This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.
Question: I have had several surgeries the last few months and none of them have gone well. The first was last December. After 12 1/2 hours of surgery, I had two breasts. Five days later, my left breast had to come off which left me with a gaping hole and a wound vac attached to me for 4 weeks. After the wound healed, a breast expander was inserted. The following week the expander moved down to the middle of my back. I’m a teacher, so I waited until summer to have it removed. Yesterday, I had more surgery to make my breasts both look normal. It’s not looking too great. My left breast just hangs and there’s a lot of extra skin under both my arms. I’m writing, because I’m afraid this is as good as I’m going to get. I’m hoping that it can be fixed. Would you consider taking me on as a patient? I’ve had six surgeries after my double mastectomies. I’m not sure how much more I can take.
Answer: I’m sorry to hear that you have had such a difficult time. I know that you just had surgery and that as you recover your results may improve. However, you have been through quite a few surgeries and probably know what to expect. I don’t know where you live or if you could come for a consult. If you can, I would be glad to give you my opinion. We have taken care of many women who have had challenging problems like yours related to their breast reconstruction. If you are unable to come for a consult we could get more information from you and my staff could tell you how to send photographs. After viewing the photos, I could give you more specific information about how we have helped other women who have been in your situation. Just let me know how you would like to proceed. Thank you for your question.
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