Surgeon missed the margins. 2nd surgery

Posted by freebird67 @freebird67, Apr 1, 2024

Good morning all,
Had lumpectomy 3-18 went back on 3-28 thinking surgeon would release me to oncologist but No ! She told me they missed the margins. I was kinda dumbfounded at first, she explained to me that they have to go back in and cut more and scrap. Then asked me.... do you have a problem with this ? Of course I have a problem with this, who wouldn't ! She just told me cancer cells were pushing on the margin. So I'm headed for another surgery this Friday.
I'm loosing faith in the medical system fast. The nurse came in to schedule my surgery and said it happens like no big deal.
So I guess my question is, have any of you gone through this ? Did it change anything for you ? I did do some research about it and didn't like what I read. But have no choice on this. Thank you and
Have a blessed day

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Rubyslippers | @triciaot | 4 days ago

I also had lumpectomy at MD Anderson and margin was only 1 mm on one focal point (DCIS). Their recommendation was either having radiation and no second surgery, or surgery to remove more tissue, bigger margin. I was already planning on radiation because of the lower risk number, but I was really unsure about having another surgery on the same area.

My plastic surgeon said in all the time he had being doing this work, the new tissue removed during the second surgery to increase margins had never showed any cancer cells.

My thoughts were - the missed margin was on the anterior (skin) side, which meant thinning the fat layer under the skin making it more susceptible to damage from radiation, and, if they missed the margin the first time what’s the chance that they are going to find that exact piece of breast that needs to be removed the second time?! I don’t blame them for the missed margin, all the tissue looks the same, it’s actually pretty amazing they cut the entire cancer out. But if having a second surgery would probably end up showing it was not needed (no cancer cells in the margin they took out) . . .

So, I did NOT have surgery to increase the margin. I’ll tell you if that was a good decision in, oh about, 5-10 years.