Direct to Implant and Reconstruction Same Day

Posted by toomey79 @toomey79, Jun 28, 2023

My daughter is 43 years old and has the BRCA2 gene. She was just diagnosed with Stage III Invasive Ductal Carcinoma(Breast Cancer). She is a professor at Temple University and lives by herself in Philadelphia. We(her parents), live in Ohio. She does not want to do radiation or chemotherapy. Neither she nor us are in a good financial situation. We are right at that lower middle class line. She has been checking around and is set on a surgeon and plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. We would have to fly out, have someone take care of our two dogs, get a hotel, Uber back and forth to the hospital and of course, eat. We would have to take a loan out for $60,000. We are in our 60’s and I am disabled. The financial burden alone is immense. The place in Beverly Hills is called Cassileth Plastic Surgery. The surgeons name is Dr. Mensick. My question is; does the Mayo Clinic do direct to implant surgery all in one day, and is it safe? Any suggestions for a worried parent who doesn’t know what to do and if it’s the right and safe thing to let her do. She has big breasts with dense tissue and with the BRACA2 gene, both of which make the surgery and follow-up more concerning.

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@anjalima

My mastectomy was Feb. 22. It was a 3 year prior ( not breast cancer) cancer that excluded me from the trial . The trial parameters were NO other cancers within 5 years. I’m 4+ years now but 3 then. It would have been an intervening variable. But the fact that I qualified from a BC perspective gave me good information. I was 2 lymph node positive but the 5 nodes next in line were negative.

I opted out of radiation. Hope I made the right decision. So far so good.

Very hard decisions we are faced with. Very personal choices. No guarantees! It would be nice though.

Best to you on the path.

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I am leaning more and more to No on the radiation. There aren’t any guarantees no matter the choice you make.

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@dinod1923

I am leaning more and more to No on the radiation. There aren’t any guarantees no matter the choice you make.

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So undeniably true. We make the best possible decisions with the information we have. Best to you.

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@toomey79

Thank you. It’s such BS a hard decision for my daughter. And with her not trusting Philly hospitals, some terrible reviews at places and wanting the quick and perfect scenario I don’t know what advice to give her. Thank you for sharing your experience. What stage were you when diagnosed if you don’t mind me asking?

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She can call Cleveland Clinic for a second opinion. It is closer to you and it is a great hospital. I am in southwest Michigan and many people I know go there. I may myself. I was diagnosed almost 2 weeks ago with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. I see a surgeon tomorrow. I had a MRI guided biopsy. I will let you know what options I'm given. I do know that when I was first diagnosed I only thought about double masectomy--breast cancer runs in my family. I am waiting on the BRACA results. As the days go by and I read more and more I'm not so set on it. She may change her mind. hugs to your family

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