Need your advice ladies
Wanna hear the stories for the ladies that have had a double mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction before radiation..
Forum Discussion
Hi @Tameeka, Going direct to implant is definately less surgery but your surgeon is wise to tell you to do your research. Is your surgeon a plastic surgeon or a trained oncoplastic breast surgeon? Whilst some women do have radiation after immediate reconstruction there may be complications such as capsular contracture.
If implants are the only option, then expanders are usually put in, and then after radiation the switch to implants. However I am not an expert, just another lady like you who happened to get breast cancer and then sort through the minefield of information before my reconstruction.
My breast surgeon was happy for me to have expanders and then implants after radiation, however upon my own research I decided to get a second opinion from a plastic surgeon. He advised me that with the damage to my skin from previous radiation that a tissue transfer surgery was my best option. That is what I eventually had (I had a TRAM flap).
I will give you a couple of links from the reclaim your curves website. One is on implant reconstruction the other is on radiation and reconstruction. This will be good research for you. The radiation and reconstruction one actually has a podcast to listen to which you should find helpful.
The order of your treatment would have been decided by a multi disciplinary team who would have considered the type of cancer etc and what was best for you. This may vary from patient to patient.
I know you probably must want this all over and just to get back to your baby, and it must be so hard for you doing this on your own, however as your Dr said talk to others and do your research. Please don't be rushed into a surgery just because it sounds like it will be easiest. In the long run it may not be.
There is another type of reconstruction that involves a small implant and tissue from your back called a Lat Dorsi. This was the other option my surgeon suggested for me.
I hope I haven't confused you but just trying to give you a little more information. We do have a choosing breast Reconstuction group on the site which I can see you are a member of. There is an announcement at the top of the page in that group with lots of photo stories from ladies who have had different types of reconstructions. Have a look through the implant ones and hopefully they can help as well.
Sending you a hug.
Paula xx
If implants are the only option, then expanders are usually put in, and then after radiation the switch to implants. However I am not an expert, just another lady like you who happened to get breast cancer and then sort through the minefield of information before my reconstruction.
My breast surgeon was happy for me to have expanders and then implants after radiation, however upon my own research I decided to get a second opinion from a plastic surgeon. He advised me that with the damage to my skin from previous radiation that a tissue transfer surgery was my best option. That is what I eventually had (I had a TRAM flap).
I will give you a couple of links from the reclaim your curves website. One is on implant reconstruction the other is on radiation and reconstruction. This will be good research for you. The radiation and reconstruction one actually has a podcast to listen to which you should find helpful.
The order of your treatment would have been decided by a multi disciplinary team who would have considered the type of cancer etc and what was best for you. This may vary from patient to patient.
I know you probably must want this all over and just to get back to your baby, and it must be so hard for you doing this on your own, however as your Dr said talk to others and do your research. Please don't be rushed into a surgery just because it sounds like it will be easiest. In the long run it may not be.
There is another type of reconstruction that involves a small implant and tissue from your back called a Lat Dorsi. This was the other option my surgeon suggested for me.
I hope I haven't confused you but just trying to give you a little more information. We do have a choosing breast Reconstuction group on the site which I can see you are a member of. There is an announcement at the top of the page in that group with lots of photo stories from ladies who have had different types of reconstructions. Have a look through the implant ones and hopefully they can help as well.
Sending you a hug.
Paula xx