Reconstruction

This page is under construction and will include various types of reconstruction. In the meantime, we have included a slide show of reconstruction surgery after bilateral mastectomy using tissue expanders and silicone implants and also have a synopsis on the DIEP flap written by one of our forum members.

Breast Reconstruction

Start Over

This free script provided by
JavaScript Kit

Slide 1) This picture is about three months after having a bilateral mastectomy. The incision was closed with staples; hence, the railroad track scar.

Slide 2) This picture is after having the tissue expanders placed. They have been filled with 120 cc at this point. The patient also had scar revision during the procedure.

Slide 3) This picture shows the tissue expanders fully filled.

Slide 4) This was taken shortly after nipple reconstruction. The silicone implants are in place at this point.

Slide 5) The final product! Tattoos were the finishing touch.

DIEP Flap - By Jade

"I am the world's worst patient and had a lot of apprehension that was relieved with the excellent care I received.

I waited a year after my bilateral mastectomies before having the DIEP flap surgery done as I was diagnosed with three kinds of cancer (really think I only had two, but that is another story) and I researched a lot of different kinds of reconstruction and this is by far the best. I am very happy with the results and would recommend it to anyone who is considering reconstruction.

What to expect is another story... I got some pain med prescriptions filled before the surgery and did not take any of them... had the surgery on Friday (Mar 5th) and Saturday I felt as bad as I thought possible and wondered what I had done to myself, however by Sunday, I started to rally and was off all pain meds by Sunday evening... was even getting up and going to the bathroom by myself. The first night is spent in ICU and I did not feel very happy with the nurse there and liked the staff a lot better on the ... get this... maternity ward! I had my daughter with me for the first two days and then she flew home on Monday after washing my hair for me... I also got rid of all IV attachments ASAP on Monday morning... I also walked around to look at the babies on Monday and by Tuesday, I had walked back to the room I was renting on the 7th floor in the McFarland inn.
I was discharged to the room on Wednesday (Mar 10th) and slept a lot until my followup appointment on Friday (Mar 12th) when I had all but one drain removed. I flew home the same day and had already set up an appointment here for the 15th and had the final drain removed then. I was alone for most of it and rather glad I was as people mean well but can be too solicitous when I really just wanted to sleep. The flight home was uncomfortable just in the waiting area and I finally asked for some help as I was afraid of dislodging the last drain and they let me get on the plane before the crowd got on. Not lifting more than 5 pounds was very difficult for me and I have to tell you that everything weighs more than 5 pounds! I hurt myself trying to open a damn door and had to be driven home from the mail room in the community where I live... how embarrassing is that? That was my first

week home and I gained strength very quickly. One of the hardest things for me to do was to remove the wires from my new breasts... these are just clipped when you leave the hospital (they are originally attached to a monitor periodically to measure blood flow in the new breasts). At any rate, they cannot be taken out for two weeks or more and I tried to take one out in front of a mirror (so I could see what I was doing) and nearly passed out. I figured out that they were put in with me laying on my back and that might be the best position for me to remove them, inducing the least resistance.... this worked fine and I managed to get them all out. No one explained to me who was going to take them out and I managed without too much fuss.

As I mentioned. I live by myself and technically was allowed to drive after I was off pain meds, but since I was only taking tylenol on day three, I really wasn't able to drive following that logic. I did start driving two weeks after the surgery, but really carefully and only if necessary.... I knew I was in no shape to do any fancy accident avoiding manuevers if I needed to, so I was very cautious about roads I chose and avoided busier traffic hours.

Radiation treatment makes a difference in the healing procedure. I had radiation on the left side following an earlier diagnosis of cancer in 1985 when I chose a lumpectomy and the muscle tissue was too thin to have implants and the skin does not heal like normal skin (although it does not look any different).. The weight of the new breast caused me serious discomfort when the radiated skin tried to stretch to accommodate the weight. I was able to find a close-in-the-front bra at Wal*Mart that helped relieve that itching (from my neck to the upper scar on the left breast).

That is a lot of information and I am not sure I have covered everything that might be of a concern to you... I don't know your age , health or living circumstances, so I may have over-explained but I also have a web site http://home.thirdage.com/Photography/jadelion/ that might have some more info on the cancer if that is something you have also gone through. I am in Florida... I wish you well whatever you decide... I am so very glad I went through with the procedure"

The most uncomfortable part of all of this was the "tummy tuck" which caused a problem with standing up straight right away due to the incision that goes from hip to hip (on bikini line). I think that was the most uncomfortable part and was the location of the drain that stayed in longest. I do not do pain killers and am really determined to get back to "normal" asap. Other people give pain a little more time and attention and will need medication that I refused. As Carly Simon says, "I don't have time for the pain." I'm not numb: I just refuse to give in to it.

There are three stages to the procedure. The first is the most dramatic with creation of breasts and reduction of stomach flab, however, the second is equally important as it takes away the "dog ears" on the ends of the abdominal scar and he actually redid my scar as it had adhered to my abdomen somehow. I also had some liposuction done as part of the procedure to even up the upper part of the abdomen to match the lower part where the tissue had been removed for the creation of the breasts. The Doctor also did something to soften a hardness that had formed in an area of one breast and he also makes sure the finished product on both sides match. After this procedure, you are trussed up in a girdle for 6 weeks while the liposuction areas are molded... this is really uncomfortable... more so than the first surgery because I thought it would just be nip, tuck, heal! HA! Liposuction is an involved procedure that works great but hurts everywhere. This visit is only a day out-patient procedure but you can stay at the McFarland Inn until you are ready to travel again... I may have stayed four nights altogether, arriving on a Thursday, procedure on Friday and leaving on Monday.

The final procedure was months later for me... the tatooing of areola. I was surprised that I felt pain from this... nerve endings were regenerating faster than I thought... It was only the scar areas that relayed pain, so mostly it was a non-event. All of it took me from March to December to finish, but could have been completed a shorter schedule.

It really was worth it and gave me such a positive boost after all the negativeness of the cancers, treatments and mutilation of my body. I gambled that a little pain now (when I knew I wasn't feeling too good about my body) and I might feel better afterwards... and I really do... better than I ever thought I would feel again... it's not the same as not going through the cancer, but it sure is appreciated much more now. A note for anyone who feels they should not do this at their "age": I am 60 and refused to listen to family who told me I was too old and "what does it matter anyway?...they were only breasts"... hellooo!!! It mattered to me and it gave me some closure on the cancer itself and I still date, so yes, it matters!