Saturday, January 30, 2010 AngieB asks

Q: Is my body trying to reject tissue expander??

I had a breast tissue expander put it 8 weeks ago...when will it feel like "part of me" instead of like a "foreign body" ?? i had 400ml saline injected into it during surgery, but no fills yet because i got cellulitis in my wound and ended up having a debridement of the scar tissue which wouldnt heal....however..i feel so tight and hard ...and just before i got cellulitis i had a "pain" just underneath my shoulder blade...which i presumed would just be post op pains from bruising to my chest muscles during my reconstruction surgery...will things get any better...?? My surgeon tried to remove some fluid from my expander to take pressure off, and reduce swelling from the cellulitis infection, but unfortunately the port has twisted itself the opposite way round, and i have to have a procedure to turn it the right way round, but i want to wait until my debridement scar has completely healed first!.. Is my body trying to reject the expander?...is this why it feels so hard, and like a foreign body??? any help would be appreciated ...

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Answers (3)

PJ Hamel, Health Guide

1/30/10 7:47pm

Angie, I've contacted our expander/implant expert, Angi, and she should be getting back to you soon. Hang in there - PJH

AngieB

1/30/10 8:36pm

Thankyou PJ !!...I thought when i had the expander fitted it would feel tight for a week or so...but it feels like this 8 weeks later!...i thought i would just wake up one morning, and it would feel "comfortable"....I am hoping that its just like this because of the infection problem i had which took 4000mg of Flucoxycillin by iv 4 times a day for 8 days to get rid of it!!....I will keep my fingers crossed that your expert can advise me ....

Thanks again

Angie

Angi

1/31/10 11:22am

I don't think your body is trying to reject it at all. These things just happen to some of us... the cellulitis, etc. I had problems with mine because of dying tissue, which lead to failures on each side. I wish I had some better news for you, but the expander will never feel like part of you. It's not designed to. It will always feel firm, or hard. When I had mine I felt like I had rocks for expanders. And the more fills I got the more pain I got as it put pressure on my rib and on my should blade. The good news is that as soon as they are swapped out for the implants it will feel so much better. Implants are so much softer, and light feeling that sometimes I forget that I actually have something there now. Just hang in there, cause once you actually get things on track it will go quickly.

Good luck!

Angi

AngieB

2/ 1/10 8:13am

Thankyou very much Angi...I thought it was just me that found this expander like a rock!!...I hope they can exchange it for a nice soft implant after it has been expanded...When i had the reconstruction, the expander was put under my pec muscle, and they also stitched strattice (Pig Tissue) underneath the expander like an internal bra...do you think they will be able to swap the expander for an implant with the strattice in place?? I know its a relatively new type of reconstruction, but the results are amazing, !! I just would be really happy if its possible to change tthe expander when it is filled !! x

Angi

2/ 1/10 10:52am

Yes, they will still swap out the expander for an implant because expanders are not meant to be kept long term, as in years whereas implants last for 10-20 years or more. I'm not familair with the stitched strattice, but almost all implants (or expanders) are placed underneath the pec muscle now. Once you are ready, your doctor will swap it out.

MsMary

1/31/10 5:18pm

AngieB

I had my expander put in April 27 after I had my surgery and I still have it today. Yes it is a pain in the but to have, I have over 700ml of fluid put in me and after a while, it seems to get better to deal with. I can not have my implaint but in until after I finish my herceptin and then I can have the port taken out and the implaint put in. It will feel hard and uncomfortable the entire time. When you get another injection and you feel some pain, ask your doctor for some pain pills. The pain in your back or shoulder is from the expander, I experience the same pain and I have had a fill since December 09 since I reached the point where my breast seemed to be the same size and then they took 60 ml out so I can feel a little comfort but it is still hard to adjust to.

Ms Mary

AngieB

2/ 1/10 8:17am

Ms Mary,

Thank you very much for your comment....i never experience pain under my shoulder blade like that before!...i could only brathe in to a certain point without it being really painful!!....I couldnt sit up in bed on a morning the pain was so bad!!...but diclofenac has sorted that out now....!! just hope its not going to be like that every time i have a fill!!...i think i will just keep taking the pain meds until final expansion is done :o))

MsMary

2/ 1/10 1:02pm

My doctor also told me after the fill to let warm water run on it, that helped ease the pain when it started to expand also. This is really uncomfortable and I have had it for a long time and I am still not use to it. Take care, remember to take stool softners with those pain pills.

poohtoes1

11/29/10 9:27pm

You are all right, the breast expanders feel more like bricks. In addition to being tight and hard, they feel heavy when you first wake up in the morning.

My plastic surgeon recommends flexaril just before a fill and it works like a champ. I usually only take 1-3 doses and then my body adjusts to the soreness.

Q: Is my body trying to reject tissue expander??

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