Hello all. I wonder if anyone who has already undergone breast conserving surgery on one breast could tell me if balancing surgery on the non cancer side was offered? I’m in the middle of neo adjuvant chemo which I’m responding well to, hoping that this will mean we have the option of conservative surgery rather than mastectomy. Surgery is likely to be end of July. My breasts already were a fair bit uneven (the cancer affected breast is maybe half a cup size smaller already) so any further tissue loss is going to make that more pronounced, so rebalancing would be really welcome. Overall size reduction across both would not be unwelcome. I am 36 (nearly 37) and would be keen to maintain good shape through reconstruction of some sort depending on what the surgery ends up being. A bit of googling suggests the cancer centre I’m treated through will offer balancing as part of oncoplastic surgery, but I just wanted to see if there were any helpful experiences here. Thank you!
Hey @felineoptimist
I think a lot of this depends on your breast size and the size and location of your cancer.
I had a wide local excision of a 1cm tumour plus margins from the upper outer quadrant at an A cup and my breast, apart from the incision scar, which is nice and neat, currently looks exactly the same as it did before the surgery.
Thanks @mssteel - I’ve lost track of how big they said the initial areas (2) were, but reasonably big, and larger than 1cm - the ultrasound done a couple of weeks ago showed it has reduced already from chemo. I am an FF with a smaller back (32) and the affected area is outer lower quadrant and was initially looking quite close to the nipple. I guess a detailed conversation with the surgeon is the only proper answer I’ll get… !
That is great news that the chemo is doing it’s job and yeah you’re right that only your surgeon will know the plan for your particular situation, however it’s always worth seeking that lived experience from others in the meantime also. 
Hi felineoptimist
I had bilateral breast conserving surgery 10days ago. The lump in my smaller breast was large and the lump in my larger breast was small. So basically was in a similar position to you!
The oncoplastic surgeon suggested removing more tissue from the larger breast at the same time as removing the lump (Wide Local Excision with Therapeutic Mammoplasty) so that I wouldn’t be too uneven long term.
Additionally at my post op check he suggested a revision surgery at some point so that both breasts are lifted to the same level (there’s not a huge difference 
) if that is what I want.
I get the strong impression that as well as needing to remove the cancer (obviously) the surgeons pride themselves on a good aesthetic result also.
Hope that helps xx
Hi, I had a therapeutic mammoplasty on my right breast 6 weeks ago my tumour was 3.9cm and I had large breasts 48 F and I was lucky that my trust allows a lift and reduction on the unaffected breast for symmetry at the same time. Although I had to have a further 3 surgeries in a week due to infection of the wounds on the cancer side I am super happy with my new pert boobies at age 59 and am now healing well
@jock thank you so much for sharing - that really does help. I guess it’s good just to hear that there is a conversation to be had, knowing in the grand scheme of things the best outcome is ‘no cancer’ but that the way our bodies look and feel afterwards is still important. Will the revision be offered by your original surgeon or do you get referred to plastic surgery?
My original surgeon was oncoplastic anyway because I had a nipple and areola complex reconstruction at the same time on that side.
I think that if you need a mammoplasty rather than an implant it will always be an oncoplastic surgeon rather than a breast surgeon.
It’s good that we were both given the option 
i’m in a similar situation. i am a 32e - i had multifocal IDC so had two lumps removed from the same side of the same breast - i had a therapeutic mammoplasty (WLE which removed about 150grams) which meant my cancer breast dropped about two cup sizes- i had radiation in june. on the NHS i’ve been offered symmetrisation surgery to resize the right breast but only after 12 months after radiation . i currently have health insurance through work so the consultant said he can do it after 4 months. they are both different sizes and quite noticeable and the nipples are in different postcodes. i was told not to wear underwire bra because of the scar from the therapeutic mammoplasty. i have a silicone pad thing to put in the bra with the smaller breast which adds the extra shape/bulk but - the underwire bra situation doesn’t help. i’m going to get the symmetrisation surgery as soon as i can so that i can - for myself - feel like everything is fine. i was told on the nhs it is typically 12 months post radiation to allow for changes in the effected breast. if you aren’t having radiation then they might be able to do it sooner. just started 10 yrs of tamoxifen.
Thanks @twig79 - sounds like a very similar situation. Interesting that your private surgeon will do the surgery sooner. I’m going for my first surgery on Tuesday, then radio in September assuming all goes to plan. So I’ll be uneven until late 2027 when she’ll do the balancing surgery. At the moment I’m not too worried about it but I don’t relish having to give up my underwires…
good luck with your surgery and radio. i was advised by a breast cancer nurse to look at nicola jane a specialist underwear shop- i went to one of their drop ins at a hospital and a lovely lady measured me and i got to try on loads of styles- with the bra and silicon insert no one (except me!) can tell regarding the sizing. m&s have some good bras too i wear their cotton post surgery bandeau bra a lot (without an insert) as it’s padded so under loose tops it’s fine. i guess he’ll do it earlier cos it’s being paid for but he said 3-4 months post radio was the earliest as the breast size can be impacted by the radiotherapy as well and those changes can take time - but ironically he would be the same surgeon i’d see on the nhs, so i’m lucky in a way that i have the insurance at this stage. i must admit over the last couple of months when im up and dressed im a lot less bothered by the size difference as the scarring is healing and im getting used to it- so im even questioning myself if i need the other one done (i change my mind on that quite often) its when i look in the mirror i feel i want the surgery.
also i wonder how many women are offered it but dont take it up because 12-18months later they don’t want to disrupt their lives by 6 weeks to have surgery again and re live being a patient. that’s also what i ask myself - do i want to have 6 weeks or reduced mobility no exercise compression bra etc, it’s a lot to think about. sorry if this hasn’t helped!