Royal Marsden and Christies second opinion

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Hello everyone,

I am posting for the first time and would like your help and advice please.

I have been advised I need a mastectomy yesterday after having adjuvant therapy for Hert2 + BC.

It was a huge shock and out of the blue and I could not stop crying in the clinic appointment.

I would like a second opinion and have to get my skates on as surgery is scheduled for three weeks.

I would like a second opinion from The Royal Marsden and possibly Christies in Manchester too.

I have heard of a surgeon Mr Gerald Gui surgeon and Mr Kieran Power plastic surgeon.
I was wondering if any of you had any experience with these hospitals for any surgery or could recommend any surgeons?

I have also been referred to have an appointment with someone from Whiston to have a chat about reconstruction,I think a DIEP flap or something similar, but my head was spinning in the appointment.

How are you meant to make such huge decisions so quickly?

I am currently being treated at Royal Liverpool University Hospital
Where they have said I can get a second opinion or be treated by any of the surgeons there,only problem is I do not know any of them.

Has anybody else had experience here?

I have heard of Anne Tansley through my friend as she works in a private hospital also and my surgeon is Miss Mitchell.

I feel very panicked,scared and very rushed in this decision making process and don’t know where to start.

Any help or advice would be appreciated,

Best wishes to everyone x

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It’s rare for a surgeon to suggest a mastectomy unless needed. If anything, it tends to go the other way of them having to professionally offer the lumpectomy and women taking the lesser surgery when really a mastectomy would have been preferred by 90% of surgeons.

Given your location, I would go to Christie’s. They’re amazing there!

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Thank you for your reply and advice x

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Hi, I am trying to post on “Hert2+ and need some buddies” but not sure how to,can you help please?

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Just go the thread and press the reply button on any of the posts. The reply button is the left-facing arrow at the end of the icons on the bottom right of any post. They welcome new posters there all the time.

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My advice would be to go flat. Then, if you can’t live with it, you can choose the reconstruction that is right for you when you are less pressured to make a decision. I made that choice because I felt I was not in the right place to be making such a big decision. Turns out I was just meant to be flat, no regrets at all and can’t imagine putting myself through reconstruction now. Good luck with whatever you choose x

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Thank you x

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Thank you for your thoughts and advice,its great you chose what felt right for you and have no regrets.
I agree it is such a difficult time to make such decisions, best wishes to you x

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Hi @chakakhan
Sorry to hear that you have been recommended to have a mastectomy, it is terrifying having been there myself.

I would say that the multidisciplinary teams tend to avoid unnecessary surgery and having just had a mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction tge results are brilliant and it has removed the stress of having any recurrence of the cancer. Regarding Kieran Power he would only advise on the reconstruction and plastics side not the mastectomy and it sounds like you have a referral to talk through and assess you for this. I found that https://restore-bcr.co.uk/ and https://keepingabreast.org.uk/ sites were great resources regarding reconstruction information.

Hope this helps and wishing you all the best xx

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Hi Summer Sunshine,

Thank you for your message.

Yes it is terrifying…,

So pleased that your DIEP reconstruction has been successful and you are happy with the results and alleviated from the stress of cancer recurrence.

It really helps to hear such a positive outcome from others and very kind of you to share this.

Yes I think you are right with your advice about reconstruction surgeons but I am slowly understanding things and I was in shock and panic at being givien the news about a mastectomy so unexpectedly. I am sure you are right about the multi disciplinary team avoiding unnecessary surgery though.

Thank you for the resources they are helpful.

Best wishes to you Xx

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