Re: Breast Reconstruction After Radiation
Thank you for that post, 'lizbeth. I am just finishing up radiation (worst experience so far, BTW). My ps said 12 months for a flap surgery and something like 4-6 months if the skin can handle an implant. I prefer a DIEP flap if it's possible, although I'm getting awfully tired of the expander (it looks and feels wierd and I'm lopsided because the expander sits up higher. I guess I should just be glad that I'm alive and not fret over this). He said he would consider an implant, but another ps said "studies show that waiting 12 months for a DIEP is better than waiting 6-9 months, and we do not do implants on radiated skin".
Of course at this point, at the tail end of radiation, any sort of surgery involving the radiated site sounds preposterous. I can barely move that arm and am in constant pain. Aargh!
Shirley
__________________
- Age 54 at dx (April '13) Stage 2b, grade 3
- ER+ PR+ HER+, 9 cm tumor one breast and <0.5 cm in sentinal node
- BRCA1 and 2 negative
- Neoadjuvant TCH chemo started 5-15-13 (4 rounds, 3 weeks apart)
- Unilateral Mx w/expander 8-22-13 (right side)
- 5/5 nodes Neg
- clear margins but close. Tumor at removal down to 2.2 cm.
- Radiation 6 wks starting 10-17-13.
- Herceptin every 3 weeks until 4-23-14
- DIEP/Mastopexy 10-8-14, U of WA
|