TE/Implant OVER pectoral Can exercise, comfortable &NO RIPPLES!
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thanks for the info raven! I don't remember this itchiness from my exchange surgery when I had some fat grafting done. But I believe I didn't have as much sensation at that time as I do now.
Interestingly I can actually lightly scratch/ru the area where it itches and it does feel good!
Tmi - my worst moments are sitting down on the toilet!! Being up and about feels much better.
I do believe the compression from the girdle is helping but it has these little hook and eye things and one of them on each side sits on my hip bone. Ouch! I'm looking forward to spanx time after my 1 week follow up.
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Hi calcat, I had the TE under my pectoral. The PS I had at the time, took it out,no problem. Then I did a few sessions of fat grafting over the span of a year When I got a new PS I got him to put the TE over my pectoral, and later to switch it out to an implant.
While I didn't have enough fat survive to completely build my breast back, I did have enough to cushion and completely cover my implant. I think the grafted fat also helped with healing my pectoral muscle.The PS who took out the under muscle TE said he didn't sew it down. He just took out the TE and let my pectoral heal on its own.
I have almost normal strength in my pectoral. I can do pushups, I use my rowing machine without any difficulty whatsoever. I don't know if it is because I did things in stages, but I converted from horrible, horrible tight under pectoral to infinitely better over pectoral without any issues for my pectoral. No animation defect and am pretty strong again. Totally worth it.!!!
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Had a post-FG follow-up appointment with my PS today and - great news! - he said the fat grafting "took" and that everything looks great. Even better, he says that when we retry on the TE again there's no reason we can't do pre-pectoral now, which is why I went through this shit storm in the first place. It makes all the post-FG pain worth it in the long run. He wants to let all those yummy fat stem cells do their thing for a few more months, so I'll go back in February for another check then will schedule TE replacement for March or April - so nearly a full year after my original bmx and subsequent infection.
I really have to give a great big thanks to macb04 for not only starting this thread but for the invaluable advice on things I could do to improve my chances for going pre-pectoral again and on being proactive in order to get the results I wanted.
While I am still cautiously optimistic, that appointment put me a little bit more in the Christmas spirit.
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Just Lovely Raven4mi! ! ! May you continue to have good outcomes to reward your perseverance.
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Hi All! Hope everyone had wonderful holidays!
I'm a few days back from Israel and Jordan - was so happy to get clearance from my surgeon to go. The infection was finally starting to clear 3 days before the flight. My nerve injury is also much better and I am weaning off of the nerve pain meds. So thankful! I was incredibly worried about the nerve pain and that I was going to have it for the rest of my life. I would have traded 6 more rounds of chemo to get rid of that pain, and that is saying a lot. I am ecstatic that it is resolving!
Littleblueflowers - I also worry about symmastia. The right TE seems a little more toward center now that I am almost 7 weeks after they were put in and the swelling is down. In general, I think my TEs are too wide and we chose implants that have too wide of a footprint. I don't want cleavage or close together boobs, or side boob. I am going to ask about it at my first fill which will be either Jan 5th or 9th. Maybe we can choose a smaller footprint, but maybe it is too late if they made the pocket bigger already. The TEs also seem really flat now - I think that happened when I went to the Dead Sea - which is so far below sea level - because mine have air in them and they never puffed back up when we gained elevation again. It's like the shampoo bottle in your checked baggage when you change elevation or fly! I also have a little seroma on the left and I can move around a wave of fluid on top of the TE on the R more so than L. My surgeon is aware of it and said he may have to do something about it later.
- xo
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Happy Holidays!
Has anyone experienced extreme shoulder pain down the outside of the shoulder area, especially when I go to reach for something to my side? Any advice? I'm doing ROM exercises but it sometimes hurts around the area of my sternum.
My next surgery is scheduled Feb 27 for permanent implant. I was going to leave the left side 'as is', however, I'm worried that as I age it will continue to droop while the right side remains perky like a 25 year old. I'm going to talk to my PS for his advice on long-term appearance.
Merry Merry!
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Thanks. I will take a look. I have family in Michigan so I guess I could look into that possibility also. You would think that someone would have a lot of experience with this in Southern California.
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Hi! I want to post a message thanking you for starting this topic. I recently (3 weeks ago) had a pre-pectoral TE placed after a uni mastectomy on my right side in large part because of the information I read here and online about the benefits of this type of reconstruction. Six years ago I had a mastectomy on my left side and had immediate DIEP recon which ended up being good but was a huge surgery with a long recovery, so I was not interested in doing it again. If pre-pectoral had not been an option, I would have seriously considered no recon as I'm very active and don't want anything interfering with my lifestyle. I'm still in the initial stages of recovery but would like to let people know how it's going and provide information to help others. Thanks again to all the women that have posted here!
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Love2Hike-
Thank you so much for chiming in! We're glad that these forums were helpful to you, and we hope your recovery is much easier this time around!
The Mods
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Thanks to this board....
