Mastectomy with Skin Graft

I'm sorry but don't have experience about the issues that you are facing. However, I have had experience of making a decision about my surgery and treatment plan. I'm not sure if it will help, but I made a list of all the pros and cons for the options that I was given. I reviewed the literature that the hospital had given me, talked to close family and decided how I wanted my treatment to proceed. I then wrote a couple of paragraphs summarising the reasons for my decision and discussed it all with my surgeon and BCN. Going through this process really helped to firm up how I was feeling and also helped my medical team to understand. Good Luck and please do keep us posted on your progress. Take care x

I’m so sorry you find yourself here again. What a dilemma for you. Forgive me if I have this wrong, but from reading your post it appears your surgeon has given you a strong view as to what they think is the best option? If that’s the case, I personally would go with their opinion. So many times people are given options to work through and their surgeon doesn’t give a view. If they’ve given you a strong directive, I would personally take it, sometimes we just have to have faith that they know best, it’s their specialism after all and I know there are some high profile cases of rare rogue surgeons but I think most really do have our best interests at heart. Also, have you tried calling Macmillan and speaking to one of their nurses? I have found that really helpful when making decisions. All the best to you xx

Thank you both for your replies which I really appreciate.  It is a lonely place right now as I can find nobody who has been in my situation.

I actually have an appointment (separately) with both surgeons next Wednesday (one by phone and one in person to get my latest disaster biopsy results).  I am going to try to assess the risks in more detail with both.  I have to make a decision then and hope some additional information will help.  

In the meantime, I realise my situation is rare but if anyone has had this operation and wouldn't mind sharing their thoughts with me (privately by message would be perfect), I would be really grateful if they would contact me.  Thank you.

Hello, I am really sorry to read this. You must feel very isolated dealing with an unusual dilemma. I hope you don’t mind, but I just did a super quick search of the ‘Breast Cancer Now’ forum. I typed in ‘skin graft mastectomy’ and something did pop up. The title of the post is ‘Skin graft after DIEP?’, but it is dated 2008. I have no idea if this will be of any use to you, but maybe a further search might reveal something else, or you could write a new post and see what comes up (apologies if you have already done this). Xx

Thank you for doing this - I will take a look!