Breast reconstruction- which one?

Hi Jennifer-

I found this book to be very helpful:

http://www.breastrecon.com/index.html

It has good information about all the recon options to help you sort it out.

Have you had your cancer surgery & treatments yet?  Is there some sort of medical reason for you to hurry your recon decision?  If not, take your time to research and mull over the options.  There's a lot to learn and it's a big decision.

Keep in mind that you're young and strong.  Make your decisions with a long-term view.

Also, it's a good idea to consult with at least 2 plastic surgeons.  They are NOT all created equal.  Many women travel to other cities to get the surgery that they want with experienced breast reconstruction surgeons.  That may sound daunting, but it's do-able.

And I'm sKeptical about your ps's statement that "the insurance will only cover one breast".  Talk with other plastic surgeons and talk with your insurance company.  It's extremely common to get surgery on the "good breast" in order to match a recon breast, and in my year+ on this board I've never heard anyone say that their insurance company would only pay for one.

Hang in there and don't get discouraged.  You've come to the right place, and there are plently of wonderful ladies here to help.

Mary

I agree.

Consult with others.  

Your insurance will cover any of it most likely.  I've never heard of them denying that. 

Jennifer,

I know that you are dazed and confused right now and that is normal.  It is absolutely alright to speak to more than one plastic surgeon.  If the one your breast surgeon recommended doesn't feel right to you, move on.

There is a great book that you can order and also find exerpts online - The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook, by Kathy Steligo.  This is a small book but has a lot of information and weighs the good, the bad and the ugly to help you decide.

It sounds like you have already had a unilateral mastectomy?  Is the remaining breast large?  My personal plan was to have a unilateral free tram with a reduction on the other side to match.  It worked out pretty well.  Many women have had an implant and also a reduction or augumentation to match.

You've been given good advice.  Definitely what this surgeon told you is not true - federal law requires that any surgery to your other breast necessary for symmetry must be covered by insurance.

Go see another plastic surgeon to get a 2nd opinion.

And here's one of the best on-line resources that I've found that talks about all the different types of reconstruction.  This should help you understand a bit more about each of the reconstruction options, and more importantly, help you know what questions to ask the plastic surgeon. 

http://www.mdanderson.org/Diseases/BreastCancer/reconstruction/

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And for a quicker overview that's easier to navigate, on this site you can read a bit about each reconstruction option, all on a single page:

http://www3.mdanderson.org/DEPARTMENTS/plastic/ptbreast.htm

Good luck!