Hi Cilly, I had a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction-using implants and my own skin but not having to take it from anywhere else, everything went really smoothly with no problems, so much easier than I had anticipated, and I recovered from it well I wish you the best whichever way you choose to go xx

Hi in January I had a mastectomy and reconstruction with a dermal flap and a implant.  I was advised prior to this to watch a panorama programme which looked into the use of implants and the possible implications thereby giving me the opportunity to make an informed decision.   I do advise you to watch this and you should be able to find it on BBC I player.  Good luck and I hope all goes well whatever you decide to do

Hi

Thanks for the info. Have you had any problems with your implant or do you have any side effects which some women seem to have suffered? They have told me that they will keep the skin from the breast to make the flap. The other operation where they would use fat and tissue from the abdomen is a much longer recovery and sounds seriously painful. At present I favour the implant and if I can’t get on without I can always have it removed at a later stage.

Hi Cilly they used my existing skin to make the flap the only thing I had was cellulitus at the T juction and fluid in a couple of places athough very unpleasant this was soon sorted out with 10 days of antibiotics.  They wouldn't drain the fluid in case they damaged the implant but it dissipated quite quickly.  All in all I'm very pleased with the result oddly enough I'm off to see the surgeon today for my 6 month review.  

Hi Cilly,

i don’t know if you’ve already made your decision but I thought I’d fill you in on my experience with a unilateral mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction so that you know the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

My surgery went really well as did my time in hospital (6 days), though there’s definitely a lot of pain the first few days. I was off the heavy stuff by the third or fourth day and by the time I went home, only needed occasional paracetamol or naproxen (particularly at night and only for the abdomen).  I did well with my walking and my stretching exercises (kept at them!) and was feeling so pleased with my progress, as were the doctors and nurses.

Then around week three I had some issues with all three of my surgical sites reopening a bit and releasing what seemed like very bad fluid but apparently not dangerous or totally abnormal. I’ve since had issues with over granulation of my wound sites, which is further hampering healing and requiring lots of visits to the dressings clinic. I’m extremely frustrated by the slow pace, and my surgeon is surprised by it as he thought I’d be a straightforward case since I’m in good shape and health otherwise but, it is progressing, albeit slowly. My new boob is settling down, feels like my old one, and I do like my flat tummy now that I’m able to wear some of my normal clothes again (no skinny jeans yet) but a word of warning though, which I did not know, is that you’ll get swelling down to the pubis area, which can be very uncomfortable and weird, but it eventually lessens.

i can’t compare this to an implant reconstruction since I’ve not had one but I can tell you, it’s not an easy recovery. I think it will be worth it in the end for me, even with my complications, but if you’re very busy or have young kids, the potential negatives may not be great for you.

feel free to send questions!

good luck.