Questions about Implant Exchange; ANYONE have experience?

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GreenFlwr
GreenFlwr Member Posts: 2
edited January 2021 in Breast Reconstruction

Hello Everyone!

I had stage 1A breast cancer, RT breast at the very upper pole; tumor was only about 0.5 cm, in 2013. I had lumpectomy and radiation, and I already had old saline implants from around year 2000 (yes!-which I now regret not switching out sooner for silicone). The surgeon did a good job at not taking too much tissue and I have always been on the smaller side/thin up top (hence breast implants- I was less than an A cup when I got small B's twenty years ago). Fast forward to 2020-21, I have some time for surgery because I have 3 months between school and an internship. I decided I was sick of the relatively-hard saline implants and even hoped to get a bit larger because I'm early forties and expect in the next 10 years for menopause to cause some weight gain regardless. Looking for more balance in my appearance!

Anyway I did get implant exchange but they said I could not go larger due to previous rads on the right breast; It's been 2 weeks tomorrow since surgery; they used my old inframammary fold incisions.

My main concern is this: the left, non-radiated breast tissue is clearly forming a raised scar. It's almost a relief because I can SEE that it's doing something. The right scar is just a straight purple line. The glue is still over it, but I am terrified it isn't healing and it will pop open !! I also have trouble just trying to remember not to move my arms too much. A few times I did feel a tug and luckily the incision still looks the same. I cannot just sit still for some reason. I have always been very active, it's like my form of therapy or something. I feel better moving.

Full disclosure I tend to have an overactive imagination.

Please tell me someone has had this kind of surgery and the healing just looks different because of the radiation history- which was 6 years ago so I was hoping it would be fine. I had very minor capsular contraction of the original implant, it wasn't super noticeable.

Thanks for any insight!!! I almost feel foolish for trying for nicer boobs. If this works out, they really do feel nicer than the saline.


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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited January 2021

    You are not foolish for trying for nicer boobs. Implants can last a long time but they don't last forever, so sooner or later you were going to need to switch out anyway. And as I said to someone else here recently, someone who was considering a single mastectomy and going larger with an implant added on the natural side, there is nothing wrong with making grapefruits out of lemons!

    I don't have experience with incision healing after rads, but my guess would be that your right side is just healing differently and more slowly because of the rads. It's only been two weeks, and from my recollection, my scar remained raw and purple for much longer than two weeks - and that's without having had rads.

    Hopefully someone else will come by who has experience with the healing process of incisions after radiation.

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  • GreenFlwr
    GreenFlwr Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2021

    Thank you Beesie! It was nice to hear something from someone regardless :)

    You are right, I couldn't just let them go forever. I currently feel like I got nicer feel, worse appearance HAHA!

    Thank god for the ability to laugh

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited January 2021

    GreenFlwr - do a search for the "exchange" thread. There's lots of discussions about rads. Good luck


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  • Ammie
    Ammie Member Posts: 31
    edited January 2021

    When your surgeon exchanged your implants, were your new ones put in your old pre-formed pockets? (This is assuming that your original implants were under the muscle). Or were your new silicone implants placed over the muscle (pre-pec)?

    The reason I ask this, is that my PS told me that the new pre-pec approach is friendlier to patients who’ve undergone radiation therapy.

    Regarding your scar healing progress... the skin on your radiated side will be slightly different than the skin on your healthy side, so that would affect different healing rates.

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