Mastectomy and breast reconstruction pros and cons?

Posted by kruzin @kruzin, Jul 8, 2018

Being treated for breast cancer, having a mastectomy and was wondering what people did for reconstruction?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

@mari

I was on anastrazole @ 3/4 of a year. Did anybody else get trigger fingers from anastrazole?

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I developed carpal tunnel in both hands and trigger thumbs after taking letrozole for only 4 months. My oncologist suggested a break, so I have been off it since early May. I used a system called the Carpal Solution to help with the Carpal tunnel. It is much better, but not completely resolved. My hands still go numb, but the thumbs have not improved. I'm going to try some kinesiology tape and I'm taking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water once a day and 50mg of Vitamin B6 (P-5-P) twice a day to see if it will resolve. All suggestions I found on the internet. I'm also doing lots of exercises and PT. It's very painful and keeps me from doing all the things I love to do.

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I had two mastectomies and "went flat," no prostheses. The only clothing challenge has been bathing suit! I had mixed ductal and lobular and my non-cancer breast felt funny. Turned out there was some atypical ductal hyperplasia and several cysts.

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@ssalget

I developed carpal tunnel in both hands and trigger thumbs after taking letrozole for only 4 months. My oncologist suggested a break, so I have been off it since early May. I used a system called the Carpal Solution to help with the Carpal tunnel. It is much better, but not completely resolved. My hands still go numb, but the thumbs have not improved. I'm going to try some kinesiology tape and I'm taking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water once a day and 50mg of Vitamin B6 (P-5-P) twice a day to see if it will resolve. All suggestions I found on the internet. I'm also doing lots of exercises and PT. It's very painful and keeps me from doing all the things I love to do.

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I got a trigger thumb from the Anastrozole. I bought an item called Oval 8. It cured my trigger thumb fairly quickly. I bought on Amazon but Look up Oval 8 on internet and their website will cover it all. Hope things keep improving. Hugs

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@sequoia

I got a trigger thumb from the Anastrozole. I bought an item called Oval 8. It cured my trigger thumb fairly quickly. I bought on Amazon but Look up Oval 8 on internet and their website will cover it all. Hope things keep improving. Hugs

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Thank you for your help. How did you determine the size for the thumb? I've been trying kinesiology tape.

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@chickie

Had reconstruction and revisions after mastectomy. My fat was used to make a new breast. I'm still facing another revision.
Had Anestrozole for a short time - go 3 trigger fingers and my hair thinned.

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Hi @chickie, I moved your message about reconstruction and revisions to this existing discussion called:
- Mastectomy and breast reconstruction pros and cons?
Here is your post https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/728492/

May I ask why you require multiple revisions?

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@colleenyoung

Hi @chickie, I moved your message about reconstruction and revisions to this existing discussion called:
- Mastectomy and breast reconstruction pros and cons?
Here is your post https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/728492/

May I ask why you require multiple revisions?

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Whole breast cut off. fat and deip flap taken from belly put into a BLOB that reached all the way to my back.
Really uncomfortable.
Still not in shape of a cone. its an annoying ugly BLOB. Looks strange under shirts, bathing suits etc.

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@ssalget

Thank you for your help. How did you determine the size for the thumb? I've been trying kinesiology tape.

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@ssalget here is the link to the measuring instructions for oval 8
https://site.ithacasports.com/prodimages/ProductImages/3PP/oval8_sizing_guide.pdf
or you can search "Oval 8 Measurement"
It's funny you mention Kinesiology tape. I just on Monday was introduced to Kinesiology tape from my chiropractor that applied it to my back that was having muscle spasms. Hope your thumb gets better. God Bless

