6 years after BiLateral Tram flap, increasing pain, Back pro

I too am interested. Thank you,

Amanda

Mandaamea45 wrote:

Bonnie wrote:

My name is Bonnie Roy and I am a 15 year cancer survivor. I am grateful, but yet the constant

theapies that the Tram Flap "nightmare" has really left me dealing with pain management and

endless therapies. A while back a t.v. station on I believe channel 11 did a story on tram flap

procedures. They perhaps would want to interview more that this has happened to. Would anyone

be interested?

I too am interested. Thank you,
Amanda

I am a 6 year Breast Cancer Survivor and had the Tram Flap surgery and have a large bulge on my lower right abdomin that feels like I am carrying around a watermelon when I walk. I have always been an active person but am now unable to sit or stand for any length of time without discomfort and pain. I had a "hernia repair" with mesh during a hysterectomy 1 year ago but swelling is worse and more uncomfortable then before. Surgeon stated it must not be related to the tram flap then.... Help???

backerley wrote:

I am too!

I am a 6 year Breast Cancer Survivor and had the Tram Flap surgery and have a large bulge on my lower right abdomin that feels like I am carrying around a watermelon when I walk. I have always been an active person but am now unable to sit or stand for any length of time without discomfort and pain. I had a "hernia repair" with mesh during a hysterectomy 1 year ago but swelling is worse and more uncomfortable then before. Surgeon stated it must not be related to the tram flap then.... Help???



I am a 6 year Breast Cancer Survivor and had the Tram Flap surgery and have a large bulge on my lower right abdomin that feels like I am carrying around a watermelon when I walk. I have always been an active person but am now unable to sit or stand for any length of time without discomfort and pain. I had a "hernia repair" with mesh during a hysterectomy 1 year ago but swelling is worse and more uncomfortable then before. Surgeon stated it must not be related to the tram flap then.... Help???







I am a 6 year Breast Cancer Survivor and had the Tram Flap surgery and have a large bulge on my lower right abdomin that feels like I am carrying around a watermelon when I walk. I have always been an active person but am now unable to sit or stand for any length of time without discomfort and pain. I had a "hernia repair" with mesh during a hysterectomy 1 year ago but swelling is worse and more uncomfortable then before. Surgeon stated it must not be related to the tram flap then.... Help???




I am a 6 year Breast Cancer Survivor and had the Tram Flap surgery and have a large bulge on my lower right abdomin that feels like I am carrying around a watermelon when I walk. I have always been an active person but am now unable to sit or stand for any length of time without discomfort and pain. I had a "hernia repair" with mesh during a hysterectomy 1 year ago but swelling is worse and more uncomfortable then before. Surgeon stated it must not be related to the tram flap then.... Help???

I too had the tram flap 17yrs. ago and only had the tenderness and pain at times under my breast.  A year later they removed a small lump on the incision on my reconstructed breast and being malignant they gave me radiation and evidently that killed the breast and it gradually went almost flat.  I then returned to wearing my prothesis.  In 2008 another lump came and this time they removed the cancer and cleared the margins and removed most of my reconstruction.  On coming home from the hospital I knew something wasn't right.  I was swollen in my abdomen area and they said it should go down.  It never has.  I thought I have a hernia but my primary physician says not.  I haven't investigated this yet due to the fact that I know I will be run thru numerous tests to eliminate.  I was shocked when I found this site and read your blogs.  I do have lots of the symptoms described here.  My clothes never fit and that is so devastating.  I just yesterday shopped due to the fact that my pants no longer fit in the waist.  I found that in order to fit in the waist they are huge everywhere else.  I have the after I eat problem too and my symptoms are now getting more often than before.  I at times can not stand for anything to be around my waist in front.  Does this continue to get worse?  Does the enlargement in front only get bigger?  I pray not!  I told my husband that if I had only known I would have lived with the loss of my breast and a prothesis and never went thru that horrible procedure that continued to go on and on for almost a year to be completed.  I really would love to hear from any of you ladies who have and are going thru this.  God bless. 

Bonnie, I would be very interested in this. This needs to be addressed for all of us who are suffering.

Janice

If I didn't know betterI would say I wrote this. I went throught the same thing all the way. The only difference is I just had one breast done. I can still smell the flesh rotting. I am also at a loss as what to do to get someone to tell what is going or or what to do about it. The doc that did my cancer surgery is different form the flap doctor so I am going to see him. H did do the two hernia repairs after the flap. What a mess. I have not heard of anyone who says it was antthing but sucessful. Patty

I would be interested in the interview also

I will be contacting the t.v. channel who interviewed me and one other lady that aired last year. The more we add to those who have been injured/lives that have been devistated the stronger the story. Sad, but true.

May I ask what area you live in? I'm sure we're all scattered across the U.S. Hopefully they can interview us via Internet? It's a great thing you are doing for ALL of us! THANK YOU!

Amanda

To those who have been horribly affected by the Tram Flap procedure. After I have read more and more of these stories, I have such empathy for anyone who has had to endure such a travesty. I know that along with my cancer diagnosis, this has been a 15 year battle, just to manage pain. However I do know that when we reach out, just the fact that others understand can be a huge blessing that you are not alone. Perhaps there is a greater purpose that we have connected with one another. I also understand that we may live in other states, different situations, yet the pain we suffer is similar. Please DON'T EVER GIVE UP! I also believe that if we share some of our experiences, we can learn from one another. There are forms of therapies, that perhaps someone has not explored. Perhaps, spiritual strength can be found to overcome! Please let's stay connected, and I will do some more research on this matter and post as soon as I am aware.  DON'T GIVE UP!

