The breast expanders what does that mean in Cancer battle

Basically I heard so many words I didn't understand. What do they mean? So many choices, ouch which one shall I use. They all seem ok but they all have ups and downs, my mind is whirling, what to do and what not to do.

You will make the right choice. But for me this was it.

#sharing #awareness #iamstillawoman #myjourney #survivor

During implant reconstruction, if you're having the implant inserted at the same time as mastectomy (immediate reconstruction) and enough tissue is available to cover the implant, your plastic surgeon will place the breast implant under your chest muscle after your breast surgeon has removed the breast tissue.

If a large amount of skin is removed during mastectomy or you're having the staged approach to implant reconstruction (delayed-immediate reconstruction), your plastic surgeon places a tissue expander between the skin and chest muscle after your breast surgeon has removed the breast tissue. A tissue expander is an implant that’s more like a balloon. It stretches the skin to make room for the final implant.

Unfilled tissue expander
A Tissue expander -- unfilled
B Port
C Catheter
D Syringe
E Ribs
F Pectoralis major muscle
G Other muscles of the chest wall
Filled tissue expander
A Tissue expander -- filled
B Port
C Catheter
D Syringe
E Ribs
F Pectoralis major muscle
G Other muscles of the chest wall

If you have an expander put in and there is any chance you will have radiation therapy, be sure your surgeon uses an expander with a plastic port, not a metal one. A metal port interacts with the radiation right around the metal and produces excessive, unnecessary skin damage. If you already have an expander with a metal port, ask the plastic surgeon about possibilities that include:

replacing the expander with an implant before starting radiation therapy
quickly finishing expansion so an implant can be inserted before starting radiation therapy
inserting a permanent expander (with a plastic port) that will become your implant after radiation therapy is finished

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Kate Jackson Breast Cancer a flash back

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I am still a woman - Confessions of a twice cancer survivor - my journey by Nina Ann McCurley

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