Did you remove TEs to go flat instead of reconstruction?

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barbojoy
barbojoy Member Posts: 62
edited August 2021 in Breast Reconstruction

I had DMX 07/28 with tissue expanders added. I hate them. It's been almost 3 weeks and they hurt. I can't sleep well, I can't hug my husband. I hate it. I am to start chemo 09/03 for 18 weeks, then have radiation after that. And the DIEP reconstruction I thought I wanted couldn't happen for 3 months post-radiation. After the trauma from this surgery- I know for sure that having reimagined breasts is way less important to me than just being well and healed.

I am meeting with plastics to have the TEs removed and to have an aesthetic closure. I have searched the site and see where others have asked for advice on this topic but don't see many responses from women who have gone through this specific procedure - DMX patient who had both tissue expanders removed and closure for flat chest- no reconstruction.

I would really like to hear from anyone who made this decision and had a satisfactory outcome-- how long was recovery? how is the scaring or scar tissue or dog-ears? Was the pain lessened once healed? Is your chest still too sensitive for hugs? How long before your body felt like you again?

Anything specific that I should ask for? Terms I should be aware of regarding the flat closure/revision surgery?


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  • GrizzlyIam
    GrizzlyIam Member Posts: 10
    edited August 2021

    Hi Barbojoy,

    I had both expanders removed. I will be doing the flat closure after I recover from radiation which my surgeon said would be 6 months. Had I chosen to have diep (original plan), I would of had to wait a year after radiation. Basically, I haven’t had any breast for 9 months. I have come to realize that I am okay with it. I don’t miss my breast (I was very large). I am used to wearing blouses without anything. I am even getting used to not wearing a bra. I will say that for the length of time I had the expanders in, some of the pain and some discomfort went away. I will be having (I hope) finally surgery for the flat closure after the new year. Best wishes to you

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  • mightlybird01
    mightlybird01 Member Posts: 217
    edited August 2021

    I did not go your route, but had a flat closure right from the start and only had UMX, but I wanted to say that even with this some discomfort (mainly skin sensitivity) lasted for much longer than 3 weeks. I would say more in the order of 3 months. I would say it took one year to be completely back to normal and I did not even have radiation.

    I am very happy with my decision, but I do think if you want to give your reconstruction a try it is totally normal to have sensitivity 3 weeks out.

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  • barbojoy
    barbojoy Member Posts: 62
    edited August 2021

    thank you Grizzlylam. I, too had a large chest. I can say that being able to button up a shirt post DMX has been a very nice experience. The last time I could wear a button down without safety pins or gapping was in my teens. I am looking forward to fitting into clothes better now that I don’t have breasts.

    Mightlybird thanks for your experience as well. I still have stitches and am healing from the dmx- butmy real pains/ problems are specific to the tissue expanders pressing/rubbing (I don’t know what they are doing) against my chest wall and rib cage. So sick of the pinching and stabbing.ugh.

    I was kind of disappointed to learn from plastics yesterday that I will have drains again and likely for a longer period of time than DMX (that was 16-17 days). She said that the space left once TEs are removed will fill with fluid. I hope to ask about a wound vac & potential for better healing with that.

    This community forum is everything! :)


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