Hi, I am recently diagnosed and currently have to make the above choice. I posted a reply to someone else’s similar dilemma but would really appreciate any input that would help with my decision.
I have 14mm DCIS in left breast and 15mm in right and waiting for results of third biopsies from left. All low grade so far but obviously that can change once they have taken it out and looked at it all. I am apparently in 3% of women who get it in both breasts but obviously lucky they have caught it early.
I only have small boob s so lumpectomy would leave ‘deformity’ as surgeon said with scar and divots on top of one breast and potentially top and bottom of other. This could be filled by fat transfer but takes multiple procedures and can only be done at later date. The chance of recurrence in remaining breast tissue is obviously a concern for me.
Alternatively i have been offered double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with implants. They hope to save nipples but again that depends what they find when they do the op. It’s obviously a bigger op so more possible complications but one plus side is I could go up a cup size! (Always try and get a positive out of a negative). It would also reduce (but not completely negate) the chances of recurrence.
If I had a Crystal ball with outcomes of both it would be great. But like many in this forum I am dealing with likelihoods and percentages and veering between best outcomes and worst case scenarios so change my mind by the hour. I need to be as positive but realistic about my choice as possible so any help would be really appreciated.
Hi Leonie68,
This is a super **bleep**ty situation to be in and I have been there and now can say that I have experienced both procedures.
After 2 lumpectomy’s I was left with my right side significant’y smaller than the left and an unpleasant dip in the right side which seemed to appear over night. The surgery is not so bad, I was out of hospital the same day and the recovery was pretty easy. That said, you do end up with the worry and risk of recurrence. I’m guessing although you didn’t mention it, that you may need follow up radiotherapy? something to consider is that if that is the case and there is a recurrence then apparently reconstruction is more difficult after radiation. They told me that the risk of recurrence is quite high so i ended up going with the double mastectomy in the end after flip flopping back and forth. It was an awful decision but eventually the percentages swung it for me along with thinking what I would advise someone else to do if they were in the same situation. I also tried to put a positive spin on it by going down a couple of sizes as mine were pretty big before. i’m not gonna lie, its not a fun surgery or recovery but with the recon straight away its not as bad as you might think. I had a few problems afterwards which are apparently pretty rare ( but apparently my whole situation is extremely rare so i’m not surprised it ended up like that) but the important thing is to keep the end game in sight which is the only thing that has stopped me going off the rails, minimal chance of recurrence, smaller boobs and no longer having to do follow ups, MRI’s etc or worry anymore. It sounds like you’d get a better more settled out come with the bigger op but you need to make that decision for yourself. For me it felt much better once I had decided on a plan then I could go for it. Hope that helps a little bit, I really do feel your pain right now.