Lumpectomy, is this normal?

Good Grief, I have never heard of such a thing!!!!! I am SHOCKED and would advise you to RUN as fast as you can in the other direction, they are just trying to make money off of you with what may very well be unnecessary procedures (not to mention the possible complications any surgery can bring as well as pain and discomfort that surgery entails).

I had a lumpectomy & rads and never ever saw, or needed to see, or was advised to see, a plastic surgeon.

* first of all: it takes about a year for the fat to move around & fill in any divets you may have after surgery. You may find (as most people do) that your results are perfectly acceptable to you (and you won't know until you have given it some time).

* second: radiation may shrink your breast, but it may not.....mine actually became slightly fuller (which made up for the removed tissue). Why is the world would you operate on your perfectly good breast without knowing what is going to happen with the other one. You have been given TERRIBLE and to me very, very unethical advice.

* Have the lumpectomy, do the radiation, wait a year, and at that point, if you feel like you need more work done, see a DIFFERENT plastic surgeon......probably at a different clinic if that is how yours works.

Sounds fishy to me too. On the one hand, almost too good to be true--as if they're turning breast cancer into an opportunity for body-sculpting on which you might not have otherwise splurged. Sometimes, if a lumpectomy turns out to be a quadrantectomy or more extensive, an oncoplastic surgeon is brought in to consult with the breast cancer surgeon to map out a plan for the best possible cosmetic and functional result. But on the other, it's insanely irresponsible to go in and create a “perfect pair" before all pathology is in--and in fact, before ruling out genetic mutations that might even warrant prophylactic bilateral mastectomy.

The time to bring in the plastic surgeon, if undergoing lumpectomy and not mastectomy, is definitely NOT while you're still on the table and the only path results available are from a frozen section. It's after clean margins have been confirmed and tumor profile has been definitively determined--and if you are at risk of genetic mutation, after that's been ruled out. And it's after any post-op seromas have resolved or can be safely remediated and your breast has assumed its eventual shape. It's not a given that your operated breast will shrink--a seroma forms to temporarily fill in the cavity where the tumor was removed, and sometimes (as with yours truly), radiation can cause it to swell further and make the breast bigger than the intact one. Scar tissue can also sometimes form to replace the initial seroma--nature seems to abhor a vacuum. And it's irresponsible to subject a healthy breast to the injury of and possible complications from surgically altering it without ruling out the presence of cancer in it, too. This is even if you're game for a lift and reduction--my bs' nurse nixed my suggestion of reduction because of the possibility of seromas, scarring, granulomas and calcifications that could make further diagnostic procedures difficult. Not to mention, where are you going to get blood draws and blood pressure readings if both sides can be in danger of lymphedema? (Even without a SNB, the risk goes up if a seroma forms and remains for more than a few weeks).

And a breast lift (mastipexy) is not a minor procedure--recovery is painful and there will be scarring. (A bilateral reduction mammoplasty leaves an anchor-shaped scar which isn't always well-hidden by cleavage and underbust--and sometimes can be uncomfortable for years). The only reason to do it is if your breasts are so huge that they are causing pain and medical problems unremediated by well-fitting bras. I'm an I or J cup, and never got back or shoulder aches from the size of my breasts.

Someone is hearing cash registers go “ka-ching." Either that or is sexist enough to assume all women want their bodies “perfected."

Have you talked with your Rads Dr yet? They can give you a lot of a info based on their specific expertise - radiation - and the potential effect on what is done surgically. Each Dr has expertise in their spectific speciality. Not all Drs know 'everything' about 'everything' for the best TX plan.

Echoing above, I had a lumpectomy and radiation (2009). My right breast is probably a cup smaller than the left but is not at all noticeable, when I am dressed, unless someone is really looking for a difference. My feeling is to wait until you have healed and recovered from rads to see just what, if any, difference there is. Why have surgery if it is not needed?

Here's something I found in the BCO information pages. The bolded the sentence in the last paragraph that I think is very important:

If you've had lumpectomy (with or without radiation) to remove early-stage breast cancer, you may have a dent, bulge, or other distortion of the breast shape near the surgical site. Or your breast may have a different size or position compared to the other breast.

Because there are so many variables, there is no standard approach to reconstruction after lumpectomy, but there are many options. Because each woman's situation is unique, your reconstruction will be customized based on your previous treatments, your goals, and your cosmetic concerns.

For example, a small dent may be filled in with fat tissue from another area of your body (usually belly or buttocks). This is called lipofilling. A large dent might also be filled in with tissue from your belly, buttocks, or back. A treated breast that is much smaller than the other could be made bigger with an implant; the larger breast also could be reduced and lifted to achieve symmetry. If there are areas of firmness or scarring due to radiation, they often can be removed and then replaced with fat injections or tissue taken from another area.

A plastic surgeon who's experienced in breast reconstruction can work with you to develop a reconstruction plan that addresses all your concerns and goals. Learn about some of your possible options on the Minor Corrections After Reconstruction page.

In some cases, you might consider surgery to bring the breasts into balance. Most plastic surgeons recommend that you wait at least 6 months to 1 year after lumpectomy before having any surgical reconstruction. This allows your tissues to heal and allows any distortion or asymmetry to stabilize. For more information, visit our section on Altering the Opposite Breast.

GOOD!!! It is truly what makes the most sense. Good luck on your surgery & let us know how you are doing!