Mastectomy and breast reconstruction pros and cons?

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.

Okey thank you makes me feel better going into it now

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

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).

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

@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.

@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.

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.

How are you feeling?