Reconstruction Fail--Need Advice About Prosthetics

dono - I lost an expander after BMX and it was out during the six months of chemo, while the other side remained in place with a surgical fill amount, I believe 200ccs. It was relatively easy to camouflage with extra padding or one of those "chicken cutlet" boosters you can get at a department store because the side with the remaining expander was small. After a new expander placement, fills, and exchange, I had implants that were considerably larger. At the two year point I had a surgery to fix the allograft material that resulted in several more surgeries for skin repair and ultimately lost the implant on the same side as the previous issues. It was out for 18 months. So, I had a 650cc implant on one side and was flat on the other. This presented problems in finding a prosthetic for several reasons. Prosthetics are made to mimic a "natural" breast, not an implant. It was hard to find one that made me look symmetrical, the best result was achieved by either wearing a mastectomy bra with substantial structure (not that comfy or cool in summer heat) or with a Knitted Knocker. Knitted Knockers allow you to adjust the puffy filling yourself and I could put more in the upper pole area so it matched the implant shape more closely. The problem with this arrangement was that the Knitted Knocker was essentially weightless and the implant side felt heavy, so I always had that awareness - or imbalanced feeling, so to speak. I think the recommendation about having one side intact making it easier to wear a bra may have to do with holding the bra in place - some people have trouble keeping the bra in place without a breast anchoring it, they can ride up depending on your anatomy. It might be a good idea to go talk to a mastectomy fitter and get some perspective from someone who does this day in and day out. If you go with one reconstructed side I would say it might be easier with a smaller implant, if that is appropriate for your body type, as trying to match a larger one means you need a larger prosthetic - they can be heavy, make you feel overly warm in hot weather, etc. I did eventually reconstruct again, and did it bi-laterally as I downsized to implants that were more appropriately sized for my frame, 435ccs. This is just my experience, others may hopefully chime in with a better one-sided situation than I had. Wishing you the best - I know this is a difficult decision!

Not really the same, but I lost one of my implants to infection.

I have a 600cc on the left, and I'm sort of flat on the right. I still have a capsule, so I have a bumpy ridge and a central divot on the right.

With the COVID situation, I don't go out as much, but I've been to the store, seen my friends, seen my neighbors, and been on a ton of work Zooms. I haven't even tried my knitted knocker yet.

I walk around half flat and I totally forget I am missing 1 boob. I can't feel the difference and it is a non-issue for me.

OnTarget you’re just the person I’m looking for! I too had my implant removed due to infection, and I’m wondering what to do next. Are you content with leaving your capsule empty? I know I do not want another implant and I’m thinking a flap surgery is more than I want to undertake too. My biggest concern is the radiated skin and the higher risk of infection. Do you know if FG is an option or do you have to have an implant in and then they just do filling? I’ve delayed on going to PS appointments due to COVID.

I’d appreciate your thoughts/advice. Thank

Hi starting... I'm so sorry your reconstruction failed. I'm flat on one side, size A/B on the other. I never liked the silicone/molded prostheses. They were hot and uncomfortable. I found that an insert from JoAnn's Fabrics was quite comfortable. There is also an organization called Knitted Knockers. They distribute breast prostheses at no cost. They're super light weight and very soft against the skin. I believe they have sizes up to a G cup. If you go to www.knittedknockers.org you can take a look at their organization. If you are a knitter, you can also download the pattern for a knitted knocker and make one yourself. I've made a few.

I wish you the best with your surgery and treatment.

Dono7392 and Sunshine 99 -- Thank you so much. The implant was removed last week and it was a very unpleasant experience. I'm still in shock this happened to me. I think it could have been avoided, which is unfortunate.