Exchange Surgery Question

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MerleBee
MerleBee Member Posts: 49
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Can anyone tell me if I will have drains with the exchange surgery. I never even thought about that until the other day when someone mentioned it. The drains with the mastectomy were awful, especially the right one. The thought of having them again is depressing...won't make me change my mind but i hope the answer is no!

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  • Dawne.Hope
    Dawne.Hope Member Posts: 823
    #2
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    It depends
    Hi MerleBee!

    I too hated the drains and so didn't want them for the exchange. Some plastic surgeons use them all the time with the exchange, some don't. So a lot depends on your plastic surgeon's preference. It also depends on whether or not he/she has to do some pocket work. If so, you're likely to have drains.

    My PS told me that there was a 97% chance I wouldn't have to have them, but I had to allow him to use them if he felt he needed to. Thankfully, he didn't have to! From what I've read, if you DO have to have them, it isn't nearly as bad as with the MX and TE placement.

    Hopefully, you won't have to have them! Ask your PS at your next visit and you'll get a pretty good idea of what he/she is thinking re the drains.

    Best of Luck,
    dh
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #3
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    Dawne.Hope said:

    It depends
    Hi MerleBee!

    I too hated the drains and so didn't want them for the exchange. Some plastic surgeons use them all the time with the exchange, some don't. So a lot depends on your plastic surgeon's preference. It also depends on whether or not he/she has to do some pocket work. If so, you're likely to have drains.

    My PS told me that there was a 97% chance I wouldn't have to have them, but I had to allow him to use them if he felt he needed to. Thankfully, he didn't have to! From what I've read, if you DO have to have them, it isn't nearly as bad as with the MX and TE placement.

    Hopefully, you won't have to have them! Ask your PS at your next visit and you'll get a pretty good idea of what he/she is thinking re the drains.

    Best of Luck,
    dh

    I've had drains .. 3 out of my 4 reconstruction surgeries
    and yes they are a big Pain .. Hate them. My last surgery almost 2 weeks ago, for my exchange .. no drains - and according the other sisters in PINK here on our board - Dawne Hope and I are the only 2 they did not have drains with our exchange surgery - if my memory serves me correctly.

    Strength and Courage :-))

    Vicki Sam
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #4
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    VickiSam said:

    I've had drains .. 3 out of my 4 reconstruction surgeries
    and yes they are a big Pain .. Hate them. My last surgery almost 2 weeks ago, for my exchange .. no drains - and according the other sisters in PINK here on our board - Dawne Hope and I are the only 2 they did not have drains with our exchange surgery - if my memory serves me correctly.

    Strength and Courage :-))

    Vicki Sam

    No drains for my exchange
    No drains for my exchange.

    Best of luck

    Margo
  • m-star
    m-star Member Posts: 441
    #5
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    tommaseena said:

    No drains for my exchange
    No drains for my exchange.

    Best of luck

    Margo

    i know women who have had
    i know women who have had draind after exchange,and women who have not. I will be getting them (my PS told me this at my last fill) as she will be doing some pocket revision. It can also help against getting capsular contracture if you have drains as the bleeding inside and fluid can be a cause of CC.

    Im NOT looking fwd to the drains one bit as i thought this was the worst part of the surgery before. But if it helps stop me getting CC then bring them on!
  • MerleBee
    MerleBee Member Posts: 49
    #6
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    Thanks
    Thank you for all your comments. It makes perfect sense that drains may be necessary but i just hadn't thought about it. I agree that although they are miserable, if they prevent future problems I will suck it up...in the grand scheme of things it isn't the worst thing any of us has dealt with! As usual you are all wonderful!

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