tissue expanders

taiga
taiga Member Posts: 75 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
Finished my chemo April 12th and had a bilateral mastectomy May 1st. Sentinel node biopsy done and cancer found in one on the right, so 14 nodes removed on the right and 3 on the left. I elected to do the nipple sparing procedure. My drains were in for 3 weeks. I've developed a seroma in the right armpit that has been drained 9 times - which is getting to be a real pain. My question is that both the tissue expanders have really shifted towards my armpits, the right more so than the left. My PS has said this really isn't an issue for her, but the last time she looked at them was May 24th when she removed the drains. When my surgeon looked at them this past Friday when I was in for an armpit drain, he thought, and I agreed, the right had really shifted even more. He felt like it needed to be repositioned and at that time she could also run the drain so that it got the armpit fluid. I have an appt. with the PS this afternoon. I am sooooo frustrated. I haven't had any fluid added to the expanders since the surgery. So now it looks like another surgery, a new incision and another drain. Has anyone had this happen to them?

Comments

  • salls41
    salls41 Member Posts: 340
    #2
    Sorry
    I have not had any problems with my expanders but I see my PS every week. I think you should insist on being seen as soon as possible.
  • jendrey
    jendrey Member Posts: 377
    #3
    salls41 said:

    Sorry
    I have not had any problems with my expanders but I see my PS every week. I think you should insist on being seen as soon as possible.

    ...
    I had a mastectomy on my right breast and a tissue expander placed at the same time. I also had a big issue with the expander sliding back towards my armpit. I was very concerned over this at the time. But as it turns out my PS was able to correct this with my implant being placed in perfect position and not at all sliding towards my armpit like the expander had been doing!

    Hope this helps.
    (((Hugs)))
  • butterflylvr
    butterflylvr Member Posts: 944
    #4
    jendrey said:

    ...
    I had a mastectomy on my right breast and a tissue expander placed at the same time. I also had a big issue with the expander sliding back towards my armpit. I was very concerned over this at the time. But as it turns out my PS was able to correct this with my implant being placed in perfect position and not at all sliding towards my armpit like the expander had been doing!

    Hope this helps.
    (((Hugs)))

    Hi...
    I had tissue expanders and fortunately this never happened to me, but it had to a friend of mine. From your profile picture you look like a small framed woman and so was my friend. She was having hers inflated and lefty started sliding towards her armpit. Bear in mind her left breast was radiated so the skin wasn't stretching as well as her right side. She chose to go for one more fill... One week later her expander ruptured... Lucky for her, her plastic surgeon bumped up her implant exchange surgery to the following day. So far lefty is doing fine but she (and righty too) are smaller then she was hoping for... But she's still happy. So to answer your question it does happen, but I am surprised it is happening to you since you had a nipple and skin sparring mastectomy. If your plastic surgeon is still inflating.. I would almost agree that they need to be repositioned. My friend was a runner too... So I am sure that boobie jarring isn't a good thing.

    Good luck to you...
    Lorrie
  • taiga
    taiga Member Posts: 75 Member
    #5
    butterflylvr said:

    Hi...
    I had tissue expanders and fortunately this never happened to me, but it had to a friend of mine. From your profile picture you look like a small framed woman and so was my friend. She was having hers inflated and lefty started sliding towards her armpit. Bear in mind her left breast was radiated so the skin wasn't stretching as well as her right side. She chose to go for one more fill... One week later her expander ruptured... Lucky for her, her plastic surgeon bumped up her implant exchange surgery to the following day. So far lefty is doing fine but she (and righty too) are smaller then she was hoping for... But she's still happy. So to answer your question it does happen, but I am surprised it is happening to you since you had a nipple and skin sparring mastectomy. If your plastic surgeon is still inflating.. I would almost agree that they need to be repositioned. My friend was a runner too... So I am sure that boobie jarring isn't a good thing.

    Good luck to you...
    Lorrie

    Thanks for the input
    The tissue expander on the right had continued to move towards my armpit and twist around. I also am dealing with a seroma in the right armpit since the surgery on May 1st. I've had it drained off with a syringe a dozen times. I have surgery scheduled for the 20th to move the expander. I will have 2 drains - one for the boob and one for the armpit compartment/seroma. NOT HAPPY, I hate those drains and now I'll have 2 on one side! I feel like I've wasted a lot of time. She put some fluid in the expanders when I had my initial surgery, but nothing has been added since. Now with a new incision, more delay with that. I just bank on the fact that all this is being done with the end goal of a nice set of ta-tas!
  • butterflylvr
    butterflylvr Member Posts: 944
    #6
    taiga said:

    Thanks for the input
    The tissue expander on the right had continued to move towards my armpit and twist around. I also am dealing with a seroma in the right armpit since the surgery on May 1st. I've had it drained off with a syringe a dozen times. I have surgery scheduled for the 20th to move the expander. I will have 2 drains - one for the boob and one for the armpit compartment/seroma. NOT HAPPY, I hate those drains and now I'll have 2 on one side! I feel like I've wasted a lot of time. She put some fluid in the expanders when I had my initial surgery, but nothing has been added since. Now with a new incision, more delay with that. I just bank on the fact that all this is being done with the end goal of a nice set of ta-tas!

