Seeking Experiences with Direct Implant Reconstruction

I had reconstruction at the time of my bilateral mastectomy on 2/23/2024. Expanders were placed under the muscle at the time of surgery, and I am now going weekly for injections to the expanders until I'm comfortable with the size. After that, I'll have another surgery to remove the expanders and insert implants. I'll have to decide at that time if I want a 2-dimensional nipple tattoo or a 3-D nipple created. I'm undecided atm. Having it done this way makes for a longer time in surgery - mine was about three hours - and overnight in the hospital. I went home with four drains. The output had to be emptied every 12 hours and the amount of each drain recorded. Two drains were removed after five days. The other two came out three weeks post-op. The drains were awkward and uncomfortable and it was a huge relief to have them out. A visiting nurse came to my home twice a week for two weeks. Right now my breasts feel quite hard and I'm told the implants will feel more soft and natural. In spite of the additional time before I can put this all behind me, I'm glad I went this route. My initial thought was to skip reconstruction but when I got honest with myself, I knew I would be unhappy without it. It's a very personal decision. Your mileage may vary. Feel free to ask any questions and let me know how you're doing. ❤️

I had a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and implants. The first two weeks were a little rough with the drains, but once they were out, the recovery has been rolling right along. I had a reduction (I’m 46 and it was nice to have the option to get smaller breasts, a small silver lining to the whole thing, if you will). Just been doing stretches and making sure I work on my mobility, as well as applying oil, antibiotics and a lidocaine cream for moments of pain. I spent weeks researching and fretting about it before the surgery. Advocating for yourself when you aren’t comfortable with something and having a good rapport with your surgeon and team will go a long way. It’s definitely not the same as what I started with. One of my breasts doesn’t have a nipple yet, but my silhouette helps me to feel like I’ve retained my femininity

Had my bilateral mastectomy in early February with the placement of tissue expanders.. came home with 2 jp drains one was removed after 7 days the other at 14 days I had to be at a certain output on the drainage b/4 they can be removed.. Those were a pain I have had my tissue expanders filled and went through 5 weeks of radiation after they were filled folks were no problem radiation was good but I burned the week after finishing treatment but healed up in less than 2 weeks .. I will be having my exchange surgery mid August to switch out the expanders to implants .. I’m hoping to get back to what I guess will be my new normal.. these expanders are not exactly pleasant either .. I’m 62 years old and was diagnosed stage 1 two different kinds of breast cancer in each breast ..ductal in left lobular in right . My best advice stay active .. hydrate .. eat well balanced diet .. stay positive

This community is such a wonderful place to connect with others who truly understand your journey. Many members here have shared their experiences with direct implant reconstruction, and hopefully some will see your post and offer their insights about recovery, what to expect, and helpful tips they learned along the way. Wishing you all the best as you gather information and make the decisions that feel right for you.