Mastectomy and breast reconstruction pros and cons?

Posted by kruzin @kruzin, Jul 8, 2018

Being treated for breast cancer, having a mastectomy and was wondering what people did for reconstruction?

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@scarffy1

Are the implants a pain ful surgery they are able to keep my skin though

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Yes was able to keep the skin. The flap surgery required recovery and some pain but as I remember it now, it was well managed. For implants the tissue expansion can be uncomfortable.

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@cgirl0721

Yes was able to keep the skin. The flap surgery required recovery and some pain but as I remember it now, it was well managed. For implants the tissue expansion can be uncomfortable.

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Okey thank you makes me feel better going into it now

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@scarffy1

Okey thank you makes me feel better going into it now

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Good luck! Keep the faith. This will be behind you soon.

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@kruzin

I'm so glad you listened to your feelings, and it worked out for the best! I'm going to talk to my surgeon about this, but she sounds like I should just do the one, but we'll see. It's different when someone doesn't have this to say, and this is a business to make money. But I'm doing lots of research, and you've helped so much and I appreciate lots

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@kruzin I was hoping you could share which route you went with. I just went with bilateral mastectomy (my decision as it was in one breast) with delayed reconstruction. I had expanders put in as I need to do radiation. I am starting to regret my decision and whether I should have went flat. I am trying to understand is some breast tissues were left behind because of the reconstruction decision. Diagnosed with her2+ stage 2.

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@jlms

I had a double mastectomy with expanders in February 2016 followed by chemo. Due to the aggressive grade of my tumor (grade 3; triple negative), my doctors advised waiting a year before having reconstructive surgery. In March 2017 I had DIEP flap reconstruction and am very pleased with the results. I chose DIEP flap because I didn't want any foreign materials in my chest and I was told that implants can cause one to feel cold (and I already have cold sensitivity). As someone mentioned earlier; it is critical you have a highly skilled cosmetic surgeon perform the procedure as it does involve micro surgery in order to connect a blood supply to the transported tissue (be sure to interview several doctors before making a final selection).

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What is your plastician's name?

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I am here at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Met Dr. Alexandra Heerdt for a second opinion. She is wonderful! My first surgeon was Elisa Port, a good surgeon, but very ny-orker, distant, you cannot ask many questions. Both surgeons offered lumpectomy and mastectomy. Dr. Heerdt recommended another ultrasound for me, which I am going to do it in a few minutes. I could go with lumpectomy, but my intuition says mastectomy. There two tumors in my breast.

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@mlk

Merry Christmas! I am still healing and waiting for the tightness to subside. Still have glue on the incision site. Thank you for your concern . and for clinical trial info-like driftwood....good sign

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How are you feeling? I am not sure if I understood correctly. Did you have double mastectomy and no reconstruction?

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@trixie1313

@nataliehope
I was quite large breasted and since lumpectomies were on two sides of one breast, it would leave me quite misshapen so a considerable amount of breast tissue was removed and then had to be reshaped leaving me about a size A or a bit smaller. Speak to your breast surgeon about options and if you're not comfortable with that surgeon, go to another for a second opinion. The first surgeon I went to was pretty much of the mind of doing only mastectomies on women as she was a general surgeon. The surgeon I went to next strictly saw women with breast cancer.

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How are you feeling?

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@zeerj

@kruzin I was hoping you could share which route you went with. I just went with bilateral mastectomy (my decision as it was in one breast) with delayed reconstruction. I had expanders put in as I need to do radiation. I am starting to regret my decision and whether I should have went flat. I am trying to understand is some breast tissues were left behind because of the reconstruction decision. Diagnosed with her2+ stage 2.

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I stayed flat, and it’s been 4 years with no regrets. I told my surgeon I didn’t want dog ears so there’s no extra skin so because your having reconstruction yes you need more skin. You always gonna doubt what to do cause you just went through a lot of decisions and being overwhelmed all at once. I researched a lot, and still do I’m the type of person that worries about the physical stuff more than how I look. So maybe look at it that way to help with your situation stay strong ❤️

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@polianad22

I am here at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Met Dr. Alexandra Heerdt for a second opinion. She is wonderful! My first surgeon was Elisa Port, a good surgeon, but very ny-orker, distant, you cannot ask many questions. Both surgeons offered lumpectomy and mastectomy. Dr. Heerdt recommended another ultrasound for me, which I am going to do it in a few minutes. I could go with lumpectomy, but my intuition says mastectomy. There two tumors in my breast.

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@polianad22
Have a full discussion with the surgeon on mastectomy. Even with mastectomy, they cannot remomve all breast tissue so there is still a possibility of breast cancer again. Also, they have to cut through a lot of nerves which can cause pain. My breast surgeon removed most all of my breasts so I' now about a bra size "A" which is fine with me. I did have electric shocks from the nerve regrowing but they are gone now. Let us know how you do.

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