why did surgeon refuse to do bilateral?

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newbie
newbie Member Posts: 15
edited June 2014 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

Just curious as to why my surgeon would refuse to do a bilateral when he thought a L mastectomy was a good decision and i requested a bil d/t knowing i wouldn't have insurance to cover doing it later? i asked him and he just said it would delay my healing and then delay chemo, but i really don't see what maybe a few weeks would have made any difference. now i have complications (see nerve pain 1-23) that also goes across my chest that makes it painful to wear a bra and now i'm playing games with trying not to look lop-sided or just endure more pain wearing a bra. any suggestions on this or meds that actually help this nerve pain that i havent already tried?     Prayers to all!

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  • 1Athena1
    1Athena1 Member Posts: 6,696
    edited January 2011

    Newbie, you ask good questions and I really wish I had an answer for you. I opted for a bilateral myself. My BS did not object. I'm sorry that your wishes were not followed. It must have been hard for you.

    The one good piece of news for you, though, is that federal law requires that insurers pay for reconstruction and any surgery needed to achieve symmetry. This means that you could ask your plastic  surgeon to take off the other breast and reconstruct it in the same way as the other breast. So I suggest that you get a good plastic surgeon. Good luck.

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  • newbie
    newbie Member Posts: 15
    edited January 2011

    thank you, athena! that is a great solution to my dilemna! i will definitely be looking up a plastic surgeon and get that in the works. How are you doing? I see you were dx 3/09. no recurrances to date i hope. any lasting side effects from your chemo and/or radiation?

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  • msippiqueen
    msippiqueen Member Posts: 191
    edited January 2011

    Bless your heart, you seem really resilient and I admire that!



    A mastectomy or bilateral is a serious and a difficult choice and one that every time must includes a woman's perspective and vote.



    Take some time considering reconstruction, there's really good info on this board about the types.

    You also may want to consider no recon, or a mastectomy on the other side at some time.



    Consider all of your options. It's your body, your health.





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  • Cafelovr
    Cafelovr Member Posts: 1,534
    edited January 2011

    My breast surgeon did not want to do a BMX on me. He wanted to do a single and remove the healthy breast when I was doing reconstruction. I knew the moment I was diagnosed what I wanted. I stood my ground, got my onc involved (who knew my wishes) and now I have my BMX. I'm having reconstruction (LD flap plus tissue expanders) on March 9.

    Athena is right. You cannot be denied service for the other breast somewhere down the line. http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/whcra.html

    Good luck!

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited January 2011

    My surgeon wanted me to wait until after tx as well.  However, it seemed to make sense to me.  With two major surgeries your chances of complications are doubled.  It is a lot for your body to heal from.  Neither of us wanted to chance delaying the chemo regime.  I had the other mast done 6 weeks after radiation.  As I had chosen not to have any recon, it all made sense for me and worked out well.

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  • MarieK
    MarieK Member Posts: 911
    edited January 2011

    I too asked for a BMX but my surgeon refused saying that he would not remove healthy tissue and that I would be better off in the long run keeping it.

    Not sure where you are Newbie but I'm in Canada - does that make a difference I wonder?

    So I thought I would ask my PS when it came time for reconstruction to remove it and "start from scratch" but he too refused.

    He did assure me that he will do his best to give me symmetry and will lift my natural breast for a better look.

    It doesn't really help with the worry but I'll just have to be more vigilant and keep checking it!

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  • 1Athena1
    1Athena1 Member Posts: 6,696
    edited January 2011

    I am doing well, newbie, thanks for asking. I just had my final reconstruction surgery lasy week, as a matter of fact.

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  • newbie
    newbie Member Posts: 15
    edited January 2011

    hi, marie! i saw your picture and how beautiful you are .(not to sound weird, but you are). i'm from indiana. my kids took a trip with their church youth group to canada and my son loves it so much that he wants to move there if he doesn't go in the military after graduation, hope he chooses canada! all of you ladies had such great suggestions and very knowlegeble information. glad i put newbie as my username, as i feel so naive! my name is brenda. glad to make aquaintance, sorry for the circumstances though.

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  • newbie
    newbie Member Posts: 15
    edited January 2011

    wow! is you pain down pretty well? are you taking tamoxifen since i see you are hormone positive? i take it they do that after chemo maybe, for 5 years right? i was trip neg so that was out for me.

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  • koshka1
    koshka1 Member Posts: 678
    edited January 2011

    Hi,

    I am in Vancouver BC.

    I saw a surgeon and she did agree to doing a bilateral when I really only needed to remove 1 breast.  I did change my mind later and did the lumpectomy and rads.

    In Canada, it really depends on the surgeon that you get and how your family doctor advocates for you.

    Mine family doctor told me that at 5 years if I changed my mind and asked for a bilateral that she would get it through for me.

    We shall see...I do toss around the idea.

    Hugs and be strong!  Kosh

    ps  MarieK....who was your surgeon?  mine was Dr. Dinghee in Vancouver. 

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  • memory
    memory Member Posts: 106
    edited January 2011

    My BS wanted to do a lumpectomy until I opened my gown and she saw how small my (original) breasts were. My brother, a radiation oncologist, had already clued me in and said I would not have had a good result from a lumpectomy.

    Then, my PS recommended a bilateral. I was a little shocked, but after some soul searching decided to accept his recommendation. The path report found so many funky things going on in the prophylactic side that I would have been at high risk of developing a second cancer if I'd kept the other breast.

    That said, recommendations seem to vary depending on which doctor you go to. My gynecologist, for example, is in the "take 'em both off" camp. (She's a woman.) And my oncologist aligns herself with the "conserve breast tissue if at all possible" school of thought. Although she does think my PS gave me a very nice result.

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  • memory
    memory Member Posts: 106
    edited January 2011

    Don't mean to get personal, newbie, but where in Indiana do you live? You can pm me if you like. (I'm a Hoosier myself.)

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  • newbie
    newbie Member Posts: 15
    edited January 2011

    not sure of the lingo, is that personal memo? can you guide me on how to do that? im not good with computer stuff and my kids are gone at the moment to ask! lol !

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  • memory
    memory Member Posts: 106
    edited February 2011

    Newbie, I'm sorry, I just saw your reply. PM means private message. When you log in, you'll see a menu at the top; click on the one that says private messages. You're still welcome to PM me if you like.

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  • memory
    memory Member Posts: 106
    edited February 2011

    I just sent you a private message myself, check your inbox.

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