I have recently been diagnosed with BC for the third time. I am waiting to hear about my treatment plan. I'm hoping they will do a bilateral mastectomy I really don't want to go through this again. I have asked about reconstruction and been told I have to have a BMI of 33. Is this the case even for implants?Does this restriction apply in the private sector too? I would have to loose about 3.5 stone to achieve this. It was loosing two stone that showed up the lump.
Thank you
Hi Silverberg.
Thanks for getting in touch with us today.
We hope you are finding the support and information from the online community helpful.
My name is Helen and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists on the Macmillan Support Line
I am sorry to hear about the recent relapse of your breast cancer. It sounds like it’s a challenging time for you right now, while you wait to hear about your treatment plan and I am pleased you reached out to us for support.
It’s important that you don’t feel alone. Here at Macmillan, we offer a range of support and services you can access. You may find this link helpful to look at.
The NHS website Every Mind Matters has some useful tools and resources that may help you during this difficult time.
Macmillan Support Line can only give general information and support. We are independent from the NHS and don’t have access to medical records, so we can’t give personalised information or specific advice.
If you are worried about the type of surgery that will be available to you and the reduced possibility of breast reconstruction due to your weight, it would be best to get in touch with your local Breast Care team. You can contact the Consultant’s secretary or the Clinical Nurse Specialist.
It’s important you make an informed decision about any treatment you decide to have & fully understand the side effects and the benefits. The Breast Surgeons from the NHS and Private Sector will follow the same guidelines and regulations for breast surgery and reconstruction.
Your BMI (body mass index) may affect your options for breast reconstruction as having a high BMI increases the risk of complications after surgery.
Some people are advised not to have breast reconstruction. This may be because of the type or stage of their breast cancer, or because they have other medical conditions that increase the risk of complications after surgery.
If you’re advised not to have reconstruction or have delayed reconstruction due to your BMI, your breast or plastic surgeon should explain the reasons why. You can ask for a second opinion if you think this would be helpful.
Our information about breast reconstruction may be a useful resource. In addition, Breast Cancer Now have more details about types of breast reconstruction and the benefits and limitations. Keeping Abreast offers reconstruction support.
You might also want to contact Breast Cancer Now. They have a wide range of resources, including a service called Someone Like Me who can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a breast reconstruction.
I am pleased that you have already lost some weight. This link about tips to help you loose weight may be useful.
It may also help to read through this information from NHS about getting fit for surgery
We often find we can explain our answers in a bit more detail over the phone, giving you the opportunity to ask more questions if needed. It can be very overwhelming not knowing how things might affect you moving forward. And although we can’t tell you exactly what to expect, we can help explain what usually happens for most people in a similar situation.
If there is anything else we can help you with please, feel free to get back in touch.
Best wishes
Helen,
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts.
Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
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