Masectomy/reconstruction

anaumann

I have just been advised to have a masectomy due to cancer cells showing around my lumpectomy. Now I am trying to deal with this and meet a plastic surgeon to discuss reconstruction. Any advice you can offer is appreciated. If I do not get reconstruction, what is out there to help me look fairly normal? ann

greyhoundluvr

Ann -
There are a lot of women who chose not to have reconstruction and I'm sure they will give you good advice on that end. What your surgeon or plastic surgeon recommends as far as reconstruction may depend to some extent on what other treatment is planned for you (especially if they are expecting to do radiation whih may not be known yet). I had the option of a lumpectomy but I decided to do a bilateral mastectomy. I had the tissue expanders placed at the time of surgery. I ended up having to have chemo and radiation so I will have the exchange surgery done in about 3 months (10 months since my mastectomy). There are pros and cons to both immediate and delayed reconstruction. If you don't have to have chemo or radiation, then the whole process is completed pretty quickly by having the expanders put in immediately and cuts down on one surgery (otherwise you would be having the mastectomy, then having the expanders put in, then having the implants put in). On the flip side, some plastic surgeons like to wait until the treatment plan is known before doing reconstruction. The expanders can be uncomfortable and difficult for side sleeping so how long you would have to have them in could be something to give some thought to. In all, a lot of this just is not known immediately so you have to ask a lot of questions and make the best decision for you. I certainly didn't plan on spending 10 months with my expander buddies but I probably would have still done it the same way. I wish you the best!

Chris

Jean 0609

Hi Ann,
The best thing to do is to meet with a Plastic Surgeon to discuss your options. The decision is something that you will have to make for yourself. Whatever you decide is fine. Good luck to you. Hugs, Jean

Rague

Talk to your Drs and listen
Talk to your Drs and listen to them. There is different protocol for different types and the involvement/extent of your BC.

I had a rt. mod. rad. mast. last Oct. with no reconstruction at that time. Due to the type and extent of my cancer, reconstruction was not appropriate to think about at the time. ALL my Drs said that I should wait a year at least after surgery to talk/think about reconstruction - so when I see my surgeon in Oct. I'll talk with him about it. I honestly don't know rather or not I'll have it done. I have a very good prosthesis that is a good 'match' and I'm very comfortable with.

"- - look fairly normal" - there are great pros. that will let you look (and feel) "normal" IF you allow yourself to.

Mama G

Rague said:

Talk to your Drs and listen
Talk to your Drs and listen to them. There is different protocol for different types and the involvement/extent of your BC.

I had a rt. mod. rad. mast. last Oct. with no reconstruction at that time. Due to the type and extent of my cancer, reconstruction was not appropriate to think about at the time. ALL my Drs said that I should wait a year at least after surgery to talk/think about reconstruction - so when I see my surgeon in Oct. I'll talk with him about it. I honestly don't know rather or not I'll have it done. I have a very good prosthesis that is a good 'match' and I'm very comfortable with.

"- - look fairly normal" - there are great pros. that will let you look (and feel) "normal" IF you allow yourself to.

Check my picture to the left...
Can you tell which boob is fake? The prosthesis they have now look and FEEL so normal!!! And they are comfortable and easy to use inside your bra. I look at it this way, I can have the fake boob UNDER my skin or OVER it. I could NOT handle all that goes with the reconstruction, so I chose OVER and have never regretted it!

cahjah75

Ann
because I have had too many surgeries I opted for no reconstruction at this time. I did however meet with ps to go over my options. He told me I could have it done years from now. I had bilateral and am quite pleased with how natural my prosthesis looks. It's a big decision so take your time.
{{hugs}} Char

SamuraiMom

help
Hi Ann,

My website has some insight on mastectomy and reconstruction (www.mymastectomyonline.com) if that might help.

I had a double mastectomy on 9-9-09 and am just finishing up the reconstuction process with nipple reconstruction and tatooing.

I'm sorry you have to go through this...but you are not alone!

xxoo,
SamuraiMom

EdnaM

Didn't go for reconstruction
I had mastectomy April 21 and decided enough was enough for me (probably would have made different decision if I were younger). Prosthesis is so real - went to primary care dr.
and nurse was going over chart and mentioned cancer. When I told her I was currently wearing my new prosthesis she was busy trying to figure out "which one", I told her she could go
ahead and feel prosthesis if she wanted - she felt the real one. She was embarassed, I was
hystrically laughing. We all need some lighter moments on this trip we're on!!

