Latissimus Dorsi Flap Surgery

Angie2U said:

Hi Cindy! I haven't had
Hi Cindy! I haven't had this surgery, but, I am sure that someone will post to you that has. Good luck!

Hi Cindy~ I'm a lat flapper!!
I had my surgery Oct 08. I don't share any pictures, but I was so scared to go through the surgery, and actually did amazing, healing up nicely~ and to this day, look balanced and somewhat normal~ minus some scars. I have a scar down my back, and the flap of course around the breast. I had drains in for 2-2 1/2 weeks, and was told to lay low to heal. After 6-7 weeks I was out Christmas shopping with my girlfriends (they had to carry my heavy bags It has taken about 6-7 months to be able to lift myself using that muscle~like sitting, and using your hands to push yourself up and scoot over somewhere... but at this point I feel like it is adapting well to it's new location. About 4 weeks out, I was gently unloading the dishwasher one dish at a time, or the washer one item of clothing at a time. My doctor wanted me to take it easy to heal up real well, and not over do it.
Let me know if you have other questions~ personal messaging can be accomplished thru the opening login page under CSN mail~~ or look at the brownish box on the left of the screen.
Melanie

Latissimus flap
Hi Cindy I had a left mastectomy with latissmus flap sugery on 2/16. Things are going great, very little pain just a mild discomfort. It feels more like a sunburn than a true pain. My scars are healing beautifully it is right under my bra so it will be hidden and my breast has only a small circle scar in the front middle of the breast. It is really amazing how this major surgery is healing so beautifully. In another week my doctor said I can do anything I usually do, even lift light weights. I know that this surgery was the right one for me, because the expander would require many visits to the doctor and another minor surgery. I had a saline implant put in the day of sugery and although I am still swollen and numb (as expected) things are going great. Good luck with your decision. Mirjana

tram flap
I had tram flap also (12/11) and am doing great. I chose this one because I am 44 and have to young teenagers who are very sports minded. I worried about losing a stomach muscle but chose that over losing arm function because we throw a lot of softballs, baseballs, and footballs and I wanted to be able to do that. I also wanted to be able to catch said items. I wasn't told that I wouldn't be able to do that but I worried about it. My plastic surgeon said that I really wouldn't notice much of a difference with the tram (unless I was a world class athlete) and so far I am very happy with the results. My daughter starts softball try-outs tonight so I guess I'm going to be testing those abilities soon. My biggest complaint was the drains they put in. I was lucky and didn't even have them in for 2 weeks. These surgeries sound terrifying (at least they did to me) but I found I made it 100 times worse in my head than it really was, thank God. I hope yours goes just as well, I'll keep you in my prayers.

Helen