Reconstruction implant vs own tissue? Can anyone share their experiences please?

Hiya, I havnt had reconstruction yet but it is likely to be 2nd week in April .I am due to have DIEP reconstruction using tissue from tummy ,so will be really interested to see the replies from people that have gone through it .I met with the plastic surgeon and breast reconstruction nurse 2 weeks ago and found it very reassuring to hear about what will happen .I have a CT scan Tuesday as they want to check placement of blood vessels for reattaching them .Its all getting very busy now with planning for the op as well as still having the last 2 chemo appointments going ahead .No7 of 8 treatments is next Thursday 

 Caff1 thank you for your reply. I hope that your treatment is going well and I'm so glad to read that you were reassured by the meeting. It sounds like a busy time for you.

Did they give you a choice of which area to take the tissue from or did the plastic surgeon make that decision? I've been reading into all off the options.

I'm currently 2 rounds into 6 with my chemo and will be having an MRI after the 3rd round as they think I might only need 4 rounds before the operation now. However I'm surgeon did say I could have anything up to 8. We will  know more in March after the MRI.

I met with the breast surgeon last week and am currently waiting for an appointment to meet with the plastic surgeon to discuss the tissue option.

Wishing you all the best with the rest of chemo, operation and recovery. 

Hiya ,they just spoke about taking skin and tissue from tummy ,but then I do have plenty for them to take lol! They are treating mine as inflammatory breast cancer so need to remove skin at mastectomy and use skin from stomach to recreate breast .The plastic surgeon said it is a long cut across stomach but will be low down ,and be less noticeable with time .Wishing you all the best too with your treatment xx 

Hi,

I’m 43 and went for immediate reconstruction with implant. I saw different surgeons to find out about DIEP and implant and in the end opted for implant. My reasons for this was it seemed less invasive, I didn’t have to open up and damage an area I had no issue with and I didn’t want to risk any complications, possibly life long, after with my legs or weakness etc. Also, I like my stomach and didn’t want to end up with two scarred areas on my top half I hated…it was the best option for me. Others hate their stomach and have had DIEP and feel like they had a tummy tuck and prefer it after :-) ..so this was just personal to me as I know many have had DIEP and barely any issues and love the result.

For me, I’m so happy I went with implant so far..I’m only 6 weeks post surgery so who knows how I will feel further on.
I had skin-sparing mastectomy with removal of nipple so my scar goes horizontally across the front. I had ADM to help it look more natural, and I have to say, I was dreading the look after as I’ve seen so many look not great, but considering I have no breast tissue I’m so so pleased with my result. 
My surgeon did a great job for me. 
I have a lot of numbness under arm, and 3/4 of breast but I’m used to it now. I was scared it would feel awful but I’m ok with it. It doesn’t seem cold to me like some say, maybe due to the ADM, and I’ve been out and freezing in myself. Recovery is still ongoing but it was as I expected, Infact less pain than I thought. I was expecting horrific but I’d just say it was bad to manageable quickly…worst part was weird nerve sensations but they are settling a little and I can live with them. Drains were awful to begin with but I’ve managed to get no infections and so my exercises once removed after ten days. I have issues with arm movement still but saw physio to help and they have shown me more exercises and will keep an eye…it feels like I’m tugging the breast like something may burst when I do them but I’ve been assured it’s fine and it will loosen. I could go back to work and manage but I’ve another couple weeks off yet to do exercises and rest from work which is good.

I don’t know how it will feel in months or years but so far I’m soooo pleased I went with implant. They told me when it needs to be replaced I could always opt DIEP then as I still have that option…plus if I went implant and hated it I still had DIEP option there, whereas if I hated DIEP I can try implant after but still have the mess of my stomach. Plus maybe in a few years there may be other options. For now, with the ADM and implant and being lucky with my surgeon, I can say 6 weeks on it was the best decision for me and I’m happy….I can’t say in a year or more, just now. But there are pros and cons to both and different looks and experiences so you just have to consider what is best for you.

Good luck xx

Hello! I had right mastectomy with immediate reconstruction using a diep flap (my tummy fat) and uplifting and small reduction of the other side in order to match the size. I was size DD before but very floppy breasts with a lot of excessive skin. The aesthetic result is lovely in both breasts and although I am still wearing the post op bra, they are size D, so not a big reduction.

I agree that it is very personal but also depends on your anatomy etc, so your surgeons may recommend different options. For me, what weighed into my decision to go with my own tissue is that it would look more natural and change along with my body, which also gives me more of a sense of ''normal'', even though that means that it will go droopy with time. Also, less chances of rejection by my body. To be honest my surgeon was in favour of using my own tissue since no contraindications, but left the final decision to me. 

The first post op hours/ couple of days were difficult. I had and still have scars on 3 parts of my body, but my nursing team helped me to have the pain under control always. I spent the first 24 hours in ITU because the new boob needed to be monitored every hour and then another 2 days in a normal ward. Since day 2 I was able to get up and walk around and my drains were removed before I got discharged home. 

Once I got home, I needed a lot of help, definitely not independent and the main issue was the back pain because of the tightness in my tummy; apparently trying to loose my belly fat before my diagnosis was not very helpful, but I had no idea about what was coming....

I also had severe restriction of my affected side arm movement but with exercise and physiotherapy this is now back to normal. I developed cording, which is more frequent when you remove armpit lymph nodes. This is causing pain and mainly the restriction of the arm movement. But the frequent stretching and the massaging from they physiotherapist helped me getting steadily better. 

In the first few days, there were moments of despair because I felt incapacitated, but I focused on one day at a time and on my steady, albeit slow progress. 

6 weeks post op I am pain free, my arm is almost back to normal, the breast scars are nice and flat, my tummy one is a bit more raised but I have been massaging it as per my surgeons instructions and looks fairly ok and I love my new  tummy and breasts. 

I definitely think this was the right decision for me, but most of all I think it is very personal and there is no right or wrong choice, only the one that suits each one of us better. I also found that having an oncoplastic surgeon who is approachable, eager to go into details and available for questions/ concerns was invaluable!

Good luck with your surgery and your recovery!!

Ah I see, thank you.   I'm not sure if my skin would need replacing yet.  I'm guessing I'll know more after meeting with the plastic surgeon.  I think its amazing that we can have this option xx

 Miss Potters  thank you for your reply. I'm so pleased to know that you've had a positive experience with the Implant and that you're recovering well.   

This been really helpful to read, so thank you for sharing with me.  

Wishing you ongoing success with your recovery xxx 

 ChriBali  thank you so much for stating your experience with me, I really have found that helpful and reassuring.

I'm so glad that you're recovering well and 6 weeks along you're feeling like the pain has now gone. It sounds like you're doing amazingly. 

I feel like I'm swaying towards using my own tissue.    Did the plastic surgeon make the decision about where the tissue would br taken from or did you have a choice?   

xxx 

Thank you dear Dolly_DD…

Where the surgeon took the fat from for me was purely their decision as it looked that in terms of quantity and quality there was only one good option and just another one, less optimum. But even all these provisionally and if they faced any difficulties during surgery they may even had to use implants. 
wishing you all the best!!

You’re welcome…I think both options can be perfect for different people…maybe I’ll opt for my own tissue come the future, who knows. But you do what you think is right for you…it is always scary as you don’t know until you’ve done it how you will feel! Good luck with whichever you choose and with the future xxx