Miss Murphy

EdnaM said:

Didn't go for reconstruction
I had mastectomy April 21 and decided enough was enough for me (probably would have made different decision if I were younger). Prosthesis is so real - went to primary care dr.
and nurse was going over chart and mentioned cancer. When I told her I was currently wearing my new prosthesis she was busy trying to figure out "which one", I told her she could go
ahead and feel prosthesis if she wanted - she felt the real one. She was embarassed, I was
hystrically laughing. We all need some lighter moments on this trip we're on!!

I Vote
I vote with Mama G!!!!! I did the same as she did for pretty much the same reasons. However, this is such a personal decision and there are so many variables. Get as much info from your doctors as you can, see what others say on this board and then go with what feels right for you.

Hugs, Sally

anaumann

Mama G said:

Check my picture to the left...
Can you tell which boob is fake? The prosthesis they have now look and FEEL so normal!!! And they are comfortable and easy to use inside your bra. I look at it this way, I can have the fake boob UNDER my skin or OVER it. I could NOT handle all that goes with the reconstruction, so I chose OVER and have never regretted it!

fake boob??
Can't tell!! How soon can you be fitted for the protheses? ann

ejs51361

My diagnosis was 7/3/10. My
My diagnosis was 7/3/10. My choice was lumpectomy with rads or mastectomy. Actually it was advised to me to have a bilateral mastectomy since I am the 3rd sister to have breast cancer, plus an MRI showed "multiple enhancements" on both sides. In the end, I chose bilateral mastectomy.

I am 49 years young. I did meet with a plastic surgeon and after hearing the possible complications for the expanders/implants (which is all I was eligible for), I opted to not do implants. When I heard of the possible complications, the idea of the complications scared me more than the cancer did. Simply go with your instincts. It was a big help though to have the support of my husband. From the start, he supported the bilateral mastectomy and my decision to not do reconstruction.

I posted a question on the board in late July/early Aug 2010 asking "if anyone kept there boy chest after mastectomy, what were their pros and cons". If you search back, you can read those responses also. Several answers could have been me talking to myself but I was clouded by what society expects a female to look like.

I am one month post bilateral and comfortable with my boy chest. Most times I don't wear the prosthesis, but with the cooler weather, I have been wearing a men's A-line t-shirt under one of my blouses. So nothing very form fitting. If my clothes are more fitted, I will opt for the prosthesis more for the comfort of family and friends so they don't get weirded out with no boobs.

Your decision is so personal. You will have to weigh in all family, business and social aspects to determine which way you want to go. There is no right or wrong answer for you - if you are comfortable with your choice, you will find a way to make it work.

Solstice Girl

Just went through this...
I had a lumpectomy and lymph nodes removed in the right breast 10 years ago. Afterwards I had tons of radiation plus a boost since I refused chemo. After ten years I thought I was free and had kicked cancer but 3 months ago they found cancer in the same breast during one of my mammograms. I had a mastectomy of the right breast and was discouraged from lopping off the left healthy breast because I was told that I could have reconstruction of the right and all would be good. Turns out that ain't so! My right side was so badly damaged from radiation ten years ago that now my mastectomy incision won't heal. I ended up with flap necrosis and then a horrible infection and had to see a wound specialist. Now I'm told that reconstruction will NOT be possible. My only option now is a prosthesis on the right and maybe plastic surgery on the left should I want to make it smaller.

So..Ask a lot of questions when you meet the surgeon and ask him how your body would react to more surgery based on your past treatment. Every woman is different. Some breeze through it, and others, like me, suffer all the complications.

Good luck....tread lightly...

Solstice Girl

iowasignterp

delayed reconstruction
i had my mastectomy and a prosthesis for about a year before getting the reconstruction started. two important things to know: one is if you are going to have any radiation, it seriously affects your chances of having a reconstruction done later. two, if you are not having radiation, you can decide to have reconstruction done anywhere from 1 - 20 years later or more.

the reconstruction is a painful process, the mammogram by itself was minor. you need to plan to take time off for the reconstruction surgeries because you will need the pain meds.

at first, it was not suggested that reconstruction was an option for me because they wanted to do chemo quickly. I did not think it totally mattered if i got the reconstruction or not. I lived with the prosthesis pretty well. the only times it bothered me was swimming and in my pajamas that i was flat on one side. the prosthetics nowadays are wonderful to match what you already have.

if you have reconstruction done, you will most likely be offered the option of a breast lift on the other side so that they match better. the reconstructed side is like a ball or melon smashed into your chest (think push up bra with out the bra) while the natural one is more like a ball hanging into a sock on your chest. the new reconstructed boob is very perky while your natural one may be hanging closer to your waist. the breast lift will remove extra skin under your breast and then pull it together so that it is perkier and closer to when you were in your 20's. however you may lose some (not all) of its natural sensitivities.

i completely agree and understand both sides. it is truly a personal choice. good luck with your choice.