Trouble with reconstruction

Hi @au0rei, yes the mesh was part of the surgery. They didn't decide to go over the muscle until after the mastectomy part of the surgery was done, then they could see I still had some good padding under the skin.
To support the implant, they create a sling for it using titanium mesh (safe for MRIs, Xray, etc). This is stitched on to the surface of the chest muscles to hold it in place.
You can't feel it, but it can be seen on an ultrasound. As I mentioned previously, there's quite a bit of stitching on the armpit side, as that's where gravity wants to take the impact, so it needs lots of support.
Best of luck with your upcoming surgery. I have posted my story in the Choosing Reconstruction group on here, it is titled "Immediate Over the Muscle implant Reconstruction" (or similar) if you want to look to have an idea of what to expect from the surgery.

Hi @StrongCoffee thank you for sharing. Could I know if the mesh that you were talking about the 'internal bra' or some ACM that the surgeon uses to support the implant? I am going to have an implant done as well, also most likely over the muscle. Thank you. xx

This is the bra I butchered - nice and cheap, so wasn't stressed if it didn't work.

@KayeMarie24 I'm just over 12 months post single mastectomy with immediate over-the-muscle implant recon. For day-to-day I wear an 'Ah Bra' style crop top bra from Kmart (they come in a 2 pack). It has removable padding which disguised the fact that one boob is missing a nipple and are super soft and comfy.

The whole armpit area is still sensitive. I've been told this is because of the number of nerves there that have been impacted by both the removal of sentinel nodes plus the stitching on of the mesh that supports the implant. I do think my scarring/capsule has contracted a little on the armpit side, so I massage the whole area with moisturiser regularly and it's not getting any worse.

For a night out/with a strappy sundries I got some cheap wireless t-shirt bras from BigW. As someone else mentioned, I had to remove the hard plastic bit from the side seam. But the edge of the cup (which is moulded) was still pushing into the most sensitive part under my arm. So I cut it away further and overlocked it. I hope this photo shows how it got rid of all the thick edge binding as well as making it sit low and away from the sensitive area.

@KayeMarie24 Did you have implants or autologous reconstruction? And did you have radiation. I know the statistics of capsular contracture is as high as 30% for a patient who had had radiation done before. It is with certainty that all breast implants even in healthy non cancer related, cosmetic augmentation will develop a capsule. But with radiation it is even higher.

Thankyou for answering 
it certainly helps to hear finally others that are having problems too
nearly getting to the stage of not wearing a bra its hurts way too much
also experiencing hard tube like feeling that exercising doesn't seem
to help 
has anyone had that??
my breast in different spots hurts and it just feels awful 
the surgeon and breast nurse say to give it 12 months??!!! But lot of my friends are saying to get 2nd opinion??
but not sure on that 
can anyone give their comment ?

Hey petal
I have probs too. Battling with a couple of sernoma (cysts) these are painful and popped up after surgery. I too am on my second op. The first set of implants I encapsulated pretty much immediately. I was so looking forward to all my woes ending with this surgery..... just over it at the mo but will bounce back again one day soon. 
Might be worth asking??? 
Hope you feel better. Sending good wishes for you. J x 

I have given up on bras altogether. They are all too painful. I only wear tradie crops now. No fastenings at all (I step in and out but you could pull it over your head) and hardly any seams. I am 12 months post mastectomy. No recon yet. I am waiting for it to stop hurting. I feel like all the other bras even so-called post mastectomy ones are too tight and sit too high. And front fastenings hurt!

Thankyou for your help
have had a implant first that my surgeon put in the muscle which was terrible so have had another op and she has put the implant on top of the muscle
have bought different sirts of bras have been fitted by a mascetomy specialist but still have huge ptoblems
the hardness is awful having been doing exercises and was told to buy a spiked ball and roll around the breast which I have been doing but not helping
thankyou for those sites will go to target and the other site and try