cocoathunder

Had my pre-op appt this afternoon, and am all marked up for stage 2 GAP in the morning.  Wish all of you the best on your surgeries & recoveries.  I'll check in when I can.

Karen 

I am 5'9" and was 155 at time of recon.  In 2000, I had recon with implants and LD flap on the cancer side.  It did not do well for me, and had to have implants removed this year.  I was told replacing the implants was not an option, nor did I have enough belly fat to do bilateral DIEP.  I ended up in New Orleans for bilateral GAP/high on the hip flaps in August and am going back this week for stage 2.  I am really pleased so far.

Dr. Robert Allen is in Charleston, and is one of the originators of the DIEP and GAP flaps.  Keep looking, and best wishes.  I have photos posted on TIMTAM's site, under HIP/GAP flaps, if you'd like to see before with implants and after with flaps.

Karen 

Dear TMB,

I was diagnosed at 44 with invasive ductal with 5 cm tumor and 3 positive nodes.  My kids were 7 and 11.  I had mastectomy rads & chemo at that time.  Over the next year, had 2 "scares" on my remaining breast, so decided to have prophylactic mast. that side and reconstructed both at same time.  Path reports on the "healthy" breast came back showing it was full of atypical cells and hyperplasia so I was SO glad I made that choice.

I am now 9 years free of disease, have had to have my original reconstruction removed and redone this year, but no regrets at all on deciding to to the bilateral.

Best wishes,

Karen

Those of you who have had GAP or DIEP reconstruction:  How long did your doctors have you wait after stage 2 to have nipple/areola tattooing done?

 Karen 

I had LD flap with saline implant reconstruction done in 2000.  In my case, it just got tighter and tighter, and capsular contracture caused the implants to distort.  

Many women on this site highly recommend going to a physical therapist and say it helps them.

Best wishes

Karen 

I had implants which had been in place since 2000 removed and redid the reconstruction with bilateral GAP flaps in 8/08.  I had capsular contracture in both breasts although only one of them had been radiated.  In my case, the saline implants never softened, and began moving upward, outward, sideways, causing a feeling of constricted breathing and pain beginning a few months after they were placed.  Worsened with time.  Lived with it for nearly 9 years, and now that I have had the GAP reconstruction, wonder why I waited so long.

Karen 

Springtime,

Just a thought.  Did you look at the result photos on NOLA's website?  They have many of GAP surgeries, which might give you an idea before and after of how they looked from behind.  

Karen 

I'm feeling the nerves as well for upcoming stage 2 GAP with nip recon.  This is my 2nd recon (first back in 2000).  Didn't like the nips previous PS did, they projected too much, and were completely asymmetrical.  Hoping for more nub-like this time.  

Weedhopper:  do you know what procedure your PS used?  Is the areola area grafted or tattoo?  Look really natural to me.

Thanks,  Karen 

It's really a mixed bag as to who experiences capsular contracture.  I had modified radical mx on one side, followed by chemo & rads.  The skin looked OK.  About 4 months later, they did an LD flap on that side with implant, and prophylactic skin sparing mx on the right with implant placement only.  The right "healthy" breast was full of atypical cells & hyperplasia so I'm so glad I did that.  

Anyway, capsular contracture started within a few months on BOTH sides.  I left them in for 8 years, and they steadily got tighter, harder, more painful, more distorted, until this year, on the radiated side with LD flap, it was close to breakthrough.  PS's told me they could not replace or repair.

In August, I had implants removed and replaced with bilateral GAP/hip flaps.  I have photos posted on TIMTAM's site.  There is a "before" showing the capsular contracture.

Best wishes to you as you work your way through this maze,

Karen 

Another Florida girl here, currently in Stuart, but lived in Longwood while going thru BC treatment back in 1999-2001.  Had bilateral mx with rads on one side only, recon with expanders and ultimately saline implants.  After 9 years of continual problems including capsular contracture, herniation of implant to side, and pain, had them removed in August and reconstructed with GAP flaps.  Cannot believe the difference and am so glad I did it.  

Every reconstruction has it's own set of pros and cons.  I learned after implant recon that it's about a 50/50 chance of failure, especially if rads are involved.  Despite that, when I wanted to fix my own, I asked PS about replacing them with silicone if that would solve the problem.  Because of thinned skin, I was not a candidate for that and flap surgery was my only option.  That PS didn't do flaps, and gave me names of others who do.

Hopefully you will be one of the many successes,  best wishes,

Karen