Just found this article in the Daily Mail. Can’t believe she has been refused a reconstruction!
A mother-of-four suffering from cancer has been refused a breast reconstruction operation on the NHS after health chiefs classed it as ‘cosmetic surgery’.
Patsy Parsons, 33, had an operation to remove a large part of her left breast and 16 lymph nodes after being diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago.
But when she was referred for by-lateral breast augmentation surgery at the flagship University of North Staffordshire Hospital, which treats 600,000 patients a year, NHS Stoke-On-Trent cancelled the operation at the last minute.
Officials then sent a letter to Mrs Parsons’s family support worker saying: 'I write to inform this request has been reconsidered and unfortunately declined on the grounds there do not appear to be any exceptional circumstances.
Full article here:
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1262483/Cancer-survivor-refused-breast-reconstruction-operation-NHS-officials-dismiss-cosmetic-surgery.html
Hi
that is just appalling, and I hope someone gets their a**e kicked for such a bad decision and for causing such distress. Even 13 years ago my surgeon treated recon as part of the mx process if it was wanted. I find it hard to believe that this decision will stand- hope I’m not being naive…
Shock horror! l for one have just emailed the said hospital, letting them know my feelings! May l suggest a ‘few’ more emails or phone calls may help Patsy! who knows they may have a rethink!
Love
Sandra x
Speechless… how terrifying for others about to undergo surgery and not knowing whether it would be ‘finished’.
Even private health companies acknowledge that initial reconstruction is part and parcel of the surgery.
Shame on these ‘decision’ makers.
I posted a comment to this story this morning as I was so disgusted. I met ladies who were having reconstructions done and I assumed this was offered as standard practice to ladies who were given mastectomies. It seems not as in the case of this lady. Terrible when you thing the NHS wastes so much money - especially on things like parking addicts on methadone.
Although I think it’s awful that this lady isn’t to have augmentation on the NHS I don’t think this is outwith the norm.
According to the article she opted to have a lumpectomy rather than a mx. I don’t know anyone who has had a lumpectomy being offered recon…even my Aunt who’s breasts are now completely different sizes after 3 seperate lumpectomy’s & it’s very noticable was told that it wouldn’t be possible to fix them (so to speak!)
I think that had she had a mx there would be no questions as to whether or not she could have recon, but augmentation after lumpectomy is a different matter for the NHS.
I personally think that every woman should have the right to a matching pair of boobs! I have a few friends who have ended up a couple of cup sizes smaller on their affected side & this has been as confidence shattering for them as my mx has been for me!
Hxx
I really feel for this lady - she must be devastated. The thought of one day having a reconstruction definitely kept me going.
But I’m afraid this may well be the shape of things to come. If you were wondering where the massive cuts needed in public spending might be found, rationing reconstructive surgery after treatment for breast cancer is going to be an easy target; the argument being that they’ve done eveything possible to save your LIFE and anything else would be just the icing on the cake.
It will also be argued that the money saved by not carrying out ‘so called’ cosmetic surgery would be better spent on the next lady with bc, or on the latest cancer drugs for all of us. A dash of emotional blackmail?
It’s going to be a shrinking cake with thinner slices, I fear, ladies
X to all
S
i was offered a mammoplasty… to have lipo on my tummy and infill it into the area where i have had the lumpectomy…
it probably varies from place to place but i think that they may need to offer something as the psychological impact could be very detrimental and debilitating for some women.
Lxx
This sounds such an unlikely senario that I am really wondering if it can be true.
Bear in mind that this story was in the Daily Mail- so just maybe it may not be quite what it says
Never quite trust the Daily Mail, but there are clear guidelines by NICE on BC treatments and even these can be challenged. I hope if she is denied treatment she is due, her GP, MP etc will fight to get her the treatment she is entitled to and can rightfully expect. However, it’s hard to believe in this day and age women are still being treated like this by one of too managers in grey suits in the NHS. That’s probably where most of the money is being wasted and it will be hard to imagine what it will be like with less
funds available in future. xxxTina
The Daily Mail article says the doctor’s title is ‘Acting’ Director of Public Health NHS Stoke. It turns out, before this post, he was ‘Deputy’. Here’s a link to a recent article in the Stoke press, expressing local concerns about four senior NHS Stoke staff departing their positions. (edited by moderator) By making this decision against reconstruction he may be showing he is not experienced enough for the job. Either that, or he cares more about saving money than about saving women from distress.
thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/stokenews/Fears-NHS-leadership-quartet-leave/article-1539824-detail/article.html
i haven’t heard of much reconstruction available after lumpectomies either. When I asked my surgeon about it she pointed out that silicone comes in breast shaped bags, and you can’t cut them to fit whatever size hole needs plugging (and we both thought, surely someone should invent a way round that??).
But I think it also depends how large a breast you have to start with. I never realised how ‘small’ mine were til the doctors kept telling me! I asked about the possibility of using flesh from elsewhere to fill in the gap, but my surgeon didn’t think that would be a goer (I don’t have a lot of spare flesh). So it sounds like it’s more to do with my shape than general feasibility.
As it happens, I did pretty well out of the surgery. I don’t think she took that much out, and she ‘shuffled some stuff around’ inside to make the gap less obvious. Also, that breast was bigger to start with, so they actually match pretty well now! (albeit with a big scar across the top of one…)
But if you are very disfigured by the surgery, and there is enough flesh to fill in, of course she should be entitled to it. I am so grateful to have kept my breast, and was determined to do so, whatever shape it turned out. But if it was a very wierd, lumpy shape, it would be very demoralising and upsetting I think, once the initial gratitude had worn off. You have to live with it like that for the rest of your life.
Even BUPA will cover breast reconstructions - they don’t classify it as cosmetic surgery so why on earth the NHS would is beyond me!