Latissimus Dorsi Breast Reconstruction
Comments
-
my recovery was more like 8 to 10 weeks. I also measured my scars I have 50 in worth
0 -
Jo-5
I would make sure it's not a herniated abdominal muscle. The hernia I was talking about a couple years ago - the abdominal oblique that got the fascia frayed when they prelevated the LD muscle - goes all the way to the tummy. If that herniates, your belly will grow bigger in that area. It can be very dangerous as the abdominal obliques hold the abdominal wall.
0 -
Ossa,
I have a gorgeous reconstruction. My foobs look like a 18 year old's playboy model - and so many years after the surgery you can barely see any scars.
At the age of 57 I can go out in the skimpiest tanktops and men turn their heads after me.
I'd give up on these boobs in a split second just to have my LDs back where they were.
0 -
seachain now you have me thinking. I have been telling my Dr I think I have a hernia for well over a year and she just says no. I have issues about an inch above the belly button to the left. Nothing pops out just pain comes and goes. How is this diagnosed???
0 -
The last line says it all, seachain! Wish there was a like button.
Lat flap was cutting edge years ago. This was before muscle sparing procedures were developed. You need those back muscles, There is newer technology that does not compromise muscle. That’s what I’m trying to figure out on why lat-flap is offered so often and before/without any mention of muscle sparing procedures.
0 -
Tangles, an MRI would show it.
0 -
Lula.
Did you have a lat flap surgery?? Do you have expertise to tell?
I’m very interested in your lat flap experience?
Thank you.
0 -
My PS wants to do the LD flap because they have to take my nipples and areolas. A client showed me her breasts 2 years post DMX. She only had implants put in and nipple and areola tattooing. They looked amazing! Why do they need to do the LD flap? I'm not understanding...
0 -
Callmehoney, make sure your PS is not like mine was - just wanting to increase his portfolio for this type of reconstruction. You only need a flap if you have skin/tissue damage from radiation that would make it impossible to fit an implant there.
I'm one of those who did not NEED LD flap. But got convinced by her PS that it's the best.
I had the nipples reconstructed from my own skin, in the "cylinder" method and the areolas tattooed. Looks great.
I'd try to find another plastic surgeon.
If you have no skin damage, the easiest breast reconstruction (besides the autologous fat transplant) is the one-step direct implant with Alloderm sling (internal bra)
0 -
Hi Ossa,
I had bilat Lat Dorsi Flaps done in May 2016, two additional surgeries since, the last one a year ago....surgeon just making up a surgery to try and fix my complications. The worst pain I have ever endured. I am complete skin and bones back there, literally have no tissue, fat left and can't even lift skin. I guess some women have good results. However, I'm in unbearable pain everyday, I'm very thin...so I think that is some of it; i didn't really have fat, tissue to give and he took my entire LATS both sides. I'm scheduled for a 4th surgery, surgeon will be removing the lat flaps totally and will start trying to somehow reconstruct my breasts and my back, grafting, etc..
I can hardly lift my body off the bed in the morning, walk or do anything anymore..unbearable pain. I would give anything to reverse this surgery. If someone would have, could have told me about possible complications...which, now most surgeons will, I would NEVER have done this. I've been on pain medication since the day of my surgery. Unbearable.
0 -
Ossa I'm so sorry to hear about your pain. I had both Lats and removed also. I am in pain everyday of my life. I've seen several plastic surgeons for opinions, but I am afraid to even try anything at this point surgically wise. I do go to a pain clinic and get trigger point injections they do very little. I think you come to a point where you just learn that this is the new normal. Sometimes it can get very depressing. I'm sure everyone around me gets tired of hearing me complain about being in pain. Especially my husband. I hope you can find an answer to yours it has been two and a half years for me and I do not think there will ever be an answer
0 -
I had eight to nine hour surgery. Lattis Dorsi Recon. A few hours after surgery my body started shaking and this feeling grew. All I wanted to do was surrender to it but I was afraid of it. I asked my boyfriend who was there supporting me to sit on my legs to contain them. The nurse didnt understand what I was trying to do and with my morphene head and the nurses poor english, everyone just thought I was crazy. It is probably a simple flight or fight thing but we need to keep talking about it so nurses and patients are aware it is more common than not.
0 -
It's not a fight or flight response. They are neuroexcitatory symptoms that may happen after prolonged anesthesia, and most of the time when propofol was used, but not necessarily. The degree of severity of the muscular spasms varies from person to person and it's not predictable who will have them and who won't, or if they will have any. They don't really know what it is happening, the same as they don't know why some people simply go into shock and die when under anesthesia
It is a known phenomenon. The "shaking" can go from hypertonicity to myoclonic-type (like in a seizure) with or without loss of consciousness. People can get out of it, or can become disabled for life.
