Implants and Tissue Expanders

jmerel
jmerel Member Posts: 10
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am 10 years post reconstruction. I had a mastectomy with a tram and lat flap (and have had radiation). I also had a horrible infection after surgery so my reconstructed breast is in need of some work. I'm probably going to do a prophylactic mastectomy for my other breast. No more flaps for me. I would elect a tissue expander and implant for the prophylactic mastectomy. Found a great plastic surgeon who says a small implant can be used for my first reconstructed breast. Has anyone ever done this? Also, does it hurt when the tissue expanders are filled?

Comments

  • hward2007
    hward2007 Member Posts: 62
    #2
    I have expanders, it's not painful,but it doesn't feel great and there is some pain or discomfort envolved, just get something for the pain or discomfort if it bothers you, I am sure it won't that much.
  • jmerel
    jmerel Member Posts: 10
    #3
    hward2007 said:

    I have expanders, it's not painful,but it doesn't feel great and there is some pain or discomfort envolved, just get something for the pain or discomfort if it bothers you, I am sure it won't that much.

    Thank you. What did you take for pain?
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #4
    I had tissue expanders put in at the time of bilateral mastectomy because I am planning on reconstruction, but have to wait till body recovers from radiation/chemo, etc. My Dr. has gradually increased the cc's in the expanders (a few cc's every 3 weeks, up to the max. amount). I did not have much pain...mostly a "tight" sensation, like having a plastic harness, or a bra 2 sizes too small with each increase. I took Tylenol and muscle relaxers prescribed by Dr. Not sure how much of my trouble was from surgery and how much was from the expanders, since I had both at the same time. I am still very much aware of the presence of something there that wasn't before (after 6 months) but there is no pain. The gel used to fill the expanders makes them feel extra-firm at first (like a child's plastic bouncy-ball), but they gradually soften, if you massage them like the Dr. says to do.

    As with everything else, talk to your Dr. about any concerns. best wishes, seof
  • momruns325
    momruns325 Member Posts: 4
    #5
    i had b/l mastectomies with b/l tissue expanders followed by implants. these were done one year apart. the expanders were not too bad. i visited my plastic surgeon twice a week when he would inject 30cc's of sterile saline into the port of the expander (for a total of 60cc's each week). the expanders eventually felt like a hard bowling ball. sleeping was uncomfortable at times but you get used to it. i had pain once, it was after expansion, and it caused my back muscle to get tight and go into a spasm or something. but advil and a back rub helped with that. my only complaint was that i had to go thru this process at two different times bec. i had my mastectomies a year apart. the outcome is well worth the inconvenience though. my plastic surgeon outdid himself and i am very satisfied with the outcome. good luck!
  • jmerel
    jmerel Member Posts: 10
    #6
    momruns325 said:

    i had b/l mastectomies with b/l tissue expanders followed by implants. these were done one year apart. the expanders were not too bad. i visited my plastic surgeon twice a week when he would inject 30cc's of sterile saline into the port of the expander (for a total of 60cc's each week). the expanders eventually felt like a hard bowling ball. sleeping was uncomfortable at times but you get used to it. i had pain once, it was after expansion, and it caused my back muscle to get tight and go into a spasm or something. but advil and a back rub helped with that. my only complaint was that i had to go thru this process at two different times bec. i had my mastectomies a year apart. the outcome is well worth the inconvenience though. my plastic surgeon outdid himself and i am very satisfied with the outcome. good luck!

    Thanks for the info. Did you have radiation after tx and before the expanders got filled?
  • pwhitmore
    pwhitmore Member Posts: 1
    #7
    momruns325 said:

    i had b/l mastectomies with b/l tissue expanders followed by implants. these were done one year apart. the expanders were not too bad. i visited my plastic surgeon twice a week when he would inject 30cc's of sterile saline into the port of the expander (for a total of 60cc's each week). the expanders eventually felt like a hard bowling ball. sleeping was uncomfortable at times but you get used to it. i had pain once, it was after expansion, and it caused my back muscle to get tight and go into a spasm or something. but advil and a back rub helped with that. my only complaint was that i had to go thru this process at two different times bec. i had my mastectomies a year apart. the outcome is well worth the inconvenience though. my plastic surgeon outdid himself and i am very satisfied with the outcome. good luck!

    Implants and Tissue Expanders
    I just had my b/l tissue expanders replaced with implants on Friday. I see my plastic surgeon later this week but am curious whether this is the final result. Did the shape of your implants change much during the healing process? I'm not seeing much projection in the center.
  • delma1
    delma1 Member Posts: 1
    #8
    pwhitmore said:

    Implants and Tissue Expanders
    I just had my b/l tissue expanders replaced with implants on Friday. I see my plastic surgeon later this week but am curious whether this is the final result. Did the shape of your implants change much during the healing process? I'm not seeing much projection in the center.

    Implants and tissue expanders
    I had bilateral tissue expanders replaced with silicon implants last December. The shape of the implants has not changed much, although the final size is different from the result right after the surgery. Swelling caused the size to be bigger after the surgery; this subsided in 6 weeks or so. I have a slight "indentation" on one side, which makes me somewhat self-conscious. My recomendation is to go to a bra store that specializes in post-masectomy patients when you are recovered. I got a special bra that is made for those of us with implants. It covers up all imperfections. Best of luck with everything.
  • survivor51
    survivor51 Member Posts: 276
    #9
    Tissue Expanders
    I had both breast with expanders. I found that I took a pain pill/tylenol 800mg before I went to get the fluid added each week. They are wonderful but once they come out and the implants are there, it is "wonderful". The expanders reminded me of a think shower curtain and when adding the fluid each week, they did not look at all like the breast implant will look. I had to keep my expanders in until I finished the chemo and then out they came. Definitely worth it. They used a magnet to find the opening in the expander and added fluid each week. It ached afterwards but not much since I planned ahead of time. I suggest after getting the fluid, go out to lunch with a friend and enjoy. Angela
  • Survivor91807
    Survivor91807 Member Posts: 5
    #10
    delma1 said:

    Implants and tissue expanders
    I had bilateral tissue expanders replaced with silicon implants last December. The shape of the implants has not changed much, although the final size is different from the result right after the surgery. Swelling caused the size to be bigger after the surgery; this subsided in 6 weeks or so. I have a slight "indentation" on one side, which makes me somewhat self-conscious. My recomendation is to go to a bra store that specializes in post-masectomy patients when you are recovered. I got a special bra that is made for those of us with implants. It covers up all imperfections. Best of luck with everything.

    Special bra
    Where did you find the special bra made for implants?

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