TE/Implant OVER pectoral Can exercise, comfortable &NO RIPPLES!
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Thanks, macb. For some reason I thought the RO had to prescribe that. Good to know! I'll talk to my PS about it when I go for my pre-op appointment on Thursday this week. If he won't do it then I'll call my naturopath. Anything that might help the toughness and the persistent redness would be helpful, even at this late stage. Thanks for the good wishes. I can't wait to have this behind me!
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Raven, all my best wishes to you for a wonderful outcome.
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Thanks, macb. That's very kind of you. Will post after my surgery once I get my head wrapped around the outcome, whatever it may be!
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raven4mi, I don't post here much, but I read a lot of your posts and certainly wish you the best with your exchange! You deserve a great outcome
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Hi! I'm not sure if this is where I should post but it came up when I searched "pre-pectoral" (?) for tissue expanders.
I had bilateral mastectomies August 8th and my surgeon placed pre-pectoral tissue expanders to prepare for DIEP reconstruction in Oct/early Nov. I don't have an active cancer diagnosis but was diagnosed with extensive grade 3 DCIS in 2015 and went through lumpectomy and radiation (left side, whole breast.) When my BRCA1 variant was reclassified this past Feb to "Sufficient evidence for dosage pathogenicity" and my surgeon also felt a lump on my right side, everything kind of kicked into high gear and here I am.My surgeon is new to our hospital. He came from the Cleveland Clinic and is starting the new microsurgery unit at the hospital where I'll be having surgery (there's only one other surgeon in the Cincinnati area doing DIEPs.) Surgeon's name is Dr. Neil Kundu and he works for Mercy Health, based at Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati. He said I'm his first pre-pectoral expander patient and so far, so good. I turned 45 last week, age 42 at original diagnosis (age 36 at first mammogram which showed pleomorphic calcifications.) I recovered well from lumpectomy and had some darker discoloration during radiation but overall nothing terrible. So far with the expanders I've had discomfort but no real pain.
I believe the fill at the time of my mastectomies was 50cc. Three weeks later I had my first fill at 100cc to each side and last week I had a second fill that was 200cc to each side. Dr. Kundu said he's planning to fill me to 700-750 cc though since I'm having a DIEP reconstruction there's no set size he's matching like he would be if we were using implants. I'm hoping to be a full B cup or small C. He says surgery will be in October though they're still waiting on some equipment so that will be the determaning factor.
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Hi AlteredArtGirl72, thanks for giving me your PS's name for the list. I just added him. It is good to know, that despite rads you are doing well enough to reconstruct the Prepectoral way. Hope you continue to expand without problems. Keep us updated, and Good Luck.
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Thank you, cyclegal, for the well wishes. Much appreciated!
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Raven, best wishes for a good outcome w/your upcoming exchange, with zero complications! I hope you get your hands on the Pentoxifylline/VitE and it benefits you as well. Keep us posted
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macb04 You're welcome! My husband and I really like him so going to fill appointments isn't as bad as it could be
I'm the first prepectoral he's done and he seems really pleased with how it's going (which is a relief for me to see!) 0 -
Shoregirl, thank you so much for the kind words. I appreciate it!
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Thank you for this post macb04. I just found out I am going to have to have reconstruction surgery number 3. I also am having pain along my sternum with shooting pain out my side and back. I made the decision to look in to the plastic surgeons you mention. I think the pain is from sub-implant. I never have been given any choice in the direction of my surgery. I also have been reduced from a d cup to a b cup. All I asked was to look as much the same as I did prior to mastechtomy. Now I have one high hard frankenboob and onesmall sagging b boob. I never even knew there was another way.
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Raven, I want to echo Shoregirl and cyclegal, and wish you the very best with your upcoming exchange surgery; praying for zero complications.
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Thanks, Sitti. Had my pre-op appointment with PS today and had a moment of panic when he took one look at my still red breast and said "Hmmm......I don't like how that looks." Thought for sure he was going to try to bail on me but he didn't. After having to go over the consent forms and see all the "rare but possible" complications again now I'm completely nervous. Fingers crossed!
