Implant failure after radiation

BBrown2021 · July 2021

I had a double mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction. I will need to have radiation, since there was cancer in one of my lymph nodes. Has anyone out here been through this? I'd like to know what the percentage of implant failure exists out here with radiation - not from research reports. I would also like to hear from anyone that had radiation with implants, that had a good outcome.

Thanks!

hapa · July 2021

I had radiation after immediate over the muscle reconstruction with implants. I have mild capsular contracture on the rads side and may have a capsulectomy to try to fix that. I don’t think it’s generally noticeable in clothes (it’s not even super noticeable without clothes) but the scar tissue does bother me and I’d like it gone. I just can’t decide if I want it gone enough to do another surgery

BBrown2021 · July 2021

Thank you, hapa! Does the capsulectomy require removal of your implant?

star2017 · July 2021

I had my implant in on my radiated side. No issue, aside from some tightness of the skin on the radiated side, which is normal.

BBrown2021 · July 2021

Thank you, star2017! Glad to hear it!

serendipity09 · July 2021

BBRown - So glad you posted this question. I had my exchange to implants on 7/9 to find out last week that cancer is back on same side. CT and bone scan have both come back indicating no spreading. I'm meeting with BS in about 2 hours and MO tomorrow to discuss treatment plan, I have a feeling that it's going to be radiation.

Hapa and Star2017 thanks for sharing your experiences.

Dani444 · July 2021

I also had rads after UMX with direct to implant. My plastic surgeon followed me closely and my implant survived. It does sit higher and the skin is tighter but that was expected. My implants are over the muscle with alloderm. I hope you do well during your rads.

BBrown2021 · July 2021

Thank you, Dani444! Good to hear!

ajminn3 · July 2021

I did a BMX with direct to implants and ended up needing rads. My rad side is tighter and slightly higher, but not really noticeable in clothes. My implant also seems more firm on that side. I still need to check in with my plastic surgeon to see what they recommend, but other than a little tightness, it doesn’t bother me much physically. BMX/recon was 1/2020 and rads ended 7/30/2020, so I am about a year out now.

hapa · July 2021

It doesn't require anything, I just don't like it. It's really up to me if I want to do anything about it or not. If I want a capsulectomy then they would replace the implant at that time. I would not say it's an implant failure, per se. Just a complication.

BBrown2021 · July 2021

Thanks, ajminn3! That's helpful to know. Glad your side effects were minimal. I'm hoping for the same.

Alden722 · May 2022

Hapa: What did you decide about this? I have a fairly severe contracture and am boarded for surgery, but I am still not sure its worth surgery.

serendipity09 · May 2022

alden722 - what type of surgery? (if you don't mind me asking)

wondering44 · May 2022

I had saline implants for about a year before I did radiation in Nov./Dec/2021 (they were lovely). My radiation side has capsular contracture. The nipple looks much higher now (nipple-sparing mastectomy without saline implant removal). The implant also has "intracapsular rupture." It was recommended I don't do any surgery right now on that breast due to the damage radiation does to the skin. The breast surgeon wants more time to allow the skin to heal just to remove the entire breast. She recommended I do "natural reconstruction" moving forward since I did radiation.

I did not have issues during radiation except for an excellent odd-shaped tan on my right breast.

I wish you luck on your reconstruction.

Implant failure after radiation

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