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reconstruction after radiation

rm22111
rm22111 CSN Member Posts: 54
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I will be under going a bilateral masectomy and am interested in reconstruction. I will have a few chemo treatments and then radiation. My surgeon mentioned having skin saving surgery and expanders. She said I will need to have the surgery where they take musle from my back. I was wondering if I could just do implants and not have the muscle taken from my back ever though I will have some radiation.
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  • DebbyM
    DebbyM CSN Member Posts: 3,289 Member
    #2
    Hi rm22111. I had a
    Hi rm22111. I had a lumpectomy, but, I wanted to say hi to you. This is a wonderful site and I know someone will post and help you with your question. Good luck to you!

    Debby
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  • dbs1673
    dbs1673 CSN Member Posts: 203
    #3
    DebbyM said:

    Hi rm22111. I had a
    Hi rm22111. I had a lumpectomy, but, I wanted to say hi to you. This is a wonderful site and I know someone will post and help you with your question. Good luck to you!

    Debby

    radiation and reconstruction
    I had bilat mast with radiation on the right. I did have the expanders put in at the time of the mast when no one thought I would need radiation. Well, as we know the final pathology is what determines and radiation I had. The expanders held up well. I had several months of healing before the silicone inmplants. Unfortunatley the first trial wasn't as I had hoped. There was quite a bit of rippling so went a second attempt with a larger inmplant. I was/still am small built. I was a 34 A-B, now more of a C but don't really know. (Why they measure those inmplants in CCs sure doesn't help in knowing your new bra size)The second effort paid off. My radiated side will still have it's issues being much tighter but overall I am pleased. The surgeon did tell me that nipple reconstruction will probably not go well on the radiated side due to limited amount of stretching that side can endure from the radiation. So nothing is impossible but remember it is construction not enhancement. Good Luck
    dawn
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  • rm22111
    rm22111 CSN Member Posts: 54
    #4
    dbs1673 said:

    radiation and reconstruction
    I had bilat mast with radiation on the right. I did have the expanders put in at the time of the mast when no one thought I would need radiation. Well, as we know the final pathology is what determines and radiation I had. The expanders held up well. I had several months of healing before the silicone inmplants. Unfortunatley the first trial wasn't as I had hoped. There was quite a bit of rippling so went a second attempt with a larger inmplant. I was/still am small built. I was a 34 A-B, now more of a C but don't really know. (Why they measure those inmplants in CCs sure doesn't help in knowing your new bra size)The second effort paid off. My radiated side will still have it's issues being much tighter but overall I am pleased. The surgeon did tell me that nipple reconstruction will probably not go well on the radiated side due to limited amount of stretching that side can endure from the radiation. So nothing is impossible but remember it is construction not enhancement. Good Luck
    dawn

    Thank you for the information. I would rather have the impant if I can. You give me hope.
    dianna
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