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Surgeon missed the margins. 2nd surgery
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Apr 4 9:24am | Replies (61)Comment receiving replies
My first lumpectomy included removal of 13 lymph nodes. The drain was a pain, and the recovery long and painful (the road vibrations while being in a car had me using hydrochodone). Exactly 4 weeks later I was back for a second lumpectomy because clear margins had not been achieved, and at the same time I had a port implanted for chemo (stage 3). The second surgery and recovery were a piece of cake, so I didn't mind as it was worth it for clear margins. It happens. I never blamed my surgeon.
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I am also having to return for a second surgery because of the pathology report from the first surgery showed the margins were not clear. I had a lumpectomy 3 weeks ago and am scheduled to have the second in 2 weeks. I have an amazing surgeon and I am looking at it this way…The surgeon has no way of knowing whether they have removed all the cancer cells because they don’t have pathologists with them in the operating room. I would think they do try to take as much margin as possible and because all breasts aren’t the same, such as with women with smaller breasts who don’t have as much tissue. I also am not blaming my surgeon. Things happen and you just have to feel lucky that they caught the problem and will take care of it