Removal of implants

@TinaW good luck with it all and come on here and natter or vent or whatever, we are here to help you air those frustrations without judgment.  Take care and wishing you great success with surgery!

Holy shit. I’m still at least a year away from seeing a surgeon in the public system for reconstruction in Brisbane and I had a double mastectomy last year. I have the chicken fillet prosthetics from Tracey G on the Sunshine Coast but I’ve found them a bit hot and sweaty in the summer so I have these cute little crocheted ones that I got given through my local bc support group and prefer them. They are softer and a lot lighter. I just use the Kmart sports bras as they are the most comfy for me. I hate the bras specially made for the prosthetics. I’m still procrastinating about whether i want more surgery, pain, and discomfort and yours @TinaW and @Zoffiel posts make me think twice about it all again. Although I know there’s been some really good success stories too. I certainly don’t mind now not having boobs and am fine with the prosthetics and i never wear them at home and only wear them out so I don’t get the pity stares. Of course I would of rather still have my own boobs but I’m in two minds again about the recon. I think if I’d already had that many surgeries I’d be getting them out for good too. Margie x

Hi @TinaW doesn't it piss you off, just when you think you have got it sorted out and you have problem after problem.
I am down on the waiting list for a DIEP flap reconstruction (right side only) 
I have a friend who has just gone through this operation.
You do need to see a plastic surgeon and be assessed. You will need a CT angiogram to see where the blood vessels are in your abdomen to see if they are suitable.
Whether you can do two breasts with your skin and fat depends on how much you have in your abdomen, I never thought having a saggy belly would be an advantage!
My blood vessels are a bit high and a bit small, so mine will have to take a bit of the muscle too. The PS says he hopes not too much but won't really know until he gets in there.
It does mean quite some time off work, 7 days in hospital, but my PS makes sure the drains are out before you go home.
Recoverywise, no driving for 3 weeks, no excercise except walking for at least 6, and you will be unable to do stuff like carry washing baskets and hang out washing or cleaning for a while, due to the stomach stitches. Bonus is that you get a nice flat tummy.

I have only just got my prosthesis and have only worn it for a week, I can't wear it at the moment as I am going through radiation, I am only wearing the soft one that came with the Berlei care kit.
The real prosthesis is very comfortable, but then I haven't worn it in summer, some people say they are very hot. Not great if you are also having hot flushes and live in Brisbane.
What I find an absolute pain is having to wash it every night and having to change it in the bras everytime. I only have 1, not sure if I could cope with doing 2. 
The other thing that sends me into deep depression is having to buy the mastectomy bras.
I have discovered a lady that has a wonderful selection of them and comes to the house to fit you, but they are expensive, none of this picking up bras on special or at the sales, and very few shops sell them.
Dont try buying them online unless you have already had that brand and style as they are all different. Every style I tried on sat differently and I had various sizes.

The advantage to 2 prosthesis, you can choose your size!

Mine does look look very natural though and sits nicely.
Though I have heard some people say they can move around and they are always hitching them back into place. Not sure if that was the bra they were using at fault there though.

I have always had large breasts which I hated, so the idea of having a flat chest does not concern me especially as I am a horse rider and no bounce is a plus. But other ladies would hate the idea.
Unfortunately though I still have one breast, so reconstruction is the best option for me.

It is probably best if you see a plastic surgeon and have the CT scan before you go, they will give you all the information about the operation (about 10 hours for a double) and have a good look at the photos on the reconstruction group here.
The results are different from implants, but if you still have your skin it might give you a nicer look.

It is a major operation, and you might not feel like going there again.

If you don't have to keep your skin for reconstruction, you can try the prosthesis for a while, Medicare covers the cost of them, and you can decide if you can live with it.
You can have the DIEP flap at any time as long as you are suitable, you don't have to rush that decision, and if you are going public, you will have to wait anyway.

Good luck finding your best option. Jennie

Heartbreaking for both of you @TinaW and @Zoffiel - can't think what to say to make you feel better without being soppy, and that doesn't cut it in this instance.  You need practical down to earth advice and hopefully there is someone out here that has been through similar and can let you know how they come out of it.  My implant is stable and I have pangs of pain but they keep reassuring me it is still the nerves settling.  I assume you mean the cavity will always fill and you'll need constant lymphatic drainage!  What a so and so!  Take care 

Hi Tina, 
I'm on my third set. The first ones migrated to my armpits and the second set moved up and became so distorted and encapsulated they had to be replaced. These ones are also encapsulated and driving me bonkers, they have also been repositioned. Like you, multiple surgeries, in my case over ten years.

I asked my surgeon about removing them when I had  surgery for a recurrence last year. He was pretty cagey about it. In the end it seemed that given the amount of scarring in the 'pockets' he was concerned about what my body may do to fill the cavities which will be substantial. I also do world class seroma.  He's not convinced getting rid of the intruders will stop the pain and thinks it could make things worse. I've still got my nipples, but gravity has dragged them down until they are hanging on the bottom of my foobs and the excess skin means I have more wrinkles on my chest than a bloody Sharpai dog. That would all have to be tidied up and the cavities debrided in the hope he can get them to stick together. Sounds horrible and I have no enthusiasm for it.

 I've got problems with disolvable stitches and some pretty disturbing scars -- even the one where my port was removed three months ago is still angry and lumpy-- so the thought of more reconstruction makes my blood run cold.

Maybe I should go and get another opinion, but I'm just exhausted by the whole thing. Marg.