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Double mastectomy: Anyone have major side effects and/or regrets?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Apr 25 7:12am | Replies (58)Comment receiving replies
Thanks so much to everyone for sharing your experience as I am seriously considering having a double mastectomy instead of a lumpectomy plus radiation as initially suggested by the surgeon. I would like to know if you had the aesthetic flat closure at the same time as the mastectomy and if you have a good surgeon in the greater NY area that you can recommend. It looks like there is little information on going flat on the websites of some major breast cancer centers. Many thanks!
Replies to "Thanks so much to everyone for sharing your experience as I am seriously considering having a..."
My goal was also aesthetic flat surgery. My warning for you is find a surgeon who will PROVE to you he/she/they have performed this surgery successfully. Make sure you SEE photos. I saw 10 plastic surgeons before my mastectomy. I chose a surgeon who assured me he could do it. But he couldn’t understand why I would not want to try a skin sparing mastectomy and let him use rhe skin to create an “A “ cup. It would be like a lat flap surgery but easier because the skin was already on my chest. He talked me into it. I am so so sorry I didn’t see photos of his successful surgeries. I showed him pictures of what I wanted and what I absolutely did not want. I told him I wanted one and done. No fat grafting or future surgeries. He said he could do it the surgery went fine. Recovery was fine. But when he unwrapped the bandages to show me the results, I collapsed on the floor in horror. Now I can’t find any plastic surgeon who can fix the mess he made. It’s been a year. I am trying not to look at myself.
No regrets with the flat closure from the double mastectomy. I've heard of women having issues with implants and I did not want to deal with that. I also did not want to do the trips to get the temporary skin stretchers filled (I am two hours from the closest medical center). I did not want to go the surgery to replace the skin stretchers with permanent implants. I have a scar on each side of my chest, but they continue to fade. My surgeon spared the fascia in my chest and I wore the ace bandage as directed to ensure a flat closure.
It's okay to shop around for a surgeon you are comfortable with. Ask lots of questions. I was not comfortable with the answers I got from the first surgeon I saw, so I pursued another. My oncologist was not happy that I waited to get in for a second surgeon's opinion, but I have no regrets. I ended up having surgery at Mayo Rochester and am very happy with the care I received from the surgeon and her team.
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This site is very informative and may help you. Mine is on the 13th.https://www.flatclosurenow.org/resources