I’ve also had a bilateral mastectomy with immediate expanders and then the exchange surgery. I never really had pain with either the expanders or the implants other than the recovering from the surgeries. Total, I will have 3 more surgeries than I expected. My implants have flipped after the last 2 surgeries so next Wed. hopefully will be my last. She is going to replace these implants and make the pocket smaller so hopefully no more backward implants. No one but me and her were able to tell but I figure if I’m doing this, them I want them correct. I wish I had more dewing but it is what it is. Lisa

Hugs, I'm so sorry you have to go thru all of that

I just had bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction to implants with nipple saving surgery. It has been 3 weeks. I am doing pretty good. Only took one of the pain meds the night I came home, which was day 2. I am still tender and have a hard time sleeping since I am a side sleeper. But I am wedging myself and getting more comfortable. So far I am happy with the new boobs, but since my pathology report from lymph node was positive, I will need treatment. Chemo for 6 rounds and then continue with herceptin for a full year, then radiation. So its most likely that I will need to replace the implants as they get hard with radiation from what I was told.

At age 60, I had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders placed at the same surgery. I had a plastic surgeon and the breast surgeon removing the breast both working together during the surgery. Because the breast tissue is gone, an expander goes under the muscle. The purpose of the expander is to stretch the muscle/skin. After surgery, i was initially flat. Over the next few weeks, the plastic surgeon filled the expanders with saline to ïnflate¨ them. I had 4 ïnflations¨ until the expanders reached the desired size. The expanders stayed in from August until May. They were not painful, but not really comfortable either. I did have radiation while my expanders were in, I did not have any problems with the expanders during the radiation, but I have heard that some do. After I was healed from any radiation skin issues, my plastic surgeon did a 2nd surgery to take out the expanders and replace them with the implants. He had me wait 4 months after radiation before the implant surgery. The implants are much more comfortable and that surgery was much less painful and recovery was quick. I am a teacher and I missed 5 days of work. I am pleased with my final implants and I am glad I opted to do this. Everyone is different. So my timeline was - initial surgery Aug 2022 Radiation 31 sessions from Nov 1st - Dec 18th. Replace tissue expanders with implants - May 2023 (I did not have to do chemo)

I have not had it done, I am 60 rather go flat so that no breast tissue is left, and my doctor told me to prevent recurrence. Such a personal choice for us all. I have one friend who received the reconstruction at 63 and is very happy with it and my 52-year-old niece was going to, but now decided to go flat and dues spacers are very uncomfortable, just wants it all out. But My boobs gave me pain all my life. Almost a burden large breasts and pain, The surgeon said this requires two surgeries and I was not up for that. Good luck to you HUGS,