Topic: Lift/Reduction to radiated breast?

I am doing well.  I went in on Thursday to see if I could have my stitches removed and my PS thought it was just a tad early, so they are staying in until Tuesday.  I definitely have swelling and some fluid retention, but honestly, I have more in the non-radiated side than the radiated side.  At the Post-op appointment they removed my dressings and I got to get a good look at the results and I'm pretty happy with it overall.  She said that because one side has been radiated, it may "unswell" differently than the other one so I may end up slightly unsymmetrical.  Although it doesn't look that way now-they look very symmetrical.  She did say if they end up uneven, it is pretty easy to fix by use of a little liposuction instead of full blown surgery again.

So far so good!

Tracy

Hollyhopes-the stitches that I have are for the lift part.  I have internal stitches as well, but the ones for the lift are pretty heavy duty.  I guess it takes quite a bit to hike a breast up from hanging out on top of your stomach to actually putting it on your chest where it belongs!

Tracy, I'm glad to hear you are doing well so far. 

Native Mainer, Thank you for your story.  That is horrible and gives some real perspective to the challenges of healing radiated tissue.  Could you email me, I have some questions, bpchapman@roadrunner.com

Holly, Good to hear you are still making progress. 

I don't understand why this issue of complications with future surgery isn't talked about as a side effect of radiation therapy.  I thought that if I had a lumpectomy, later had a local recurrence, I could just have a mastectomy/reconstruction at that time.  Little did I know that it is possible, but has unpredictable results.  There doesn't seem to be much information about the second or more times cancer returns and the impact of your earlier decisions on your later options.  Maybe that will be the next information phase that breastcancer.org will cover in the future as they fill out their material.   

Betsy

DX 3-18-08: Bilateral BC - IDC, 1.8 cm, Stage 1, Grade 3, 0/1 nodes, ER-/PR-, HER2+

                                             DCIS, high nuclear grade, ER+/PR-

WarriorJenn,  Thanks so much for the information.  I had heard about the doctors in New Orleans, but didn't know who they were.  Their website is impressive.

Betsy

Just to update you... I am feeling much better in the past few days...but the radiated breast is still having a hard time healing...now that most of the swelling has subsided I can see that the radiated breast is larger than the other side.  My original reduction and lift was to make both breast more equal and to revise the scars....so, rather than the 'good' breast being bigger than the 'bad' one...I have the opposite effect...ah well...I will live my life unbalanced I guess...probably the physical  reality is a reflection of my internal state!!  LOL...I want to hear how everyone else is doing....

Hi Betsy - great info...I can attest that I am fitting into all the remarks in the "Results and Conclusion" sections.  My wounds are healing slower than in the normal breast.  the scars will consequently be larger - but over all...I am very pleased and I know that six months from now I will be very happy that I chose this option!

 Hugs to all,

Holly

Holly, I'm so glad to hear things are going well.  Maybe the radiated side still has edema and will 'shrink' as the months go by to give better symmetry. 

Tracy,  Didn't you have your surgery just two weeks ago?  It sounds like you are doing great.  I wonder what is up with the non-radiated side.

I have my surgery scheduled for December 1st, right after I get back from walking the BC 3 Day in San Diego.  I walked 18 miles last Thursday!  I'll either be in great shape or totally exhausted for surgery. 

Best to all.  Betsy

Gosh, haven't been on in a while but read thru all...

Holly, hope things continue to go well, slowly or quicker...at least it's going the right direction-and since I'm playing catch up I just want to say I am so glad you're rid of the loser who had the nerve to seek out someone 'unscarred'.....excuse me but what an #@%!!!!  You're better off w/o him!

WarriorJenn:  yes, I feel more comfortable by the minute and am leaning heavily to NOLA. They've operated on plenty of irradiated tissue, have awesome resuts have been fabulous w/ every phone contact-and as an RN myself who is famiiar w/ complications/risks, etc -I grilled them and they are still making A's in my book.

I know at my teaching facility/ breast center the whole topic/side effects, future considerations of radiation was discussed in depth.  The risks and fact that you are forever altering your tissues by radiating them was made pretty clear to me.She also radiated me prone because I was a good candidate for that. I am going into this next surgery (when I can)knowing that side may/may not have issues.

I'd actually appreciate any good vibes, thoughts, prayers for my current issue!  seroma in my lumpectomy/MRI guided biopsy site....grrr.  Has been taking forever to go away but this week right at the surg site red/hard warm and I've had a low grade fever....and I'm 7 mos from surgery and 4 mos out of rads and praying this will clear w/ antibiotics-they needled and sent off cultures friday and I follow next week.  Trying not to freak or read anything else about IBC...scary stuff. 

Carolyn, re: the booby pain-yeah.....I'm really hoping mine will go away when I take out all the badness....I think the seroma has just been there tho since nov and that that is the culprit......I just hope they can remove all the scarring etc and the new tissue from elsewhere won't give me any issues.

Betsy sounds as if all is progressing! cool,

thanks ladies-ps.......my avatar is a painting of St. Agatha-she's the patron saint of breast cancer(and multiple other causes)-you know how we catholics are!

