Hi there
very very early days to be asking but out of interest - If you have a recon say using the DIEP method presumably the new breast will be quite “perky” - If like me you have large rather saggy post preggy, breastfeeding boobs do they lift the other one to match you up or do they make a saggy one to match.
I know I’m probably being really stupid but I suppose because it is effectively “medical” rather than purely cosmetic I didn’t know if they gave you the works so to speak to make you look as good as they can or just give you the basics - like here’s a new boob - get on with it???
Also has there been any murmurings about cutting back on post mastectomy recons with all the NHS cosmetic surgery cut backs or is this not classed the same as say when someone thinks their nose is too big and it’s making them depressed (god did that sound harsh? I know it’s upsetting but not quite the same as breast cancer)
Hope someone can help answer my probably ignorant questions
Hi,
I had ld reconn and was told that I could have the droopy one perked up if I wanted. choose not to , had enough at the moment and its not to important for me, but can understand why others choose to have the op. For classifaction purposes breat reconns are classed under cosmetic ops in the ICD 10 classifications, so technically the powers that be could put reconns under the cosmetic classifications and so decline or make us wait longer for the op. However if the clinicins ever get any power back , sure they will overide these plans
take care x
My boobs have (had) always been vastly different sizes, and when the question of recon came up, I asked if they’d make the new boob match the old boob, and was told that I would be offered a full recon, whatever size I chose(!) and yes, that would be both sides!!! It’s the biggest carrot for me during all this… the thought of ending up with a far perkier, and matching set, at the end of it all.
Hope that helps!!
Sophie xx (and mine were both heading south, after 4 kids and gravity, and yo-yo dieting etc etc etc… they took away the bigger boob, but even the smaller one looks rather sad and droopy now there’s not an even worse one to compare it with!!!)
Thanks for the info. I will prob wait til I am well over treatment & have had clear scans etc before going for recon & I think they only do it if you are clear anyway (they are not going to spend money on you for this if you’re not going to survive!!! - brutal but sensible I suppose) but then you wouldn’t want to waste your precious time getting over surgery instead of living either!!!
Oh yes Millykins, they’ll match you up on both sides if you want…and what an odd feeling it is having a perky pair. I had huuuge G cup monsters, despite being a size 8/10 everywhere else. Never mind heading south, they were well and truly settled there.
Mine’s a bit of a complicated tale but the long and short of it is that I had the mx & nodes business, a tissue expander placing and a contralateral reduction and uplift all at the same time.
I was so used to them either flapping around somewhere too low or hoiked up around my chin in a bra that at first, they felt as though they were glued on to my chest and would fall off at any minute… Chemo is done and rads just done and I’m waiting for the tissue expander to be replaced with an implant (much softer I hope).
Another one here who has had the other side lifted to match the BC side. I had a sagging pair of size 40Ds, now more like 40A or B and quite perky. Can’t be exact on the size because I haven’t been measured up for new bras yet since the wounds haven’t settled enough, but looking forward to being able to buy the pretty ones rather than the sensible ones! At the age of 51 it’s nice to have perky boobs as one of the few good side effects of BC.
Sarah x