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Anyone decide not to do reconstruction after getting the expander in?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: May 4, 2023 | Replies (25)Comment receiving replies
This is a very good question, may 8th, I have reconstruction surgery, this has been delayed for a year, I have one expander in and one out due to an infection I had 6 months ago.
I am going with a gel small (250) implant and fat graph from my stomach - there has been no expansion in the expander as my skin from radiation on my right side has changed.
So, I delayed this surgery for a year to have my body heal from my surgeries and finish with preventative chemo.
Expanders if inflated or not are very uncomfortable and I am ready to have removed from my body!
Keep you posted on the different feeling of expanders to full reconstruction. It has to be more comfortable.
Best wishes in your decision.
It will be a challenging surgery, but I am ready
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I am two weeks post reconstruction. I had to wait over a year for my replacement surgery due to a scheduling problem. I must say that the closer I came to my surgery date, I wanted to just get the expander out! It caused so many problems and a lot of pain. I think I was just scared.
Two days following reconstruction, I noticed that I didn't hurt in the same way. Yes, I feel the pain of healing, but not the banding and pressure of the expander. I don't seem to have the fluid build up under my arm, like I did with the expander. I found that a lymphadema specialist help with scarring, fluid and cording the expander caused.
I know we all have our limits to how much pain, discomfort and problems we will endure. I wish you well in your decision