I had that, I had severe myoclonic spasms, I was perfectly conscious and terrified I will rip open my incisions, but couldn't stop. They had to stuff me with muscle relaxers and finally the spasms stopped, but it was very touch and go there for a minute. I always wondered if that had anything to do with all the issues I had later.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9181/58d7b2843f583c166a6be24c29b044133568.pdf
0 -
Joanne, she doesn't mean "take more from the back", she means removing the LD completely. By what she said she had, like me total LD prelevated. Sometimes when things are really bad they go in and completely remove the muscle from the place where they moved it (on the breast), I completely sympathize, I'd give years of my life and both these fake boobs to not have had this horrible surgery
0 -
I am now 5 weeks out from my Latissimus flap surgery, even though the surgery was hard I am beyond happy with the result It is 100% better than it was and best of all the pain from all the scar tissue is gone, My PS took away a lot of scartissue . He was very pleased with the outcome as well as he was a bit worried due to the radiation damage. over all I am very happy with the result
0 -
Hi Warrior Woman! I searched Copit and saw your post. I am scheduled for a consult wiht him on September 6th, 2018. Do you have any suggestions on what I should ask? I'm built very similar to you and wonder if the Latimus flap would be more appropriate than the DIEP. ? Is there anything I can do now to better prepare? I was wondering how you had a penn surgeon and a jefferson PS, were both surhgeries done at the same time? Anything you woudl do difrenlty that I shoudl be aware of?
0 -
Hi
I've been on this site since my first diagnosisof DCIS in 2014 which resulted in a lumpectomy and radiation. I have since had a reoccurrence in 2016 of DCIS and invasive ca in the same breast. I've had a mastectomy followed by chemo and more radiation. I am currently done treatment and trying to figure out reconstruction. Unfortunately I'm limited in access as I live in a small community in Newfoundland. I have seen 2 Surgerons in St. John's (about 8 hour drive away from me, but the only centre with plastics on the island).
Both are offering the Lat Dorsi flap as my option and I am having a difficult time deciding between them. Does anyone have experience with this surgery done by St. John's Surgerons
I love to hear from you. Thanks
0 -
Has anyone had a deep tissue massage after lat flap? I had a Deep Tissue recently (5 yrs post lat flap) for other reasons and having a lot of trouble with one arm, and where the lat would be, pain in right side. Thoughts?
0 -
3465CGSZ
I have a massage scheduled in a few weeks and I am almost 2 yrs out. I wonder if my masseuse should even massage that area?
0 -
I've had numerous massages, this was pretty deep tissue upper body intended to relax my neck before an upcoming procedure. I explained to MT about my reconstruction in advance. I'll not have those areas anything other than a light massage going forward. Just concerned if any permanent issues since I'm 3+ weeks post massage. Good luck!
0 -
2nd-timer, - I can't imagine having my PS so far from home unless you can stay in that area for a while after the procedure or have close to home drs who could be your go-between! I had to return to the PS numerous times the weeks after the surgery for follow up visits. I wish you luck with your decision and your procedure!
El Tigre, - I was offered a massage gift cert and I am unsure if I should use it. I've never had a massage, and I dont know how my back and side would respond. Let's see if others can share their experiences!
0 -
I've had (and still have to have periodically) massages to break scar tissue. Because my idiotic PS didn't want to drain the huge seromas on my back, the bottom 2/3 of my back is scar tissue. It starts getting tighter and tighter over time until I feel like I'm in a corset that's too tight and I can't breathe right. Then I have to go for scar breaking massage. Rinse and repeat about every 4 to 6 months.
0 -
I get massages all the time I am 4 years out and I always tell my massage therapist you can use the deepest tissue amount of pressure on my back because most of it's numb and I can hardly feel anything. Of course if she gets around the side under my arm it would hurt but the back it wouldn't matter how hard she would massage it it would never hurt
0 -
Thanks for your responses re massage!
0 -
Jo a massage doesn't really bother me but I do have a lot of back pain. I haven't been without pain in my back since my surgery I will probably have pain in my back everyday for the rest of my life. It's almost like those muscles being gone, I just can't support myself anymore. Even sitting up on a doctor's table waiting for a doctor to come in my back is killing me because I don't have anything to lean against I'm almost better if I just stand up. I have a ton of pain in my scapula area where he slid my latissimus muscle under my arm because my long thoracic nerve was severed in the process. My pain will be with me for life but I massage never bothers me
0 -
I have my massage on Oct 26th. I'm a year out and I still have numbness and some pain from lymphedema under my armpit and left breast. I started swimming laps and lifting 5lb weights once a week to start building my muscles back up. It is definitely different with the Lat flap surgery. Swimming range of motion is coming along but it is still a work in progress.
0 -
I had latissimus dorsi October 5th I still have one drain I'm in pain I cannot do anything
Of course my doc didn't tell me that
Last time I saw him he asked me if I'm happy with the result
But I didn't see any result I just have pain a lot of scars + a new huge scar in my back
( I had bilateral mastectomy July 2017
Than TE for both side + infection kn the right side I remove my TE
On Oct 5 th TE : Right side
New TE + lat dorsi : left side
0 -
If you don mind me asking, why did you go for LD? I don't see radiation in your signature, were you too thin for the other procedures?
I'm asking because myself I was misled by my PS to have this type of recon when I didn't need it and could have had one of the simpler ones but he needed to increase his portfolio. I was also told "you'll be fine, you just won't be able to do performance tennis or rowing"
0 -
I had radiation and my skin was very thin
0 -
Gigilala, - I have a similar reconstruction history. It's not easy, but it does get better. Once the drain is removed you'll start feeling better. One step at a time! Some of us had PT after the lat to improve range of motion. Hang in there!
0
