Q's about prophylactic breast surgery

Hi beepbeep,

You're sure to get a ton of good insight from the ladies here shortly. In the meantime, you may find it helpful to check out the main Breastcancer.org site and the Prophylactic Mastectomy page.

Hope this helps!

--The Mods

The O.R. time depends on the type of reconstruction you want and the number of skilled surgeons working on you.  For tissue transfer (DIEP/GAP/hip flap)  some facilities have two very skilled plastic surgeons working on you at the same time and this greatly cuts the time in surgery.  I had a bc diagnosis and DIEP reconstruction, then decided 4 years later to do prophylactic GAP on the other side.  Insurance covered the surgeries.  My insurance would have also covered bilateral propylactic surgeries without a bc diagnosis if I had a significant family history, if I was BRCA positive, or if I had other significan risk factors that could lead to a bc diagnosis.  The scars are completely hidden even if I wore a bikini (which I am not going to wear).  Get a copy of the latest edition Kathy Steligo's "Breast Reconstruction Guidebook."  It is the best I have seen on the topic and will give you the kind of information you are seeking (and more).

1. How long would it roughly take in the operating room to do PBM and reconstruction at the same time? All depends on the type of reconstruction, flap procedures are very long. I had NSM with expanders and my surgery lasted 4.5 hours total.

2. In your experience, did insurance cover this procedure? Yes, my risk reducing surgery was fully covered, based on family hx. alone, using evidence based criteria.

3. How far does the scarring extend? My scars are hidden, LIMF, or inframmary fold. Will the scars be visible when you wear certain types of clothing? What scars?? U cannot see them with or without clothing.  Say a tank top, for example? Never.

4. Are there ways to screen the small amounts of remaining tissue? Clinical breast exams 2x year along with monthly self exams are the recommendations i was given with implants. If anything were to develop, an abnormality would most likely be easily palpable since implants are placed under the muscle. I will not pursue any further screening/imaging unless waranted. Why go thru surgery to be faced with continued worries/fears by unfounded screening methods?

My answers are the same as lisamg but I have scars visible only when naked or in a bikini. The drains caused 2 small scars under each armpit. My nipple sparing mastectomy scars go from armpit to nipple. I'm fine with all my scars.