Mastectomy time - need recommendation for surgeon

AlliFlowers
AlliFlowers Member Posts: 3
edited October 2012 in Breast Cancer #1
Looking for a recommendation for a surgeon to do a mastectomy.

Comments

  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #2
    Your ...
    Your Oncologist should be able to make a good recommendation and referral.....and when you do find a good plastic surgeon/breast surgeon make sure you ask tons of questions....exactly what this will entail...ask to see before and after photos...no question would be to small...it's your body!

    Wishing you the best..
    Hugs, Nancy
  • AlliFlowers
    AlliFlowers Member Posts: 3
    #3
    MAJW said:

    Your ...
    Your Oncologist should be able to make a good recommendation and referral.....and when you do find a good plastic surgeon/breast surgeon make sure you ask tons of questions....exactly what this will entail...ask to see before and after photos...no question would be to small...it's your body!

    Wishing you the best..
    Hugs, Nancy

    My oncologist seemed
    My oncologist seemed reluctant to make a recommendation. Maybe because the surgeon who did my port and sent me to the oncologist is not whom I would choose for my mastectomy.

    I was hoping to get recommendations from others who had been through it...patient recommendations beat colleague recommendations six ways to Sundays.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #4
    Your Drs know the best time frame for YOU
    There is "no one size treats all" with the different types of BC or even within the individual types.

    For me, I started 4 DD A/C 17 days after DX. 2 weeks after last A/C I had mast.. 3 weeks after mast. I started 12 weekly Taxol. A week after the last Taxol I started rads and a week later Femara. Most (if not all the other IBC-ers here had a different TX plan than I did - they had 2 different chemo before surgery while I had my surgery between the 2 different chemos.)

    For you, recon may be an option at time of mast. but it is not always an option - for IBC it is normally at least a year before recon is an option.

    If you will be doing rads, a talk with the rads Dr is in order also. Rads are nasty on recon.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan
  • AlliFlowers
    AlliFlowers Member Posts: 3
    #5
    Rague said:

    Your Drs know the best time frame for YOU
    There is "no one size treats all" with the different types of BC or even within the individual types.

    For me, I started 4 DD A/C 17 days after DX. 2 weeks after last A/C I had mast.. 3 weeks after mast. I started 12 weekly Taxol. A week after the last Taxol I started rads and a week later Femara. Most (if not all the other IBC-ers here had a different TX plan than I did - they had 2 different chemo before surgery while I had my surgery between the 2 different chemos.)

    For you, recon may be an option at time of mast. but it is not always an option - for IBC it is normally at least a year before recon is an option.

    If you will be doing rads, a talk with the rads Dr is in order also. Rads are nasty on recon.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan

    I'm not doing radiation.
    I'm not doing radiation. When my chemo is over, my oncologist wants me to have a mastectomy. I thought that was what I said initially.

    All I'm looking for here is a recommendation for a surgeon from someone who has used one and liked him/her. I don't need any other advice.

    Thanks.
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #6
    AlliFlowers said:

    I'm not doing radiation.
    I'm not doing radiation. When my chemo is over, my oncologist wants me to have a mastectomy. I thought that was what I said initially.

    All I'm looking for here is a recommendation for a surgeon from someone who has used one and liked him/her. I don't need any other advice.

    Thanks.

    I personally get a little
    I personally get a little uncomforatble with questions like this. I think the board is about peer support and this gets into that icky grey area where commercialism can intrude its unwanted head.

    As others have said, the better course here might be to call a local hospital that you trust and ask a nurse who takes care of mastectomy patients who s/he would recommend; or ask your oncologist, or ask a physcian that you trust, or ask other local mastectomy patients who they recommend.

    I sincerely hope it all goes well for you. Big hugs!
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #7
    CypressCynthia said:

    I personally get a little
    I personally get a little uncomforatble with questions like this. I think the board is about peer support and this gets into that icky grey area where commercialism can intrude its unwanted head.

    As others have said, the better course here might be to call a local hospital that you trust and ask a nurse who takes care of mastectomy patients who s/he would recommend; or ask your oncologist, or ask a physcian that you trust, or ask other local mastectomy patients who they recommend.

    I sincerely hope it all goes well for you. Big hugs!

    Ali...
    How could you ask us for a referral when we don't even know where you are....very sorry we offered advice....but that is what we felt would possibly help you...This site is full of caring women...we try to help one another....
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #8
    AlliFlowers said:

    I'm not doing radiation.
    I'm not doing radiation. When my chemo is over, my oncologist wants me to have a mastectomy. I thought that was what I said initially.

    All I'm looking for here is a recommendation for a surgeon from someone who has used one and liked him/her. I don't need any other advice.

    Thanks.

    In your OP, before you
    In your OP, before you deleted the little info that was given, you asked for info about time frame between last chemo and surgery because Dr said to wait 3 weeks before surgery. Nothing was said about rather or not you would be doing rads - hence the question if you were. Nothing was said about the type (DCIS/LCIS/IDC/ILC/IBC) or ER/PR or HER2 status. So we had nothing to go on in giving replies to your questions as best as possible.

    Nothing was said by you what part of the country you live in either or any info in your Profile. I 'love' all my Drs but I rather doubt that you live in western So Dak. (Also I saw my surgeon 3 days before seeing chemo Dr.) It is nice to know that someone actually knows 'everything' about BC - I don't even 3 yrs NED nor do I know anyone else who does.

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #9
    AlliFlowers said:

    I'm not doing radiation.
    I'm not doing radiation. When my chemo is over, my oncologist wants me to have a mastectomy. I thought that was what I said initially.

    All I'm looking for here is a recommendation for a surgeon from someone who has used one and liked him/her. I don't need any other advice.

    Thanks.

    Oops - dreaded 'double
    Oops - dreaded 'double post'

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan
  • AMomNETN
    AMomNETN Member Posts: 242
    #10
    Surgeon
    My only suggestion is to talk to your ob-gyn for a referral. That is what mine did when I asked. Also you might want to go to a local support group. Do an internet search for surgeons in your area.

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