Breast Cancer with reconstruction

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my ducts, in 2002. Even though it was caught very early I still had to have a mastecomy because It was in several of the ducts, I did not have to have radiation or chemo or take any anti cancer drugs. I chose to have reconstruction at the time of the mastecomy using the tramflap method. Thats when they take part of your tummy and a stomache muscle to build a new breast. I had lots of complications and infections,  and with the way it has left my body I think I should have gone another route. But to get to the point, 5 years later and I want to have weight loss surgery and I dont know if it can be done on me because I have lots of scar tissue and no muscle on my left side of my tummy. I know its a long shot but has anyone else been through this? and had the surgery or contimplating it?

I would think it could be done.  Perhaps not laproscopic because of scar tissue but maybe it can be done "open" which involves a larger incision.

Good luck,

Kathy

bilateral mastectomy 3/23/2007, no chemo or rads, expander implants swapped out with silicone implants 6/28/2007

Hi Kathy , first of all you and Rich look Greatttttt, what an inspiration, thank you for your reply, I guess Ill have to wait and see what the doc says. My thinking right now is that if I have to have the larger incision I wont have it done, but we will see....If I had it to to over I would have went the same route that you did, as far as the reconstruction goes. I tried to read your story on your profile but I could only read down to the part where your mother passed away, I  didnt see a way to scroll down the page. ( P.S. Have you had any PS done?)  Best Wishes; Pam

Hey, Pam! Some doctors do a "mini" open.  Smaller incison than a traditional open.  I know one of the locals here does it.  It is like 4-5 inches.  I had lap surgery and hubby had open.  Years back if you had previous abdominal surgeries docs wouldn't do lap surgery.  Now with better experience doing the surgery lap, docs have seemed to relaxed that rule and are doing more lap surgeries.  You never know til you ask. I'll have to check my profile to see what is up. The only plastic surgery I've had is the breast reconstruction.  I've had so many surgeries that the thought of another... well, not appealing at all.  Plus, insurance wouldn't pay for it so I'd have to foot the bill and honestly... I'd prefer new windows.  LOL. Best wishes, Kathy

Oh, and a side note on my breast reconstruction... I didn't have enough "fat" on my belly to do a tram or diep surgery because I was doing both breasts.  The one time I needed my fat... I didn't have it.  Imagine that? My sister had mastectomies and DIEP breast reconstruction surgery the year before my breast surgery.  WIth that surgery they move tissue not muscle and then reconnect the blood supply.   Kathy

I am a 9 yr survivor of breast cancer.  I had ductal carcinoma insitu.  I had a bilateral mastectomy with a tram flap reconstruction.  I just had Lapband surgery  4/25 and they had no problems.  I have done fine.   Good Luck!

Hi Kilgram, congrats with your banding and with your sucess with fighting cancer, I ended up having the lapband surgery done on  Mar 24th, everything has gone well, hejust had to be a little creative in where he placed the port. Its right in the center of my abdomen and  and about half way between my belly button and my bra. The only problem as far as the cancer surgery goes it that my reconstructed breast is getting quite a bit smaller than the other one. Oh well I guess its a give and take thing. What does bi lateral mean? Pam

I am so happy for you.....   Bilateral means both breasts,  I decided to have both removed so I didn't have to worry about the other breast and for both breast to be the same.  I am like you.  I wouldn't do the tram flap again, I would do implants.  Do you have a roll in your upper abdomen from the tram flap surgery?  I hope mine goes away with wait loss.  Good luck to you.    =Kim

Hi Kim I thought thats what it meant, I am confused about one thing though, If you had Tram flap, what did they do to reconstruct the other side? I do have a fat pouch sorta beneath the breast that they did the tram flap on, Ive thought many times that I would like to have liposuction there. but  Im sure they wouldnt do it. Good luck to you also, we deserve this Pam

It shouldn't have shifted. Mine never moved. What ruined it though was radiation with a full expander in. The skin was so thin, it stretched and opened up so I had to have the expander out and can never try to stretch that skin again.