wife discovered she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started this blog…
From the first moment I discovered my dad had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it seemed like I was alone in this ugly place. Even ones who had loved ones suffering in this way; even though people TALKED about the disease, it felt for me like they did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…
The immediate crisis that was Breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s have passed. There are, however ancillary issues like testing and treatments that may not be directly related to BC or A but intersect with them. Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: Removing the reconstructive breast implants.
From shortly after she healed from the surgery that had placed implants in her chest to mimic the real breasts that had been removed during a radical mastectomy and chemotherapy to right now...my wife was in pain.
Not from the surgery, though that was rough, but from the implants themselves. Healthline suggests that there are reasons for the discomfort: “Although breast implants don’t expire, they have a limited life span. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons states implants should be removed or exchanged every 10 to 15 years…breast implants may need to be removed or replaced is because scar tissue can harden around the implants…[and] cause pain and discomfort…” My wife had the initial mastectomy on April 3, 2011; the breast replacements/gel implants were placed on October 13, 2013. A bit short of the “10-year warranty”, she’s thrilled that the process is once again moving forward (COVID-19 delayed her by two years).
It all seems pretty straightforward, but there appear to be other issues to consider, such as the “tissue capsule”: “Removal of the implant and tissue capsule. This part of the procedure depends on your implant issues or surgery goals. Over time, scar tissue naturally develops around an implant, creating a tissue capsule. Some surgeons will only remove the implant and leave the tissue capsule. Others will remove the capsule — a more time consuming procedure — or a portion of the capsule.”
What exactly IS a “tissue capsule”? “…fibrous scar tissue forms around [the implant], creating a sort of ‘bag’ that holds the implant. The body forms a protective capsule like this around any object it recognizes as foreign. The tissue capsule is usually soft or slightly firm, not noticeable, and helps to keep the implant in place.” This is removed along with the intentionally deflated plastic bag that held the gel that gave the implants the rounded, "more-or-less" breast-shape.
So, once they implants are removed? Healing (obviously), and then, just like we’ve done all along these past eleven years – my wife will deal and I will be there beside her, supporting her in whatever way I can.
Oh…and once again blogging the Guys Gotta Talk About Breast Cancer.
Resources: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/reconstruction-surgery/breast-reconstruction-options/breast-reconstruction-using-implants.html, https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-implant-removal#when-needed
Image: https://pubs.rsna.org/cms/10.1148/rg.2017170025/asset/images/medium/rg.2017170025.fig1.gif
From the first moment I discovered my dad had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it seemed like I was alone in this ugly place. Even ones who had loved ones suffering in this way; even though people TALKED about the disease, it felt for me like they did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I added a section to this blog…
The immediate crisis that was Breast Cancer and Alzheimer’s have passed. There are, however ancillary issues like testing and treatments that may not be directly related to BC or A but intersect with them. Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: Removing the reconstructive breast implants.
From shortly after she healed from the surgery that had placed implants in her chest to mimic the real breasts that had been removed during a radical mastectomy and chemotherapy to right now...my wife was in pain.
Not from the surgery, though that was rough, but from the implants themselves. Healthline suggests that there are reasons for the discomfort: “Although breast implants don’t expire, they have a limited life span. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons states implants should be removed or exchanged every 10 to 15 years…breast implants may need to be removed or replaced is because scar tissue can harden around the implants…[and] cause pain and discomfort…” My wife had the initial mastectomy on April 3, 2011; the breast replacements/gel implants were placed on October 13, 2013. A bit short of the “10-year warranty”, she’s thrilled that the process is once again moving forward (COVID-19 delayed her by two years).
It all seems pretty straightforward, but there appear to be other issues to consider, such as the “tissue capsule”: “Removal of the implant and tissue capsule. This part of the procedure depends on your implant issues or surgery goals. Over time, scar tissue naturally develops around an implant, creating a tissue capsule. Some surgeons will only remove the implant and leave the tissue capsule. Others will remove the capsule — a more time consuming procedure — or a portion of the capsule.”
What exactly IS a “tissue capsule”? “…fibrous scar tissue forms around [the implant], creating a sort of ‘bag’ that holds the implant. The body forms a protective capsule like this around any object it recognizes as foreign. The tissue capsule is usually soft or slightly firm, not noticeable, and helps to keep the implant in place.” This is removed along with the intentionally deflated plastic bag that held the gel that gave the implants the rounded, "more-or-less" breast-shape.
So, once they implants are removed? Healing (obviously), and then, just like we’ve done all along these past eleven years – my wife will deal and I will be there beside her, supporting her in whatever way I can.
Oh…and once again blogging the Guys Gotta Talk About Breast Cancer.
Resources: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/reconstruction-surgery/breast-reconstruction-options/breast-reconstruction-using-implants.html, https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-implant-removal#when-needed
Image: https://pubs.rsna.org/cms/10.1148/rg.2017170025/asset/images/medium/rg.2017170025.fig1.gif
No comments:
Post a Comment