now my pectoral muscle is back where it belongs under the implant! Good luck girlfriend, your rebuilt self will be almost good as new!

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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    An unexpected result during the breast reduction was that my nipples had to be removed and then reattached. They both got black but my doc gave me some procedures to do to them three times a day and both were saved. But knowing that I was going to have a mastectomy soon, I asked him "Why are we trying so hard to save the left nipple?!" He said because we didn't want it to get infected because any infection would prolong the amount of time before I could have the mastectomy. So after that, I just looked at it as pre-mastectomy care :) I'm glad that you're doing so well!


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  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited October 2018

    I have nipple envy!😉

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  • anotherNYCGirl
    anotherNYCGirl Member Posts: 1,033
    edited October 2018

    I had direct to (small) implant lat after a failed regular reconstruction attempt. I, too, have a scar on my back and football shaped scar on breast, both fading.

    Nipples were constructed a few months later with skin graft from upper left thigh (panty line). They look amazingly real!

    Wishing you an easy procedure and a speedy recovery!

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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    Is a year a normal amount of time or did you have reasons to have to stop adding to the expanders during that year's time?


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  • CBK
    CBK Member Posts: 611
    edited October 2018

    Kirlandkid-

    I had lat flap surgery with no more than a 4 inch scar on my underarm to back area... it was a straight incision. Front of my breast has a crescent shaped scar that is fading nicely!!

    I never had good blood flow or coverage on my right side after BMX with sub-pec tissue expanders... So I had lat flap on right side as per my below "bio" and went straight to small implant that was later exchanged to full sized implant.

    Sending all my best your way,


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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    Thank you, CBK. I stand in awe at what some of you have gone through.

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  • Rhon59
    Rhon59 Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2018

    I had the Lat Flap with expanders on 10/1/18. Due to so much scar tissue from my double mastectomy, chemo and radiation burn my surgery was close to 8 hours long. While in recovery I had stroke symptoms that did dissipate after a couple of hours. At my 2 week check up/fill they were unable to locate the ports to my expanders. After sonograms and chest X-rays I was scheduled for another surgery to reposition the expanders that had somehow completely flipped.

    I am now 4 weeks out from my first surgery and still have all 3 drains. I am still in so much pain that I can not sleep without pain pills and hurt during the day that I cannot go more than 5-6 hours without taking a pill just to get up and down.

    Can someone tell me if this is normal and I am just giving it long enough or is this abnormal? I am normally a pretty tough gal and have never been on pain pills this long after a surgery in my life!

    I go back tomorrow and am praying to have drains removed and that they are able to find the ports!

    Thanks for any comments! Rhon5

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited October 2018

    Dear Rhon59,

    Welcome to the BCO community. We are sorry for your diagnosis and the current pain you are in from surgery. It sound like you have been through quite a lot in the past month. Here is some information on what to expect from a Lat Flap reconstruction surgery. Please keep us posted on what you learn after your appointment tomorrow. We want to support you and see you connect to others here in the community. The MOds

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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    Okay, this seems like a really dumb question but something just occurred to me. My plastic surgeon says I can't have a "standard" implant because my skin at the mastectomy site isn't stretchy enough. I realized that I've never even asked him if he thinks an implant will work with lat surgery! (I will be calling him tomorrow!) But in case any of you happen to know... Every account I've read about lat surgery talks about the implant going under the flap, right? So as long as the flap skin is stretchy, I'm OK--right?!

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  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited October 2018

    Oh yeah, the skin is going to be nice and stretchy that's why you're doing a flap surgery instead of direct to implant. I tried direct to implant, it was a tight fit, then after radiation it tightened up even more. It was like a softball sitting up on my chest, 2 inches higher than my good side. Very firm! I kept bumping into it😂 After the lat flap surgery, I have 2 breasts, comparable in size and shape, and it's nice and squishy, not hard😉 Theyll probably do some fat grafting to, adds softness ,so doesnt look so fake. Dont be surprised if a lot of the fat graft goes away , mine did. Im planning one more minor revision, with some more fat grafting. So be sure to hang on to some fat for them to harvest! I barely had any to spare!

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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    I don't see my reply here, so I'll reply again -- It's nice to be told to hold onto some fat! Christmas goodies, here I come--hoping to have the surgery in January. That would work out well, wouldn't it?! :) Thanks for your encouragement. I see in your profile that you have been through a lot and I think you are a true warrior with a good sense of humor :)

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  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited October 2018

    Load up!😉 tell them to suck it all out and just discard whatever is leftover. When I told my girlfriends and family members the docs said I needed more fat, they all offered to donate😂 but apparently doesn't work that way! My first surgery, mastectomy and tissue expander placement was also in Jan.-on my birthday! Most memorable birthday present I ever got😊 All my surgeons, and surgical nurses all sang Happy Birthday to me right before I went under. Not the anesthesiologist though, party pooper!

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  • CBK
    CBK Member Posts: 611
    edited October 2018

    Kirklandkid-

    Most people have an implant in conjunction with lat flap unless they are a very small cup size. Then I guess flap alone is possible. I have no idea what your plastic surgeon means he can’t use “ standard implants”???

    I have Mentor smooth round ultra high profile silicone implants. The implant on lat flap side is a bit smaller than the one placed on non lat flap side.

    Best!!


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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    That was my error in lingo, CBK...my very un-technical description :) By "standard", I meant no kind of implant whatsoever because my skin is too tight in the mastectomy area. Hence, I'm looking at the lat flap.


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  • CBK
    CBK Member Posts: 611
    edited October 2018

    Hi Kirkland-

    Should really post your profile, otherwise impossible for us to respond with any real idea of your situation...

    No idea why you would not be able to tolerate an implant in conjunction with lat flap.


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  • kirklandkid
    kirklandkid Member Posts: 10
    edited October 2018

    I guess I don't know how to post a profile. I thought when I filled out the "Diagnosis" box, that would make the info available. I CAN have an implant in conjunction with a lat flap. I can't have whatever the technical term is for putting tissue expanders directly into the skin of my mastectomy as my skin is too tight.

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