Breast and plastic surgeon team in Melbourne please?
DaisyMarigold
Member Posts: 306 ✭
Hi - I'm a BCNA member of 4 years, and my dearest friend has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She is joining BCNA, but I have offered to get this post up on her behalf while she comes to grips with her diagnosis. I was very happy with my breast surgeon, but not at all with the plastic surgeon who was recommended because they operate at the same hospital. I had a mastectomy with immediate implant. My friend is planning on doing the same. She is privately insured, so needs a very good breast surgeon and plastic surgeon who work as a team at the same private hospital. Any help over the weekend would be greatly appreciated - she is seeing her GP again on Monday and can get referrals. Thanks so much, DaisyMarigold.
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@DaisyMarigold hugs to your Dear Friend. So Ive been on the merry go round for quite some years now. 1st Diagnosis in 2011 and 2nd in 2015, thank God!!! for my Breast Surgeon, without him and his expertise it would have been missed if I had of listened to the biopsy results, useless! I see Craig Murphy at Freemasons, he also works closely with Dean Trotter Plastic Surgeon. I had 2 breast surgeries at Freemasons with Craig and then Feb this year I had a single mastectomy/diep flap recon at The Royal Melb with Craig and Dean as they put me through the public system so I had no out of pocket. You can see my story in the Reconstruction Group, I'm super happy with my result and within 90 days heading for my revision surgery to complete my new boob lol with a nipple and lift my right to match
Hugs Melinda xo 1 -
You're a darling - thanks so much. I will pass this one. xx0
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@nikkid also was very happy with her Plastic Surgeon, and Breast Surgeon who are also in Melbourne, who I'm sure would be happy to share the details. Hugs Melinda xo1
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Hi @DaisyMarigold and thx @melclarity - I went private and have had my two surgeries at St Vincent's Hospital (a left vertical skin sparing mastectomy, insertion of Aeroform tissue expander and SLNB in April 2016 and a DIEP Reconstruction in March this year, with a final one planned for September). My breast surgeon was Meron Pitcher (who is head of surgery at Western Hospital and also does public work for Breastscreen). Her private rooms are at the Western Hospital in Footscray. I think she might also have rooms at Northpark Private Hospital in Bundoora. Meron didn't charge any out of pocket expenses. I saw two breast surgeons for two opinions at the beginning - but found I clicked best with Meron and am very happy I decided to go with her. She 'got' me. The breast care nurses who also work with her are just lovely as well. Meron recommended Damien Grinsell from Horizon Plastic Surgery as the plastic surgeon she prefers and whose charges are not as high as some and I have found he's very good - very particular, a good surgeon. Damien has rooms in Essendon and at St Vincent's. Meron also recommended Richard De Boer as my oncologist and I'm very happy with him as well.
So, all in all, it's a great team that works well for me. Happy to give more contact details if needed.
Like @melclarity you can see my reconstruction story in the Breast Reconstruction group.
Please pass our hugs on to your friend - and what a lovely friend you are for helping out in this way
Nikki x
ps Meron operated at St Vincent's with Damien (even though she operates at the Epworth and other hospitals) because Damien booked the surgery and Damien does all his private breast surgery at St Vincent's.1 -
Hi Nikkid - thanks so much for taking the time to answer this. Much appreciated. I have sent your info to my friend, and we'll be back in touch if she needs more information. Interesting to see that your surgeons cooperated out of the one hospital - I had to go with the plastic surgeon who operated out of the same hospital as the breast surgeon. So I've learned from this too. DaisyMarigold xx0
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No worries - they usually have a surgeon they want to or regularly work with. And then depending on who books the surgery, then generally determines where it takes place.
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Great - thanks - will pass on to my friend. xx1
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Hi I also had Meron and Damien and was very happy with both..My first meeting with Damien I was a bit put off as I found him a bit arrogant. I arranged another visit and was much happier . I had tramflap with a lift on the other side he visited every day while I was in hospital an follow up care after was good., he was happy to keep gong until I was happy with my new boobs. Hope this helps.0
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@DaisyMarigold my breast surgeon was Jenny Senior at Cabrini and I could not reccomend her highly enough. She is amazing. I ended up having my surgery in the public system as wasn't covered for plastic surgery, but was fortunate that Jenny also did a day a week in the public system-it just meant it cost me nothing. She teamed up with Will Blake/Yvonne Chow (plastic surgeons) who were also fantastic and so easy to deal with!0
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Great - thanks so much to all of you. This is so much appreciated by me and my friend. I've forwarded all your responses, she is seeing her GP tomorrow and is really grateful that you've all taken the time to respond. You're a galaxy of stars!! DaisyMarigold xx2
