more on expanders/breast reconstruction

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toni61
toni61 Member Posts: 14
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
The expander was placed under the muscle and that muscle really pushed out to acommodate the expander. I was quite sore for a week but after that I could have gone to work (I'm retired). Iwent to the plastic surgetion every 3 weeks to have saline injected in order to stretch the skin. She did not overfill..so it was never painful. It took 5 months until my skin was stretched enough to hold the permanent implant. I am smaller than before.. maybe l/2 or l cup size smaller. The side without implant had to be lifted because with implant it sits higher on your chest. This is not pretty right now...lots of cutting, but I am lifted and hopefully when heals will look better. The new implant is soft and feels almost natural. When you have your expander it is as hard as a basketball. So I am grateful that this is more normal. I don't know what to expect with nipple. Anyone out there have this done..does it really look normal?

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  • live42day
    live42day Member Posts: 64
    #2
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    toni61,
    I had my nipple done when they took out the expander and put the implant in. I couldn't believe how good the nipple looked! It was even pink and shows through when I don't have a bra on just like the real one. I am waiting for it to fade before I have tatooing done. The plastic surgeon took skin from the other side during the lift to create the nipple.
    Janet
  • cammie
    cammie Member Posts: 102
    #3
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    Wow does it look normal. Well normal is a funny word. I had the expander, implant with silicone and a nipple with the tatoo. I need to go back on the 17th to get the tatoo done again. I had a lift on the other side. Everything looks great in a bra or without the glasses on. I feel better with my decision, but normal it is not. With the results that I have gotten I would do it all over again. I just had to realize that it would never look great or the same as it use to. Cammie
  • itsmejudyk
    itsmejudyk Member Posts: 1
    #4
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    cammie said:

    Wow does it look normal. Well normal is a funny word. I had the expander, implant with silicone and a nipple with the tatoo. I need to go back on the 17th to get the tatoo done again. I had a lift on the other side. Everything looks great in a bra or without the glasses on. I feel better with my decision, but normal it is not. With the results that I have gotten I would do it all over again. I just had to realize that it would never look great or the same as it use to. Cammie

    I've had the breast implant for 10 years now. It never looked great. Higher than the other one, ripples under the skin and still feels uncomfortable at times. I didn't have the nipple done at the time it just didn't seem important to me. I had already been through so much discomfort and just wanted to stay out of doctors offices. I look fine if I have clothes on, but don't like how it looks without. I have to use a bra filler to even out the other one. I had lost about 20 lbs during the chemo and now that I have gained it back the implant looks smaller. Just something I've had to live with and best to live with than not live!
  • Duck5373
    Duck5373 Member Posts: 8
    #5
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    Toni61, I am 6 years cancer free and had my expander reconstruction right after surgery -- it looked horrible! I was so disappointed -- hard to the touch, stiff and extremely round looking. Even after reducing my left side, the right side w/the implant still looked bad. 2 years later, the implant leaked and I had to have a new one put in. Wonders of all -- it looks great! Soft, droops like a normal breast, oblong like a normal breast and once they added the aerola, it looks completely normal -- even matches my left one. I am so pleased -- but it took time, loads of time to get to this point. Maybe that will help? Let me know how you do.

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