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Recovery Time for Expander Placement

I am scheduled to have tissue expanders placed on July 18th. I had my double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction back on Jan. 4th, but the expanders had to be removed due to non-healing mastectomy wounds.

My question - if you have ONLY had the expanders placed at a later date - what kind of recovery time did you have? I cannot find an answer for this. Even my PS didn't give me an actual answer. (Frustrating, but another subject!)

Comments

  • momgoose
    momgoose Member Posts: 71

    I guess I will answer my own question, in the hopes that it helps someone else.

    I would say that, with delayed reconstruction, the surgery to place the expanders is much easier than waking up from the mastectomy and reconstruction combo. I was feeling decent, with only taking Tylenol, about a week out and by two weeks, I was feeling pretty good. I've even had my first fills of 120ccs on each side (the surgeon couldn't fill the expanders at all during surgery) and at nearly three weeks out, I am doing well.

    Hopefully someone else will feel a little more confident about tissue expander placement surgery (apart from the mastectomy) and not be as worried as I was.

    Christina

  • cookie54
    cookie54 Member Posts: 815

    @momgoose Glad your TE replacement went well and your fills will go smoothly. Wishing you all the best.