Revision/Corrective Reconstruction Surgery - What's Your Experience?
Please share in this thread your experiences with revision or corrective reconstruction surgery.
Our webinar video:
For more information about this type of surgery:
We'd love to hear your experiences, so please share here!
Comments
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I call this a cautionary tale:
I had a breast lift and reduction in the beginning of September. Since my cancer treatment in 2007 (radiation), I have become increasingly unhappy that my irradiated breast had shrunk and that I was now somewhat lopsided. A friend shared that there is a federal law (started in PA, actually) that allows breast cancer survivors to have FREE breast surgery at any time.
Apparently radiation is the gift that keeps on giving. Radiation is known to damage blood vessels; I did not heal well on the irradiated breast, and was in a fair amount of pain. Suffice it to say that part of my breast was necrotic. I was initially treated at the Wound Care Center at Bryn Mawr Hospital, and was using medical manuka honey and silver-infused pads to stimulate blood flow, and was told I would likely begin daily hyperbaric treatments—which I eventually didn’t do.
I had the wound debrided under anesthesia in the hospital in mid-October. Doctor cleared all dead tissue. I wasn’t in terrible pain but had a consistent ache. When I finally worked up my nerve to change the dressing, it looked like a shark took a big bite of me. I was a little—a lot—shocked. I couldn’t look at it, and had home care nurses in daily to change the dressings.
It was recommended to use a wound vac, and it was hooked up towards the end of October, with the expectation that I would likely need to keep it for a month. Wound vacs are seen as game changers in the treatment of hard to heal wounds. I had a long tube running from a hermetically sealed sponge in the wound going into a pack with a container which needed to be cleaned and emptied every two days by a home health nurse. Not great, but no pain anymore. At this point, I let work know that I would not be able to work until around Thanksgiving.
The wound vac did not work for me: I developed every bacteria known to humankind, and was on a constant cycle of antibiotics, some of which caused me to vomit daily. I wasn’t sleeping, completely lost my appetite, had no energy, so I finally decided to tell my surgeon that enough was enough. I needed my life back. He agreed, and scheduled me for surgery in three days, on November 17. He removed all the unhealthy tissue and closed me up, putting in two drains, which thankfully were removed on before Thanksgiving .
So, here I am: I started this whole thing because my breasts were uneven, and now they are even more so! I basically have a breast and a quarter. But I am happy with the size of the left one (I’m calling it my leftover!). I lost a lot of weight over these weeks, which I am not really complaining about, but look forward to feeling myself again—and able to hold my grandson!
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Oh @moonchild61, what an ordeal! We're so sorry you had to endure all of that, but we're happy to hear you're healing and on the way to feeling like yourself again.
The Mods
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So, I had beautiful, perfect breasts, even after my only pregnancy.
2003 my right breast had a lumpectomy. The symmetry wasn't too bad and I got away with it for some time.
2010 My left breast had a lumpectomy because of Atypical Hyperplasia. Still, nothing that made me go running to buy the appropriate bras.
2012 I had a complete hysterectomy, ovaries all all. What a mistake on my side!!!! For the 1st time in my life I started to have weight issues, and so did my breasts!
2025 my left breast was a cantaloupe look-alike and my right a grapefruit! One was down, one was upper! Just look at the eyes on my profile chicken and you will get the picture!
On July 29, 2025, the only thing I asked my plastic surgeon was to make them as symmetrical as possible during the immediate DIEP flap reconstruction.
I was still very sedated, after my eight hour surgery, but found the strength to open my very heavy eyes and see how "they" looked!!!! I was horrified, and voiced to my husband and mother an loud NOPE! You guessed it, even though I was very swollen… I knew the sizes would not eventually match!
Fast forward to June 16, 2026, I had my double mastectomy revision. They are finally almost "symmetrical". Obviously, I still have some more healing to go thru but I think these are it.
With that said, I am starting to look at bras, (have seen a bunch of brands), but I need something that will not "cut" into the very bottom of both breasts, since I don't have almost no over hanging, if that makes any sense. I have upper diastasis recti, since I put weight on and that makes the elastic band come up onto the bottom of my "new" breasts area.
Can anyone in a similar situation as mine recommend a good bra that will address my concerns? Even though I no longer have nipples, I don't feel comfortable going out without a bra.
Thanks.
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