[ Post a Response | Surgery / Reconstruction Board ]
Posted by Sherry on 3/19/2009, 8:41 am, in reply to "lumpectomy/rad or dlb mastectomy recon?"
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First I am sorry that you have to be here. It is a club that wishes it never got new members.
I assume that no chemo is needed, just radiation.
It is difficult to expand skin after radiation.
For most a double mastectomy is one night in the hospital and althought it seems like a lot of surgery many women choose this option.
If you choose the double will you still have the radiation?
I only had a single mastectomy after a failed lumpectomy. If I knew that something funky was going on with the other breast I may have choosen to have a double when I was diagnosed.
Go online and look at pictures of reconstruction.
Many websites have before and after pics.
Did your plastic surgeon show you photos. Remember that your breasts after recon will look good under clothes. That is usually the goal. If you have a double they should put the expanders in at the same surgery. Mine PS expands slowing taking several appointments. Then once filled he waits 3 months before scheduling the exchange.
Implants may not last forever and another surgery to replace one or the other may be needed in the future.
I did alot of question asking and online research.
We have a world of information at our fingertips.
Take advantage of it.
Good luck with your decision.
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