I am having BMX this coming Wed (Jan. 4) w/ pre-pectoral tissue expanders in Nyack Hospital in Rockland County NY with Dr. Lawrence Glassman, head of plastic surgery. His office is in Pomona NY. He said he can do it if my tissue flaps have good enough circulation. He won't know that until they open me up so we'll see.
I also read an article that Dr. Tzvi Small does pre-pectoral implants at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood NJ. His office is in Paramus NJ. He's mentioned in the first link I posted below.
I'll let you know how it all works out...
Here are some articles I found on this methodology which I forwarded to my PS:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160302182438.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494482/
http://www.nesps.org/meeting/abstracts/2016/57.cgi
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4727683/
Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a healthy 2017!!!
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I'm new to this board and am 3 1/2 weeks post surgery (TE placed pre-pectoral after uni mastectomy). How long did you take before you resumed normal activities? And how much time did you take off from work? I'm a preschool teacher and am trying to decide when to get back in the classroom without disrupting my healing/recovery which seems to be going well so far. I'm just curious how other women have felt afterward and when you felt comfortable doing more strenuous activities. I've been cleared to start gradually using my right arm, but the doctor has not given clear guidelines on when to return to work. Thank you!
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Hi Love2Hike. It's nice to hear you are doing well so far in your recovery. It sounds very much like mine four months ago. My TE was pre-pectoral as well, and I think that made a huge difference in recovery. I work in the office of an elementary school so have to be fairly active. I returned to work after 2 1/2 weeks and had no problem with it. Originally I had asked to make sure someone could be with me at all times in case I needed to reach something off a high shelf (I'm in the office by myself a lot), but it never really became an issue. I'm also a runner, and my PS has recommended that I not run until I heal from my TE/implant swap (which was on Dec. 21). It's not that I felt I couldn't run, but my PS said to make sure not to do anything that will move the TE or implant before my body fully heals around it. I sure don't want my body healing around it in the wrong location! Anyway, all in all I felt I had a very easy recovery and was able to get back to "normal" fairly quickly. Hopefully your recovery will continue to go well. Wishing you all the best in the new year!
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Thanks for the response KentRunner! I'm glad to hear your healing has been going well. Did you have a big difference in restrictions from the initial surgery (my doctor did not want me using my arm at all for over 2 weeks) from the later implant surgery? How much time did you need off for the 2nd one. I've read the 2nd surgery is easier and quicker to recover from. It sounds like you are recovering very well from the TE/implant swap! And you were able to return to work from the 1st surgery after 2 1/2 weeks? That's great!
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Good luck on your upcoming surgery PugsMama! I hope all goes well!
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Love2Hike, I have to admit that I had zero pain after my TE/implant swap! My surgery was at 3pm and I was home by 6pm. I took some Tylenol at 9pm that night, and that was the last pain med of any kind that I needed. I figure I was already numb at the incision site, so maybe that helped. My range of motion was not impacted with the swap. I had to ask my PS if I had any restrictions because my body wasn't giving me any physical restrictions (pain). I could move my arm without any discomfort right away. My PS said I really didn't have too many restrictions. He said take it easy and don't overdo it, but if I needed to reach up to get something, that was fine. He still doesn't want me to run though. That's been the toughest part. I scheduled my surgery to be at the start of our school's Christmas break, so that gave me two weeks of vacation to heal. I'm definitely ready to go back to work on Wednesday. By the way, my implant is awesome! It's so nice to get that hard TE out of there and get something that feels light and soft. My next surgery will be to have a lift on my right side, so I'm thinking there will be more pain with that just because that side isn't numb. Most likely will schedule that one for March when we have spring break. I'll let you know how it goes!
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Love2Hike: thx for the positive thoughts! Hopefully I'll come out of surgery Wed afternoon with pre-pectoral TEs! I'll let you know how it turns out...
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Love2Hike - I only have TEs in, and my exchange for implants will be in late February. My first fill is this week Thursday and it might be my only one. For TE placement surgery I was told no lifting my arm above 90 degrees, no lifting weights, and no running for 2 weeks. I ran 6 miles at 2 weeks post-op (actually I cheated and did it one day early). PS also said I'll have those same restrictions when I change to implants. I'm allowed to walk/hike as much as want though. My PS has learned that he has to be very specific with my restrictions - especially when 4 days after B mastectomy (Sept 2015) I hiked 8 miles at 10k elevation with drains in. I'll be asking about snowboarding restrictions when the exchange to implants occurs in February. I went back to work a week after TE placement (I'm a Physical Therapist who specializes in elbow/wrist/hand injuries and also treats women with breast cancer) but was doing mostly admin, not much patient care. After the exchange surgery I am going to plan to take off 2 weeks...while I have the activity restrictions in place. Then I'm taking an extra week of vacation so I can hopefully catch up on physical activity. Hope you get back to doing everything you love!
PugsMama - Hope all goes well tomorrow and you get pre-pec TEs!!
- xo
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Hi Pugsmama, how are you doing post surgery? Hope you are doing well.
Everyone, always remember about increasing your Vitamin C intake after surgery. Surgery directly decreases Vitamin C levels. Vitamin C is also crucial for the new collagen formation that is involved in healing. Also don't forget adequate amounts of good quality protein.
