Forum Discussion

naomi_g's avatar
naomi_g
Member
9 years ago

air expanders

Hi everyone,

I have just joined and am grateful for all the information you all share on here!

I had a bilateral mastectomy in 2014, cancer in the right side and BRCA1 so was advised to do both. I am into my third week post op of tissue expanders.. the pain in the first two weeks was awful!!! I can move reasonably freely now, sleeping is the worst, I cant seem to find a way that's comfortable. My surgeon is now using the air expanders, not sure if anyone else has had them?? They are hard as a rock! I'm going next week to start the expanding and I'm nervous but also excited (weird?) These new expanders are said to be 'painless' but I can't see how that's possible to be honest. For those who haven't heard of them, the air expanders are a reasonably new product and not all surgeons use them. They come with a little device, about the size of a computer mouse, which you just hold up to your new boobs and press a button and they inflate at 10mls of air at a time. This can be done up to 3 times a day, depending on pain of course! It is supposed to be much quicker than saline and saves those weekly trips to the doctor for the saline expanders. I feel very lucky for the opportunity to have these new expanders.. I will keep you updated on how it goes! 

Reconstruction
  • Jacqui_p's avatar
    Jacqui_p
    Member
    9 years ago

    Hi Naomi, I had the AirXpaners last year and I can honestly say I didn't feel any pain while they were expanding. And it was so easy, you just wave the remote over each boob and press the button. Then one day you suddenly go "wow I've got boobs again!" There was the initial pain after surgery though like you are wearing a really tight strapless bra that you can't take off. But that settles in a few weeks. Sometimes sleeping on my side would be a bit uncomfortable as I could feel the gas cylinder in the expander sticking into my side. But overall quite a painless experience. They were hard as a rock though but all that gets resolved in your next surgery when you get the final implants put in. Can I ask are you in Sydney and is your surgeon Dr Lam?. There aren't many doctors that use time yet. Good luck, Jacqui XX

  • socoda's avatar
    socoda
    Member
    9 years ago

    OMG Naomi your going to have bionic boobs!!!!! How fantastic is that!! Seriously they sound wonderful and anything that can eliminate pain, stress and anxiety associated with the whole process is brilliant. And I can understand how they would be considered painless as I would think it would be a feeling of tightness rather than pain. I'm excited on your behalf. Good luck with the expanding and let us know how you're going. Xx Cath

  • Ann-Marie's avatar
    Ann-Marie
    Member
    9 years ago

    Hi Naomi, Welcome to the online network. Thank you for sharing your journey so far with us!

  • jd48's avatar
    jd48
    Member
    9 years ago

    Thank you for sharing Naomi.

    I do hope they are pain free (definitely sounds promissing as one would think smaller volumes at the time would be so kuch easier to adjust to than a syringe full...)

    I will keep my fingers crossed for you it is 'no pain' from here on in

    Hugs

    Jel.