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Hi Gocancergone, I am sorry you are suffering with your implant, but hopeful you will suceed with a Prepectoral Implant Reconstruction, get alot more symmetry. I wish that they made this option a top choice for implant reconstruction versus Subpectoral, but I suppose it is a newer technique, and thus has much less PS's who are experienced or willing to learn to do it that way. I bet if you asked women who have had both Prepectoral and Subpectoral TE/Implants which they prefer, I would bet the overwhelming majority would prefer Prepectoral just for comfort and function, let alone esthetics. I really believe it is the wave of the future, that's why I started this thread so women could know the Prepectoral option exists, and not get talked into letting their Pectoral muscle get cut up, with all the attendant of fuction and strength. Not to mention that pesky animation deformity
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Fingers totally crossed Raven!
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good luck raven !!#
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Raven - you have been dealing with these set backs way too long! I wish you smooth sailing through this next surgery and a speedy and uneventful recovery!
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final stretch Raven! Hope all goes well and the results are good/no more complications! xo
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Raven, I know I'm new but have been reading the older pages of this thread – it's so hard to have something constantly in the back of your mind, especially when it's something entirely out of your control. I'm really hoping the rest of your pre-surgical process, the surgery, and your recovery are as uneventful and low-key as possible for you!
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Wow, thanks AlteredArtgirl72, Andraxo, grandma3X, 2FUN and macb (again!) for the well wishes. You sure know how to make a girl feel good.
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I think you are right macb. The nurse of the plastic surgeon I was seeing at Sloan said that this is the future of breast reconstruction, but they just aren't ready to do it there yet. That's why I left Sloan to see Dr. Salzberg.
Good luck Raven
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Thank you, rokel!
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good luck, Raven!
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Wishing you the best possible outcome, Raven. Good luck..
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Thank you, littleblueflowers and klgnyc!
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Raven &/or Macb04,
I have a question regarding the vitamin C - I was wondering if you take the vitamin C up to the day before surgery? I had read about it in some of the threads before BMX and took it (just in the form of EmergenC) but now I can't remember how long before surgery you can take. I know both of you are well informed on it. I'm thinking it's okay to take all the way up to day before but just thought I'd see if either of you could advise?
Thanks!
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Hi Sitti,
Having extra Vitamin C, 1,000mg to 3,000mg per day for at least a week before surgery and for at least 2 weeks afterwards. That is what Dr Andrew Weil says. I tend to think it is possible to have even higher amounts of Vitamin C safely. I did that on a number of occasions, what is called "Titrating to bowel tolerance " Basically it means to take a Vitamin C tablet, (chewable type are some of the easiest) once an hour throughout the day. When your body is finally starting to have more Vitamin C than you need, then you will begin to experience loose stools. Then you stop taking Vitamin C, count up how many tablets you have had over the course of the day, and the next day take one or two less tablets of Vitamin C for that day. Repeat that for several days, but as you heal and your health improves you will get to the point of loose stools sooner and sooner (needing less and less pills every day in a gradual taper downward) It is quite safe to do it this way, if you have normal kidney and bowel function. The worst that happens is that you can get diarrhea. It is a great way to tell exactly how much Vitamin C your body needs. Sufficient Vitamin C is crucial to wound healing, helps with making strong collagen. When you hear stories of surgical wounds that dehise it is a high probability that there is a Vitamin C deficiency leading to inadequate collagen production.
Hope this helps
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I posted early on, before my BMX and TE placement, and here I am again! I've been following the posts and read about half of the history to learn as much as I can about this process; the info has helped so much. I have AirXpanders and have been pumping them up about 10cc a day (once I did 20cc). My PS recommended I aim for at least 50cc a week to keep on pace with what would happen if I had saline expanders. I heard on Friday that she might allow me to exchange a couple of weeks early because a surgery slot opened up - otherwise I would have to wait until about the 4 month mark because her schedule is so full.
Do all expanders feel like rocks sitting on your chest, or is it more so with pre-pec? They aren't painful - just feel strange. Exchange can't come fast enough!
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cyclegal, I had a saline TE, which just felt heavy. I had heard the Airxpander was much lighter. TE's are just such a sturdy piece of adjustable "equipment ", that they can just feel hard and uncomfortable. Implants are much, much better. Good luck, and let us know your upcoming surgery date.
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Macb04, Thank you so much for the vitamin C information! That helps so much!
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