Surgeon missed the margins. 2nd surgery

"I'm losing faith in the medical system fast. The nurse came in to schedule my surgery and said it happens like no big deal."
"I was upset mostly because I wasn't told this could happen.
Communication could be better."
"Then asked me.... do you have a problem with this ? Of course I have a problem with this, who wouldn't !"
"You have to be your own advocate."
*******
The quotes above resonate(d) with me. I have lost so much faith in the medical system. I grew up at a time when doctors made house calls. I believed that doctors had a "higher calling" than just collecting $ for office visits. I thought that they cared whether you lived or died, and they would not intentionally withhold information from you that you needed to know in order to be prepared for the worst, if, God forbid, it happened. I didn't expect that an oncologist would employ a bevy of P.A.'s ("the minions," I all them) whose entire job seemed to be keeping you from ever having a face-to-face discussion with The Man and giving you the message, over and over and over, for 17 months, that "the patient portal is not the appropriate forum for this question. You should wait until you have a face-to-face meeting with the ocologist," which, of course, they were probably instructed to make sure it did not happen. I was only seen by my oncologist in Illinois 2 times in 8 months, and, during those brief visits, he never answered the questions I had nor told the truth. I asked about an oncotype and his curt response (Dec. 2021) was "You don't need one." That remark, alone, is debatable in light of the fact that, when I finally got one from my 3rd oncologist in 2023, it was 29. When I asked about the side effects of Anastrozole, his response (in writing, since he never saw me in person if he could avoid it) was, "The only side effect of taking Anastrozole is a little stiffness in your hands and fingers first thing in the morning, and it goes away when you quit taking it." (Wrong!) I also question not giving the patient a chance to recover from a seroma, less than a week out of surgery, before putting them on Anastrozole, and having them take it throughout the 33 radiation treatments. Even the 33 radiation treatments, in retrospect, are questionable, since the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics told me, 3 days before I was to start the radiation, that they would not have radiated me at all, because, he said, "You're a woman in your 70s." (basically an age that they seem to feel is 1 foot in the grave.) (Try to maintain you are only 69 at the oldest, because, after that, it is questionable whether or not you'll be viewed as a viable patient with some life left in you. The "be your own advocate" is the most telling, because I have had to be. Today's medical mantra seems to be YOYO: "You're On Your Own."

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.

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

I had to have a second surgery after my lumpectomy and reconstructive. My DCIS the margins were “missed” they were clear but needed them bigger. My IDC margins were clear. Reading the pathology report with PA and said margins were smaller than they like. Surgeon came in and said we’re having a second surgery. Very unexpected - but necessary. I had tears in my eyes.
I think it was done the next week. Took me longer to recover or get rid of the anesthesia.

Get a second opinion or different surgeon. Was this at the Mayo?

Get a second opinion or different surgeon. Was this at the Mayo?