Expanders to Implants 1.0

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36yo implants after mastectomy

This is an image of my most current mastectomy results. I added a temp tattoo for fun. At age 36, I had a double skin sparing mastectomy in 2019 with tissue expanders placed for 9 months. The tissue expanders were in for that amount of time so that my radiated chest wouldn’t reject the silicone implants. In September of 2020, I had my exchange surgery where they swapped the expanders for high profile cohesive silicone implants 525ml. My healing was more complicated than I anticipated, which I’ll show below.

 

This photo is from the day after surgery. Four drains, and tissue expanders with 200ml of air each. I was told the air is less weight on the fresh incisions. At my first fill, they replaced the air with saline.
The tissue expanders kind of feel like chest tupperware. They have odd edges when not inflated.
Glue to close my incisions.
My tissue expanders after I healed. The radiation faded my scar on the right more.
This was my first time being allowed to swim in 4 months! Tissue expanders are like floatation devices! I slapped on some ducktape to protect my scars from the sun.
These are my tissue expanders at 525ml. They make temporary tattoos so you can try on different sizes and colors of nipples.

 

Last night with the tissue expanders. Exchange surgery tomorrow!
Silicone Implants
About 5 weeks after the surgery that exchanged my expanders for silicone implants, I got an infection on my radiation side that landed me in the hospital for a week, and on IV antibiotics for 3 weeks, and 3 more weeks of oral antibiotics. They had to remove my right implant and we left it out for 2 weeks so that my tissue could rest and heal.
Going into surgery to take out the implant on the infected side
After surgery, flat on one side now while infection heals

 

Going back in again for my 4th surgery. Putting a new right implant back in.
I gave myself IV antibiotics at home while the infection healed and we let my tissue rest without an implant in.
Some prosthetic boobs are lightweight and can help your clothes to fit. My insurance covered this one. This one is from Amoena brand.

 

At the plastic surgeon’s office with a successful new implant!
You can order these temporary tattoos online and switch it up once in awhile

 

Implants are much softer and feel like a dream compared to the tissue expanders
This was totally worth it. My painter made sure I loved it.

 

Since I had radiation, it’s extra important to protect my skin from the sun. I usually stay in the shade. Radiation recall can happen if you’re out in the sun and unprotected too long.
Ana Ono bra
Amour Cache bra
Or just go topless because if you don’t have nipples, it’s not nudity. You can see the rippling here in my reconstruction. It’s because they take all of the breast tissue out during mastectomy, so you can see the implant underneath. I will have fat grafting to attempt and fix it later in 2021. Never nude! xo

IG: @Empoweredmastectomy

Some advice for newcomers: Sexy is a state of mind, not a body part.

Surgeon: Dr. Reid Mueller, Portland, Oregon USA