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Hello, I had a double Mastectomy in September of 2020. I chose the reconstruction route because I feel more comfortable having breasts. Clothes just do not look good when you don’t have breasts. Tops always look baggy because there is nothing to fill out the chest part of a garment. I was originally going to have the implants. The plastic surgeon put the expanders in right after the mastectomy. They use the expanders as place keepers in case you need radiation. Radiation messes up any reconstruction. You generally need to keep the expanders in until you have finished radiation and have healed completely from radiation and surgery. About 4 to 6 months. I unfortunately I got an infection in my left breast and had to have the expanders taken out. I then had to wait another 4 to 6 months to get the expanders put back in. During that time that “flat” time I had the prosthetic breasts. I did not like them. I live in Arizona where it is quit hot during the summer, so the prostheses were hot and sweaty. During this waiting period I learned that there is about a 30% chance of getting an infection with any implant and an even higher chance of another infection if you have already had an infection. Plus the infection causes tissue damage which negatively affects the implants. Plus every year you have implant there is a cumulative chance of something going wrong with the implants. Implants do have shelf life of 20 years or so, Given that I was 63, I decided that I did not want to take a chance that I might have to have them taken out in my 80s. Anesthesia is much harder to recover from in your 80s. So I decided to go with the DIEP flap route, They basically take your belly fat/tissue and make them into breasts. (Silver lining : you are basically getting a tummy tuck.) This surgery knocks the stuffing out of you. It is about 10 to12 hours long. They have to tie the blood vessels in the flap to the blood vessels in your chest. They have you stay in the hospital about 3 - 5 days. The nice thing about this surgery is that you have your own tissue. Once it takes that is it. You don’t have to worry about future problems like you do with the implant. The one negative thing about the DIEP surgery is that the recovery period is little longer and it messes with your core strength, I had my DIEP flap surgery in November 2021. I had a great Surgon so my breasts look really great. I feel very good about my appearance. Cloths look so much better than when I was flat. I am doing some PT to get my core strength back. I am very happy with the DIEP option I took. Personally, I did not like the flat option. I feel very good about my body now.

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For me, I find I have more clothing options going flat versus pre-mastectomy. But I admit I often didn't wear a bra and my breasts had gone south 🙂

My breasts fed three kids and I don't have a partner. I don't miss my breasts at all and feel more freedom in clothing choices.

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@catann

Hello, I had a double Mastectomy in September of 2020. I chose the reconstruction route because I feel more comfortable having breasts. Clothes just do not look good when you don’t have breasts. Tops always look baggy because there is nothing to fill out the chest part of a garment. I was originally going to have the implants. The plastic surgeon put the expanders in right after the mastectomy. They use the expanders as place keepers in case you need radiation. Radiation messes up any reconstruction. You generally need to keep the expanders in until you have finished radiation and have healed completely from radiation and surgery. About 4 to 6 months. I unfortunately I got an infection in my left breast and had to have the expanders taken out. I then had to wait another 4 to 6 months to get the expanders put back in. During that time that “flat” time I had the prosthetic breasts. I did not like them. I live in Arizona where it is quit hot during the summer, so the prostheses were hot and sweaty. During this waiting period I learned that there is about a 30% chance of getting an infection with any implant and an even higher chance of another infection if you have already had an infection. Plus the infection causes tissue damage which negatively affects the implants. Plus every year you have implant there is a cumulative chance of something going wrong with the implants. Implants do have shelf life of 20 years or so, Given that I was 63, I decided that I did not want to take a chance that I might have to have them taken out in my 80s. Anesthesia is much harder to recover from in your 80s. So I decided to go with the DIEP flap route, They basically take your belly fat/tissue and make them into breasts. (Silver lining : you are basically getting a tummy tuck.) This surgery knocks the stuffing out of you. It is about 10 to12 hours long. They have to tie the blood vessels in the flap to the blood vessels in your chest. They have you stay in the hospital about 3 - 5 days. The nice thing about this surgery is that you have your own tissue. Once it takes that is it. You don’t have to worry about future problems like you do with the implant. The one negative thing about the DIEP surgery is that the recovery period is little longer and it messes with your core strength, I had my DIEP flap surgery in November 2021. I had a great Surgon so my breasts look really great. I feel very good about my appearance. Cloths look so much better than when I was flat. I am doing some PT to get my core strength back. I am very happy with the DIEP option I took. Personally, I did not like the flat option. I feel very good about my body now.

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Who did your diep?

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