You and your surgeon

Please remember that breast reconstruction is a surgical procedure; this means that even a specialized surgeon may not guarantee a successful outcome. Of course, the experience and skill of the surgeon will have an impact on the outcome of the surgery. Therefore, it is important to take your time to find a surgeon you can trust.

Breast Cancer Care organizations may help you find a surgeon in your area. A good source for addresses of reconstruction specialists are professional associations and patient support groups. In some countries, there are breast health centres that may help you with your search. Maybe friends and acquaintances have experience of a surgeon and can provide a recommendation. In some hospitals and clinics, you may look at images of former patients or even make contact with them to ask questions.

During your consultation with your surgeon, you should not hesitate to ask them about their experience of breast reconstruction. A good surgeon will schedule enough time for a detailed consultation and examine you thoroughly. They will not make any unrealistic promises about the expected result and will not push you to make a quick decision.

A thorough preliminary examination includes questions about the cancer treatments you have received or will receive, allergies, chronic diseases, drugs that you are taking, tendency for increased scarring, and other factors that could influence the outcome of surgery. You should receive thorough answers to your questions and feel free to seek a second or third opinion.