Implant position when lying down.

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Dani444
Dani444 Member Posts: 522
edited October 2020 in Breast Reconstruction

So as you can see in my signature I had my first mastectomy in 2018 and went direct to implant. I then needed rads due to my positive nodes we were not expecting. Fast forward to now I am about 5 weeks post op from a prophylactic mastectomy of my left breast. My right side that had the rads is obviously sitting high, and has very little movement. Such as when I lay on that side it barely moves towards my armpit, same if I am laying on my back.

My concern is that this left implant seems to really move into my armpit area when I lay on my back. Also when I even just lean to the left There is an area near my cleavage that you can just feel my ribs through, it’s just skin. On the right I can feel the outline of the entire implant. Is this normal for the implant to move like this? I honestly don’t remember from the first surgery, except that just as my selling was getting better I started rads. I have been careful with lifting and following post op rules but yesterday I was walking my dog and witnessed a motorcycle crash ( he was fine) and I did run a short distance to help. I hope I didn’t mess something up. I do have another follow up soon but my anxiety is getting the best of me and just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Comments

  • OnTarget
    OnTarget Member Posts: 447
    edited September 2020

    My current implant is 600ccs and it doesn't move at all when I lay down. I do have unstretchy skin, so not sure if that matters. I did not have rads. I had two implants before, but I lost one. But the two did match when I had them.

    The only movement I get is from my shoulder position. If I hunch, the boob pushes in a little. If I pull my shoulders back it shifts out a little.

    I'll bet running didn't do anything. A little up/down shouldn't tear out the stitches on the outside edge. At 6 weeks my doc lets me do full activity (run, lift, etc), so at 5 weeks you should be almost fully healed.

    I'm pretty sure that they make boundaries for the pocket and there should be a huge amount of shifting around. My doc says that I should never need a bra, and I do jog and have almost no bounce.

    The question is- should mine be loser, or should yours be tighter? I don't know if there is room within standards for docs to have different amounts of looseness? My boob does not really droop over my IMF...

  • Mountainlover
    Mountainlover Member Posts: 89
    edited September 2020

    I couldn't go direct to implant and had TE placed during my unilateral MX, pre-pec, about 2.5 months ago . Still, there is some movement when I lie down, although perhaps not as much as you describe. It is very noticeable to me when I turn on the side - it definitely shifts and gets even more uncomfortable!

    I cannot speak from experience but assume a permanent implant may move a bit more? I saw the physical therapist today and she actually mentioned this while talking to her trainee.

    Hope this helps, and that you can get reassurance from your medical team soon.

    All the best!

  • WC3
    WC3 Member Posts: 1,540
    edited September 2020

    I had wide set breasts pre mastectomy. My PS was very skilled and managed to get the implants close enough together that I now have cleavage with the right bra whereas before my anatomy did not allow for that, but they do settle off to the sides a bit when I lay down, which my PS had warned me might happen. I can feel places originally covered by my natural breasts when this happens. The shifting is not currently an issue for me but if they were going far in to my armpits I think I would consider a revision.

  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited October 2020

    Thanks for sharing your responses. I had a follow up today. She said she can see some skin laxity on the inner part of my “breast” when the implant shifts. She felt like that will improve, I still have some swelling in the upper outer quadrant. She is going to see me in 6 weeks to see how it is doing. The soonest she would consider a revision is at 3 months. I am going to give it some more time. I am in no rush for more surgery!

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