Expander implant leaked

Oh no, I am having this done on the 15th Jan!!!

Unfortunately more surgery is likely. Had you got to the desired size before this? 

Yes I’d just got to the desired size on my last fill up the week before Christmas. Because I’m in the middle of chemo the surgeon was going to replace it with a normal implant around March, after chemo and before radiotherapy. 

The hospital managed to get hold of the surgeon and I have to see her 2nd January. I think it’ll have to be replaced sooner now. 

I doubt they'd operate during chemo.  They may try to reinflate the implant and see what happens.  They could put something that would seal the implant and then refill it? (I'm just guessing). 

Hopefully I'm wrong and they'll quickly pop a permanent implant in next week. The op is a lot easier than the initial mastectomy.

Thanks Helen. That was my thought as well. Maybe they can fill it up weekly until later. Hopefully I’ll know more Tuesday. Anyway it’s NYE tomorrow and I’m not in pain so I’ll be out. Happy New Year to you xx

Catep

i had my expander put in early august and like you had reached the desired size when the expander started deflating and felt like a hot water bottlewith all the fluid sloshing about. This was about October time. I am having a permenant implant put in mid Jan. During this time my skin has stayed expanded, although it has been quite uncomfortable.

i hope you get it sorted soon

Jilly xx

Thanks Jilly. Did they refill it or leave it as it was? I’m guessing I’m half the size I was, about 200ml gone. 

UPDATE: I will need another operation to remove the faulty expander after chemo with a different one where the valve is fitted between the ribs so I can have radiotherapy. The surgeon increased it by another 100mls but it was gone again in 48 hours. 

You don’t expect expander’s to leak, especially when you’re already going through so much. 

How annoying. I was given a bar code for mine so it can be tracked, did you have one? 

Hi

No I didn’t get any information.