No...I think it's a great idea. Guess I didn't realize the lack of info since I read and read from multiple sources.  Sorry being a nurse may have given me a bit of a leg up.....or maybe more like I'm obsessed!   I think it's lousy people don't know more...I was glad I knew....I feel the nasty secret kept from me was unresolved seroma/lymphedema being a pretty common side effect/complication? following breast surgery.   And the lack of attention to it/patronizing comments by the people whose work caused it.  SORRY to drone on!  My breast is less red but still lumpy/uncomfortable, ugly.  Think the fever is gone and by god I don't miss that keflex every 6 hrs.  Have been on the phone all a.m. trying to line up a lymphedema therapist  so that when I return to surgeons office I'll ask for an official referral.  I also have a compressure bra on the way.  Ok, enough about me!  Thanks for listening!

Good job Betsy...I could have sworn bilateral was an option?  hmmm,...anyhoo,

Actually I do have an infection and the lymphedema I have is not in the arm...it's in the breast.But YES!  I DO believe it is improving!  I have thought all along that I had truncal edema and should have asserted myself more but it just wasn't ever obvious until I was red feverish, etc.  It's going to be OK tho!  This too shall pass, live and learn!

Hi Jane and all....Jane - I had tons of problems with a seroma all of which seem to have disappeared since the reduction surgery.  Maybe that will happen for you too...and I will be sending lots of good energy your way for healing....

WOW

Native mainer...........I am Soooo sorry that happened.....eeeks recurrent abscess! and hyperbaric!  ....OK, I'm sorry, so sorry....BUT.......if you don't mind me asking, did you reconstruct?  Sheesh after all that-and my new education on LE....yikes...I am definitely rethinking and will be doing some serious grilling in regards to seroma/abscess/LE that I might expect.........Perhaps I'm delusional in my expectations for truthfulness from the docs....BUT....I'm trying to also get a feel via LE therapists and people who have done similar to what I'd like to do....to see if I really want to do it.  I might PM you...feel free to pm me...ok...so sorry for what you had to go thru.

Holly, that is awesome news!  where was your seroma?...And did they aspirate yours?.mine is in a very difficult lateral L breast area....after my first f/u mammo in may that was normal I discussed what I thought I wanted to do w/ my BS....when I asked if I could still do skin sparing she did indicate that my scar which is L lateral and horizontal....(.but you can't see it unless I turn sideways) she'd probably extend to areola.......since the nipple is removed and moved up(if it is deemed clean).....of course if there is any suspicion of ca or the ca was withinn I think 2 cm-depending on who is doing your work they may just replace w/ another at the final stage....ok, sorry I'm droning on here.  Holly thanks for the good wishes.

Betsy, I believe you are right....and I'd love to drop a few lbs .......I'm a big fan of exercise just am at a bit of an impasse.  Pretty restricted and will resume and hopefully get back to where I was. I've been in pretty good shape most my life, strength train/aerobic dance, cardio and circuit training, etc, etc.....ever since I've tried to get back into it...even going slowly I have to back off because I start having pain/swelling....this most recent issue is the only time tho I've had redness/fever.  So...I see an LE hopefully next week and will very carefully and compliantly proceed again but this time by someone else's direction/time table....I get a little overenthusiastic.

Carolyn,

Thanks, Re the how long after radiation.  I think and have heard the longer, more time that passes the better...BUT...My BS specifically said 6 mos after rads I could have lift/realign if I wanted.  Considering my current issues......I doubt they'd do surgery w/ active infection.  I read on the bresatcenter.com  website you should be 4 mos out of rads to have perforator recon surgery.

per the 2-3 LE therapists I've spoken w/ here is a LOT of post RADS truncal LE that they are seeing and apparently it is the topic of frequent discussions at their conferences. Yet the MD's just don't admit to it...and don't really know what to do about it.

So it is 100plus humidity here in TX...what is it like in Maine so I can live vicariously?

Plainjane,

That's good to know at least how long to wait before the recon surgery. I think i need to talk to some therapist here to see if they are seeing the same thing. That's very interesting and esp if the docs aren't admitting to something that is affecting a bunch of us which should be told.

Sounds like the weather down in TX is better here! We have been having rain for the past 2 weeks or it might be most of the month of June. It's very depressing! My plants are not doing to good w/all this rain and no sunshine. Looking at the long range forecast, we should be seeing some of the sun on Friday! I hope the weatherman are wrong as usual and it comes out before that. I have to go out and inspect a house lot in the pouring rain and am not looking forward to that!

I am planning a lift in February.  I had a lumpectomy last June, chemo Aug-Dec, rads Jan.-Feb.

I was told that it was recommended to wait one year from the last rads tx to do surgeries such as lifts etc in order to allow the skin and breast tissues to completely heal.  There are possible hindrances to proper healing if surgeries are performed too soon past radiation.  Even now I notice that my radiated breast remains slightly darker than the other.  It is also still slightly larger than the other. It takes a while for the tisues to settle.  When I went for my 1st post op mammo last week the tech told me that rads make the breasts more thicker and more  dense than previously.  They had to do a magnifying mammo along with the routine one because ot these changes.