Hi Bonnie,



I feel the problem with the tram flap is when the surgeon operates you are actually in a seated upright position and this is where I feel so much of it goes wrong.

They tighten everything, and when you come out of surgery you are still in an upright position. Then when you go to stand upright everything goes wrong. I had a physical therapist ask me to cup my bottom with my hands and then lift my bottom to see if this made a difference to the pulling etc and yes it did. She further explained that with the mesh etc and the surgery being done in a seated position some surgeons just go way overboard in the tightening and sewing and this is what has happened to me.

Can it ever be fixed, I do not think so. I am told PS receive weekend training in the use of mesh. The surgeons that use mesh all the time are Pelvic Surgeons, these are the Drs we should be seeing now not PS.

rosek wrote:

Bonnie wrote:

To those who have been horribly affected by the Tram Flap procedure. After I have read more and more of these stories, I have such empathy for anyone who has had to endure such a travesty. I know that along with my cancer diagnosis, this has been a 15 year battle, just to manage pain. However I do know that when we reach out, just the fact that others understand can be a huge blessing that you are not alone. Perhaps there is a greater purpose that we have connected with one another. I also understand that we may live in other states, different situations, yet the pain we suffer is similar. Please DON'T EVER GIVE UP! I also believe that if we share some of our experiences, we can learn from one another. There are forms of therapies, that perhaps someone has not explored. Perhaps, spiritual strength can be found to overcome! Please let's stay connected, and I will do some more research on this matter and post as soon as I am aware.  DON'T GIVE UP!

Hi Bonnie,

I feel the problem with the tram flap is when the surgeon operates you are actually in a seated upright position and this is where I feel so much of it goes wrong.
They tighten everything, and when you come out of surgery you are still in an upright position. Then when you go to stand upright everything goes wrong. I had a physical therapist ask me to cup my bottom with my hands and then lift my bottom to see if this made a difference to the pulling etc and yes it did. She further explained that with the mesh etc and the surgery being done in a seated position some surgeons just go way overboard in the tightening and sewing and this is what has happened to me.
Can it ever be fixed, I do not think so. I am told PS receive weekend training in the use of mesh. The surgeons that use mesh all the time are Pelvic Surgeons, these are the Drs we should be seeing now not PS.

Hi Bonnie,
I live in South Fla. and am 9 yrs post trans flap procedure after my 2nd bout with breast cancer in the same breast. I had a masectomy and my trans flap has left me with a hernia, pain and a huge belly - size 16 pants for a size -12 body every where else. My Dr. told me to lose 15 lbs and he will do the mesh surgery on the herna but after reading all the above problems with the surgery, I'm afraid to do it. I just had parathyroid surgery and am recooping from that, so was holding off on the mesh therapy. I'm 68 yrs young, was very active, and single. Ican find a man who would want to date me let alone go to bed with me and I'm still interesting in having fun, living, loving and wanting companionship, etc.however, men see my huge stomach and even though I'm fairly attractive and sweet and loving, they can't seem to get past the stomach. It's very difficult to lose weight and I'm missing a lot of life...I'm so sorry I did the trans flap procedure, I tell every woman who needs a mastectomy not to do this because of all the problems...so I understand all of your problems and my heart goes out to all the women who are suffering like me...please know that I understand and share your pain and pray for your recovery. Take care and God Bless each of you!

I agree. I also know that in regards to my surgery, muscles were removed, shortened, pulled and then all pulled apart. The scar tissue was horrific and a traumatic reaction to my core muscles that were removed. Many doctors cannot understand that when such a procedure is done, it will affect other areas of the body due to the fact of overcompensating. That's when I had some myofacial work done, it was a slow process but I was able to at least move around, and 15 years of constant types of therapies. Our bodies were not meant to be altered like this, never was this ever discussed with me, and many many others.

I know where you all are coming from I had breast cancer and 2009 and within 5 days with having surgery but I chose to have the implant put in rather than transplat they ended up getting infected and I almost died 9 months later from infection as some of you say I was smelling rotting flesh and the doctors would not here a bit and I was left with an open wound for 9 months I ended up losing both expanders and then later decided that it looks so ugly that I would have the tram flat I wish I would have read this first I thought my body was ugly before with a caved in at chess and a hold on the left side which I only had skin covering the ribs but now I have a side be an decide the breast with a large pubic area for a large stomach below my ribs and also a muscle that keeps pulling from my right hip to my pubic area I cannot do any exercising I cannot lift anything and I have the constant back pain and the constant nausea the muscle that is torn is the 1 that you use to get out of bed and do stand up and sit down and it is very painful and medications do not work I thought since I used a different set of doctors that the second surgery the Tramp left would be better but I was wrong he spending me so large that one breast ended up exploding before the surgery and so therefore lost tissue and had to use the stretched skin tissue from my stomach and now my breast look hideous I am only 49 years old and 3 and a half years out from the cancer and I told my doctor that I thought I had beaten it and now my kidneys are shutting down do not know if it's from the transplant surgery or not but what is life if you are just unable to live it day by day I still have 1 son at home going to college and a daughter living in California and the only thing keeping me going is my spiritual love for God I too would not have chosen this if I had known I also cannot go back to work or even thinking about doing what I used to do

the more stories that come to me... the more angry I become. I strongly feel we need to voice what has happened to us. your storie is hearwrenching! I understand pain as well.. it has made my life a tragedy but I'm doing a little better each day. the sad thing is so many doctors don't look at the entire picture of what's going on, then they look at us and ask what's wrong? this is horrid! hopefully soon this will be able to enter the right persons hands and our stories can get out!