Failed reconstructions after mastectomy

fowvay

Hi. I am going to schedule my 8th surgery soon to fix the problems I have had during attempted reconstruction. I had a silicone breast implant leak in 3 weeks post implant. I knew because it dissolved the stitches and skin and fell down my stomach during a shower. I was red skinned during the expansion, but didn't know that was a problem. After the extraction in the doctors office, yes I felt it, I had a lat dorsi flap and implant expander. Less than a month I got MRSA and lost it all and created a need for something more to cover my ribs where the MRSA dissolved pectoral. I am coping well, but the 2 support groups I went to were not wanting to listen to "problems." Excuse me for wanting somebody who knows what this is like. I am left with a reduced to match breast with an a cup. No they don't make bras to fit me in that cup size, not even mastectomy bras. The other one, hopefully won't be like a lightening bolt after the next surgery. Please, somebody tell me I am not alone in my body rejecting implants, and having the misfortune to get a staff infection in the hospital? Thanks, Fowvay.

contrail

Implant Rejection
I'm so sorry this has happened to you. Reading your explanation put chills down my back. I'm supposed to have reconstructive surgery in December, and hearing this really frightens me. My prayers are with you and I hope they can solve this. Having bc is bad enough without all of this going on. Please keep in touch and let us know how things are going. Connie

LC815

Surgery sucks. I'm sorry
Surgery sucks. I'm sorry you're going through your eighth one. Have you changed plastic surgeons? I had my "good" breast done at the same time because I couldn't get a match on an A cup, either. I had a lat dorsi flap, too. I don't know what a MRSA is, so I can't comment on that.

All I can say, is stick it out and get your recon to where YOU feel it's acceptable.

Peace.
Linda

New Flower

LC815 said:

Surgery sucks. I'm sorry
Surgery sucks. I'm sorry you're going through your eighth one. Have you changed plastic surgeons? I had my "good" breast done at the same time because I couldn't get a match on an A cup, either. I had a lat dorsi flap, too. I don't know what a MRSA is, so I can't comment on that.

All I can say, is stick it out and get your recon to where YOU feel it's acceptable.

Peace.
Linda

my heart goes out to you
I am sorry, especially because you do not have enough support in your battle. Please look on previous discussions "failed reconstruction" several days ago .http://csn.cancer.org/node/136837
Reconstructions do faille, even the best cases have problems. Do not blame yourself or your body. Sometimes events happened, and I am sure you have been trying your best.

I had DIEP Flap immediate reconstruction and according to my plastic surgeon lost "volume "due to radiation".

Good luck,
Let us know the date so we will be thinking of you

seof

So sorry
I am so sorry you are having to go through all of this. I have heard of people rejecting implants before, and I have heard of people getting staff infections in the hospital. It is not the norm, but not all that uncommon. I had bilateral reconstruction with the DIEP procedure. One of the reasons I chose to use my own tissue was to reduce the chances of rejection. I had a severe alergic reaction to the Dermabond (glue they use to close the wound) and had to go back into the hospital. I was a sufficiently unusual case that the Dr. asked if he could take pics for educational purposes (I go to a University hospital). Then I got repeated infections in the abdominal wound after that, so it took longer than average to heal. I had the surgery in July and have just this month gotten to the point where there are no more open wound areas, all scar tissue. Once again, an unusual case.

I know it is not always Dr. error when things go wrong, but you might think of changing Drs. if things keep on happening.
It is frustrating when things go wrong, and this is a good place to express yourself.

Take care, seof

fowvay

10 surgeries the charm
After the MRSA staff infection I had scar tissue and ribs under where my mastectomy and rebuilds failed. The plastic surgeon said the scar tissue was too thin, so another surgery to move my latissimus dorsi flap over to cover my rib cage. Then my imbalance from all the damage to my left side caused bone spurs and rotator cuff ligaments to tear where I had an acromionectomy 25 or so years ago. Then came surgery 10 and I gave up my temporary "Timmie Tag" on the car and can move my arm. I didn't expect uterine bleeding, but immediate scaping of my uterus said no cancer. Man did that hurt. Then, of course, I have a solitary nodule in my lung. After is didn't show in my last x-ray I had a CAT scan, and it hasn't grown and doesn't appear to be metasticised cancer. That one it took the oncologit's office 8 days to get back to me. That is cruel. I didn't sign up for difficult cancer, did I? hehehe. Oh well....

survivorbc09

fowvay said:

10 surgeries the charm
After the MRSA staff infection I had scar tissue and ribs under where my mastectomy and rebuilds failed. The plastic surgeon said the scar tissue was too thin, so another surgery to move my latissimus dorsi flap over to cover my rib cage. Then my imbalance from all the damage to my left side caused bone spurs and rotator cuff ligaments to tear where I had an acromionectomy 25 or so years ago. Then came surgery 10 and I gave up my temporary "Timmie Tag" on the car and can move my arm. I didn't expect uterine bleeding, but immediate scaping of my uterus said no cancer. Man did that hurt. Then, of course, I have a solitary nodule in my lung. After is didn't show in my last x-ray I had a CAT scan, and it hasn't grown and doesn't appear to be metasticised cancer. That one it took the oncologit's office 8 days to get back to me. That is cruel. I didn't sign up for difficult cancer, did I? hehehe. Oh well....

I am so sorry fowvay. Wish
I am so sorry fowvay. Wish I could do more than offer prayers and good luck to you.

Hugs, Jan

smalldoggroomer

I'm so sorry you have had 8
I'm so sorry you have had 8 surgeries and not got the results you wanted. And what kind of support group don't want to listen to problems. What are they for anyway.. I hope you are feeling better soon. And you can come here any time and get support, vent, what ever you need. We are here for you. Take care darlin Kay

24242

smalldoggroomer said:

I'm so sorry you have had 8
I'm so sorry you have had 8 surgeries and not got the results you wanted. And what kind of support group don't want to listen to problems. What are they for anyway.. I hope you are feeling better soon. And you can come here any time and get support, vent, what ever you need. We are here for you. Take care darlin Kay

I am sorry too
I am very sorry that you don't even have support from a group that takes so much out of us to seek out. I can't imagine being part of a group that isn't into sharing and that scares me also to think that others might be going through the same thing.
Support is our best defense and that is because we have a safe place to lay our fears. I have found that people who don't want to listen to problems are just hiding from their own fears.
You are the one who has to find for yourself what it is you need and I found that this board is a great place to get rid of the feeeeeelings that can tear us apart while they fester inside of us. Thank God I have had great friends who were willing and are still willing to listen to me because some days that is all there is...
Keeping you close to my heart,
Tara

disneyfan2008

so sorry
sorry for all you have gone through....