    That's my girl ~ doing
    That's my girl ~ doing reconstruction just adds more and more surgeries... June 7th, my plastic surgeon performed his 4th surgery on me (Mastectomy tissue expander install, debrement surgery to remove incision skin flap, implant exchange, and last weeks excess skin removal and fat grafting). If I'd have chose not to do reconstruction I would have been done a year ago,. But with that said, I have this nice set of ta-tas and don't have to sport prosthesis's in my bras. I'm glad I went this route.

    Good luck with surgery, those drains are a pain as I had them again for my implant exchange surgery because doc had to use alloderm on my right side. Just remember the final result and enjoy life in between. ♥

    Lorrie
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #7
    butterflylvr said:

    That's my girl ~ doing
    That's my girl ~ doing reconstruction just adds more and more surgeries... June 7th, my plastic surgeon performed his 4th surgery on me (Mastectomy tissue expander install, debrement surgery to remove incision skin flap, implant exchange, and last weeks excess skin removal and fat grafting). If I'd have chose not to do reconstruction I would have been done a year ago,. But with that said, I have this nice set of ta-tas and don't have to sport prosthesis's in my bras. I'm glad I went this route.

    Good luck with surgery, those drains are a pain as I had them again for my implant exchange surgery because doc had to use alloderm on my right side. Just remember the final result and enjoy life in between. ♥

    Lorrie

    Taiga .. Like Miss Lorrie, I have endured
    months of agonizing reconstruction, staph infection, and mishaps --- HOWEVER, I
    am sooooooo happy and excited with my new girls (ta-ta's) - Barbie and Bambi -- the
    end result is so worth all the trouble.

    ... My story ....

    Lumpectomy -- 8-10-09
    Breast Cancer diagnosis 8-14-09


    18 weeks of consecutive chemo therapy -- ending on December 18, 2009 - dose dense chemo treatment plan .. I made it ... crawling to the finish line :)

    1 year of Herceptin -- ending August 20, 2010

    Bilateral Mastectomy January 12, 2010

    Vacation to Grand Canyon April 6th

    Emergency surgery and 5 day hospital stay 4-18-10 to removed right tissue expander infection by staph (Staph infection and where or how I contacted is still a mystery to this day - My Infectious Disease Doctor has ordered me to stay in the US for the next 3 years // no traveling outside US)

    8 weeks with 1 fully expanded TE/ and 1 flat expander - Unbearable and emotional --
    not a pretty site.

    Surgery to add a new right expander - 5-22-10

    Exchange surgery -- 7-21-10 (no nipples, no areola) Incisional scars very visible, and raised (due to the many cuts)

    9-28-10 -- Surgery to lift my right breast -- 3 months of recovery, not to mention
    that pesky -- drain

    1 1/2 years later ....

    March 7th ... 2012 -- Nipple surgery (no insurance, and I wanted my poor tired
    body to rest after so many surgeries.

    July 13th 2012 ---scheduled, and excited for my -- Nipple Tatt's! -- 4 weeks
    and counting!


    WE ARE WARRIORS -- Let's never forget that!

    Hope and Strength,

    Vicki Sam
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #8
    salls41 said:

    Sorry
    I have not had any problems with my expanders but I see my PS every week. I think you should insist on being seen as soon as possible.

    I had a lumpectomy, but, it
    I had a lumpectomy, but, it looks like others have had this happen too. I am hoping your PS can reassure you that everything will be alright. Let us know.


    Sue :)
  • Faith1122
    Faith1122 Member Posts: 46
    #9
    Hi!
    Hi taiga. My right expander started to lift up from the armpit & I had to go back in to have it replaced. The replacement was different from the original & was sewn in so it didn't move. It was a quick & relatively painless surgery but I needed 1 drain & for some reason it just reminded me that anything can happen. I am scheduled for the exchange surgery on 7/10 after a much needed vacation in Turcs & Caicos with my husband.
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #10
    taiga said:

    Thanks for the input
    The tissue expander on the right had continued to move towards my armpit and twist around. I also am dealing with a seroma in the right armpit since the surgery on May 1st. I've had it drained off with a syringe a dozen times. I have surgery scheduled for the 20th to move the expander. I will have 2 drains - one for the boob and one for the armpit compartment/seroma. NOT HAPPY, I hate those drains and now I'll have 2 on one side! I feel like I've wasted a lot of time. She put some fluid in the expanders when I had my initial surgery, but nothing has been added since. Now with a new incision, more delay with that. I just bank on the fact that all this is being done with the end goal of a nice set of ta-tas!

    How did the surgery go?
    How did the surgery go? Your goal of nice ta ta's is almost here Taiga!


    Hugs, Megan

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