Monday, March 11, 2013

Expanders are Full

I asked Dr. Ferguson if we can fill a little more than the 350 cc capacity of the expanders.  He said that he didn't suggest much over 410 if my skin would allow it.  Dr. Ferguson readied 60ccs and pushed a lot of it into my expander, but then backed out a lot of the saline so I only have the 350cc in each breast.  He said that my skin was looking too tight and he's not certain that we will be filling my expanders over capacity.

You have to understand that with a mastectomy, there is NO tissue to supplement the volume of the expanders.  So while, for breast augmentation, 350 ccs might be quite a bit, it's not the same when the only volume present is what is filled into the expanders.  I have to say, I am happy with Dr. Ferguson's work.   My breasts look very good so far.  The expanders poke straight out and are very, VERY firm!  Dan calls them "rocas"...they feel like rocks.  When the implant goes in, it will be squishy.
Dan took a photo for me of the HUGE Syringe that injects the saline into my expanders. It's so "mad scientist" crazy to see this huge thing being stuck into your chest!

Dr. Ferguson showed us a tear-shaped implant that just became available for reconstruction patients (because the FDA took forever to approve them).  With the normal round implant, you can see many ridges and valleys that form when its laying flat.  Then when the round implant is brought vertical, those ridges and valleys are still quite prevelant, but droopy.  Since I only have a thin layer of skin and no fat or tissue to smooth out those ridges and valleys, you would see "wrinkling" under my skin.  With this new teardrop, the ridges and valleys are much less noticable.  Also, if they are aestetically unpleasing, Dr. Ferguson can fat graft.  Using fat from another place on my body, Dr. Ferguson can inject some of that fat into areas on my breast where there is rippling or other imperfections.

Quite a process:

Jan 24       Mastectomy and expanders put in (60 ccs of saline)
Feb 1        Fill with 30ccs
Feb 8        Fill with 110ccs
Feb 15      Fill with 60ccs
Feb 22      Fill of 60ccs
March 8    Fill of 30 ccs to bring my expanders to a full 350ccs.
March 22   Possibly another fill, but don't know if my skin will allow it

Wait 3 months for the breast "cavity" to form and firm up

Surgery to switch expanders for implants

Fat Grafting possibly...

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like things are moving right along!!! Crazy how new things are being developed in just the 1 year since my surgery! I have the round implants and can't see any kind of wrinkle or rippling...I was worried about it...but I don't have thin skin and I had PLENTY of skin to work with. My breasts are still quite....QUITE...firm, but getting softer and squishier than they were a year ago. How are you feeling now? Things getting back to normal?
    Marge

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