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Members shared personal experiences and thoughtful advice around the question of whether tissue expanders and LD reconstruction make sense... Read more
@A MyBCTeam Member
I am glad I can help you.
I was too anxious after I got my diagnosis that I lost my main goal which is to live longer. Thinking back I realized having the infection made me re-evaluate my goal in life and having artificial breast will not make me live longer and happy.
I thank God for giving me the enlightenment to re-think my real goal. Now I’m at peace with my decision and enjoying life with my grandchildren.
Good luck!
Sending hugs and prayers.
@A MyBCTeam Member
I was originally going to have reconstruction but towards the end of my treatment my skin turned black and got infection. The doctor drained bloody fluid and was in the hospital until they figure out the right antibiotic. At that point have decided to have my tissue expander removed and go flat. My decision was based on my previous knowledge (I am a retired oncology nurse) on my many patients with failed reconstruction and how their chest looks.
Also, my body went through so much and weakened with chemotherapy and radiation that I felt I will not heal properly and slow down my recovery. It took over a year for my body to recover and my blood tests to go normal.
I am now flat with no surgery to even smoothen my chest. At the beginning I thought I will not be able to adjust but now I am at peace with my decision.
Hope that helps you with your decision.
@A MyBCTeam Member .... Reconstruction decisions can be difficult to make, especially if your options are limited from what has transpired in your pre-cancer life. Take the time to think about your options and do what you think will be best for yourself in the long run. There is no need to rush to make a decision regarding reconstruction.
My mom's reconstructive surgery was way back in 2009 which was 3 years after her cancer diagnosis. She was a B cup before cancer and had a single mastectomy. She was HER2 positive so the mastectimy was first followed by chemo and then radiation. She was satisfied with her LD surgery. She was very private about her cancer, only family, her doctors, and a couple of friends knew what she had gone through. My mom loved to swim and she was so happy to find a swimsuit after her surgery that fit well and covered her scars so she looked like her pre-surgery self.
I wish you all the best with whatever option you choose ❤️
@A MyBCTeam Member very interesting
The AI response is lacking some important details. My mom had LD reconstruction after her mastectomy. This may sound odd, but the tissue expander is not for your chest. They put the expander implant in your back for a few months before the LD surgery in order to stretch out the skin and create more skin surface around the muscle being relocated from your back to your chest. The back skin, muscle underneath it, and the blood vessels feeding the skin and muscle are all relocated to your chest during the LD surgery to create the new breast. This establishes blood flow to the chest to avoid tissue necrosis (tissue death) without the need to do difficult microsurgery to attach blood vessels like they need to do with DIEP surgery since existing blood vessels from your back are not severed or disconnected, just relocated.
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