Also, KentRunner, would you like me to add your PS to my list?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24796079
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7038579
Altern Med Rev. 2003 Nov;8(4):359-77.
Nutritional support for wound healing.
Author information
Abstract
Healing of wounds, whether from accidental injury or surgical intervention, involves the activity of an intricate network of blood cells, tissue types, cytokines, and growth factors. This results in increased cellular activity, which causes an intensified metabolic demand for nutrients. Nutritional deficiencies can impede wound healing, and several nutritional factors required for wound repair may improve healing time and wound outcome. Vitamin A is required for epithelial and bone formation, cellular differentiation, and immune function. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen formation, proper immune function, and as a tissue antioxidant. Vitamin E is the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in the skin; however, the effect of vitamin E on surgical wounds is inconclusive. Bromelain reduces edema, bruising, pain, and healing time following trauma and surgical procedures. Glucosamine appears to be the rate-limiting substrate for hyaluronic acid production in the wound. Adequate dietary protein is absolutely essential for proper wound healing, and tissue levels of the amino acids arginine and glutamine may influence wound repair and immune function. The botanical medicines Centella asiatica and Aloe vera have been used for decades, both topically and internally, to enhance wound repair, and scientific studies are now beginning to validate efficacy and explore mechanisms of action for these botanicals. To promote wound healing in the shortest time possible, with minimal pain, discomfort, and scarring to the patient, it is important to explore nutritional and botanical influences on wound outcome.
- PMID:
- 14653765
- [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Free full text
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happy to report that my surgery went well & I came home today with pre-pectoral TEs! Only had to be in the hospital overnight. Stopped the pain pump in the middle of the night, a little sore but nothing that Tylenol can't handle. This surgical bra is way more uncomfortable than the TEs! My PS is thrilled with the result & even my TEs look pretty good. He believes this is the future of implant reconstruction. If it weren't for this topic board, I wouldn't have even known about this so THANK YOU! Best news of all...my nodes are clear!
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That's great news PugsMama! I hope you continue to heal well!
Andraxo, thank you for sharing how you did and the restrictions you were given. It sounds like you you have done very well! I envy how quickly you rebounded physically.......I'm doing pretty good but still have soreness and have been taking things slowly. Maybe I'm prolonging the lounging, movie watching, and reading a tad while it's still so cold here in Chicago :-)
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Ugh. You guys, dont get over confident with th e TEs. I hit a tree while skiing and blew my incision open. It set me back almost month waiting for it to heal. Those scars may not be as strong as they look!
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I'm sorry to hear that littleblueflowers :-( It must be very difficult to start over with healing after doing so well. I remember reading your posts earlier. I was just thinking of when I could ski later this year (maybe March timeframe depending on when I have the exchange) and if it would be possible. I appreciate your post and how it might be good for me to 'slow my roll' as my husband likes to say! Good luck to you and hope your recovery goes smoothly!
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Thanks! So far so good...and I am far more careful in the back country now. Extra padding in the sports bra for sure, and staying on open lines. Just dont yardsale and I bet you can ski lol.
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Oh, wow, I can totally imagine that. I worried when I went iceskating, or anything where I could fall badly.
I am very glad Pugsmama, and all of the rest of you women, that I was able to put a great alternative for reconstruction out into mainstream discussions of reconstruction. I believe we can be the best advocates for change
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Oh, wow, I can totally imagine that. I worried when I went iceskating, or anything where I could fall badly.
I am very glad Pugsmama, and all of the rest of you women, that I was able to put a great alternative for reconstruction out into mainstream discussions of reconstruction. I believe we can be the best advocates for change
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littleblueflowers, I love your avatar! Good advice!
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clinical trials starting for pre-pectoral implants
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Pre-pe...
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That's awesome, PugsMama. Thanks for posting! The movement continues.........off to share that site!
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Happy you did well PugsMama! And...hooray for clear nodes!!!
Yikes Littleblueflowers! So sorry about the incision blowout skiing. Hope you are healed up and moving forward!
I snowboarded this past Saturday and never thought twice about my TEs (the first fill was 2 days prior on Thursday - put in 100ml each.). I was only concerned with how my muscles felt (Last season I could barely snowboard because of muscle and edema problems from chemo and a bad reaction to an antibiotic that I think my muscles are still recovering from). It's bit strange having small boobs again....and ones that are so springy to the touch, like water balloons. I've been wearing a regular bra from my pre-mastectomy time for a couple of days now and it fits great...just the size I want be (small like I was before). Wish they didn't have to over stretch/fill with the TEs. Next Monday is the second/last fill and then I'll be bigger than I want for 6 weeks until the exchange, which is tentatively scheduled for Feb 24th. fingers crossed I don't have complications like the last surgery.
More snowboarding next weekend - yay!
- xo
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Andraxa, I call mine my "training bra teenage foobs"! It's encouraging to hear from you gals who are back out enjoying what you love to do! There's life after surgery after all! Every day I feel better & better but still recuperating...no pain whatsoever, though!
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