Repeat surgeries? Please share your experience -
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I'm a month out from my revision surgery, going from Mentor cohesive moderate-plus profile implants to wider, flatter Allergan low-plus profile implants. The Mentors were lopsided, probably because she used two different sized implants. Sure, it was a small difference, but I have small boobs and a 25cc difference between the two sides was >10% of volume! So no wonder they looked so lopsided! Anyway, this time around I got two of the same sized implant, but my skin has thinned from radiation on the cancer side so it is projecting a little less than the prophy side. There is a little bit of rippling at the outer corners when I move in certain ways, but the rippling is less than I had with my previous implants, which is surprising because these are responsive, not cohesive. It still looks better and MUCH more natural. The only thing I don't like is that the nipple on the cancer side sits higher than on the prophy side. My PS says its because the radiation has tightened the skin. Can anything be done about that? The implant itself does not seem to be any higher, just the nipple. I am thinking I will need some fat grafting to cover the rippling and contour the two sides to match at the very least. And I may have her put an alloderm sling on the bottom of the prophy side so I can go braless. The cancer side already has alloderm - she used it to try to thicken the skin.
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Grammie- I head the exchange surgery with fat grafting from base of ribs on back and upper stomach. The stomach wasn't too bad, sore yes like I went on a massive sit up kick. I can't tell any results from the fat harvesting sites yet and PS said all results won't truly be known till at least a month after surgery to allow the initial swelling to go down so not sure if I'll have to do it again.
Hapa- maybe talk to your PS about raising the nipple on the other side so they are at least even?? I do believe that is something that should be covered by insurance as it is related to breast cancer.
Best of luck ladies!! I hope everyone is doing good!!
~Katie💗
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Don't think my response posted, I apologize if this is a repeat.
Haven't been on this site for a while, but must begin by saluting EastCoastTS on her rescue of the spray-painted cat (March 2018 post)! I have a brother/sister pair rescued from a big feral colony after Superstorm Sandy hit our area, and I credit their good natures to a wonderful fostering experience.
I am due for a second revision this January.
I was ambivalent about reconstruction and had my surgery over three years out. My PS moved a muscle from my back to the affected breast partly for the living skin and added implant. Developed Capsular Contracture, had revision August 2018 with fat grafting and different implant. Have developed C.Contracture again so much so that the affected breast is noticeably higher than the other and rock-hard.
I have never been good at asking questions (or remembering answers to those I do ask lately), and I go for my pre-op in a few weeks. Don't even know if I am asking the right questions, so I am appealing to you all. What if this revision also fails? What are my options? I'm not crazy about surgery (is anyone?).
Amy
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Has anyone done implants exchange to fat graft only. No muscle, no implants, just fat? Due to blood clotting mutation I’m not a candidate for muscle option.
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It has been awhile! but thought I would tell you what happened. I changed PS with recommendation from my oncologist. PS was very nice, polite, confident that all would be well. His nurse said, "oh he can fix that!" when I disrobed. Long story shorter. asked for completely flat chest, and that is what I got the end of January 2018. Insurance paid for it all, and I look so much better. Have RX for foobs, but have not filled it, So happy with the freedom from pain and heaviness. My clothes look 100% better!!!! Everything healed quicker than first surgery, and I have a little rippling at contracture sight, and have a ridge I can feel with my fingers of scar tissue from contracture , but it does not really "show." I am very pleased with my decision, and no argument about it from PS. Shocked my family, but they were not the ones who were hurting and embassed by huge lopsided situation. All in all, good job.
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Diana67, I explained my 3rd set of implants last Nov 12 due to multiple complications....1st set kept flipping over backwards. 2nd and 3rd developed capsule contracture. I also developed severe dry eye, horrible ear pain and hip, back and foot pain. All of which DISSAPEARED after removing implants ENBLOC with the capsules intact. My body really reacted to those foreign bodies and I feel SO MUCH BETTER with them out! A small amount of fat was grafted at time of explant. I am going for 2nd round of fg Feb 25. Probably will take 4 rounds total, every 3 months. I didn't retain much 1st time. But subsequent rounds hope to retain more. If you are wanting to do this I can't stress enough the importance of your surgeon being skilled in enbloc removal even if it means finding a new PS.
Check out the Facebook groups Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole and Fat Transfer (no flap) to the Breast After Lumpectomy/mastectomy for a wealth of information and physicians skilled in these procedures.
Best of luck to you!! 🙏💜🥰
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shoregirl, I just saw this post! I am been way discouraged as I started to go DIEP round and ended up denied twice by insurance. I’ll try again, but it may be that they will only cover replacing the implants to prepec. I have the Inspira 470 So good to k ow you like the other brand and smaller implants. How about prepec? Much better?
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Bird, sorry for the late reply! I hope you are doing well. I never was sub pec, so can't compare. Only can say my original ps made a very strong case to me that prepec is so much better as far as recovery and pain as well as no animation deformity. That being said, I was never comfortable with any of the implants. They always felt foreign and hard. But even worse, each time I had a revision my health deteriorated mysteriously. Came to find out even the "gummy" cohesive silicone gel will slowly "bleed" through the outer shell into our scar capsules. (Google "silicone gel bleed"). When we undergo revisions, common practice is for the ps to slice into the capsule and pull out the implant. When that happens, any toxic substance that has bled through the implants into our capsules is then spilled into the chest cavity and absorbed into the bloodstream. This is why so many women start experiencing Breast Implant Illness. Some women may have implants for 20 years and never have an issue. But once they go for an exchange, BAM! Things start going south. Unexplained joint pain, fatigue, rashes, autoimmune diseases....the list goes on. Saline implants are not any exempt from problems. They are susceptible to mold, and they are encased in a silicone shell.
Please ladies, I am NOT telling anyone not to get implants as that is a personal choice. For many as I said they have no problems. For me it has been a nightmare of endless revisions (3 sets of implants within 20 months!) I am only sharing to warn of potential problems and to share a way to minimize the risk. IF you are having revisions of any kind, it is IMPERATIVE the implant scar capsule is not cut into. In other words, your surgeon must remove the implant with the capsule intact all at once, also known as "en bloc". Not many ps are trained in this and sadly, not many ps are believers in breast implant illness and are very dismissive. Breast implants are their bread & butter after all. Thankfully, there is a HUGE FB group called Breast Implant Illness and Healing by Nicole that currently has 117K members. When I joined back in Aug 2019 there were about 90K members so it is still steadily growing. Long story short, that FB group and the associated website is a huge resource for knowledge and support much like this site has been for us. If you join that group and start looking through the photos and reading the stories it will be very eye opening for you I promise.
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I had my 3rd round of fat grafting June 23 and I am truly amazed at how fabulous my "breasts" look!! The 1st 2 rounds I didn't retain as much as we had hoped so this time my ps used a smaller cannula and harvested fat from a different site. This time he went for my stubborn flanks and bra fat areas lol. It is early yet as final results won't be evident until 3 months out after all swelling subsides and any fat that is absorbed will have done so by then but I am very optimisitic. The breasts are warm and jiggly and have sensation. I pray I get better retention this time. Most women that get this type of reconstruction undergo 4 rounds.
If any are interested there is a FB group called Fat Transfer (No FLAP) to the Breast after Mastectomy / Lumpectomy. If you join, search posts by Amy Klein Richards & Christina Kay Underwood. Their photos were my inspiration
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