Dbl or single masectomy? public health
Hi, ive been diagnosed with dcis in left breast Aug 2026, but breast specialist says likely invasive too as its large, will need masectomy and probably need radiotherapy after too. Right has shown something of concern but cant get in for a biopsi via mri for 2 weeks but need to make decision asap as they want left off. Do i get left off and wait for right biopsi results, or get both off now? If i get right off without mri they say unlikely to get sentinol node biopsi done too yet i saw a private reconstruction specialist who has recomended both the sentinol nodes to be biopsied during bi lat masectomy and has helped inform my decison for a dble masectomy in terms of reconstruction outcomes, individual risk factors etc. I know if the results come back invasive cancer in right it will be hard to do biopsi of sentinol node and likely need all nodes stripped which can lead to lymphodema and those issues. Amyone else have any ideas? Public system challenges?54ViewsSign in to react to this post0Comments
Endoscopic BC surgery available at Princess Alexandra Hospital Qld - minimally invasive
A new surgery procedure is now available in Qld - it has been used successfully previously in Asia - It is minimally invasive & usually results in a shorter recovery time. While new to Queensland, the technique is well-established and has been performed for years across Asian countries like Taiwan, Korea, and Singapore. Dr Khoo noted that its popularity there is partly due to the suitable anatomy of Asian women, who tend to have smaller breasts on average. Endoscopic Breast Cancer surgery is now available at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Qld - for suitable patients. ... “The procedure can be achieved with a 3-4 centimetre incision placed away from the breast and enables us to do a full implant or autologous reconstruction using the same incision,” Dr Khoo said. Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) in Brisbane has introduced an endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy, marking the first time this groundbreaking keyhole surgery technique has been available in Queensland. Brought to the state by oncoplastic breast surgeon Dr Jeremy Khoo, the minimally invasive procedure has already helped five local women and is expected to benefit 250 to 300 patients annually at PAH. Key Features and Benefits Faster Recovery: Patients can typically return to normal activities within two to four weeks, compared to four to eight weeks required for traditional open surgery. [1] Shorter Hospital Stay: Shorter hospitalisations mean patients frequently spend just one to two days in the hospital. Reduced Scarring: The procedure uses a high-definition camera through a small 3–4 cm incision away from the breast, preserving cosmetic outcomes and significantly minimizing physical and emotional scarring. Immediate Reconstruction: The approach combines the mastectomy with an immediate implant reconstruction. The technique will not replace conventional open breast surgery entirely. It is only suitable for selected patients, including women diagnosed with breast cancer or those at high genetic risk who opt for prophylactic risk-reducing mastectomies. https://www.metrosouth.health.qld.gov.au/about-us/news/pa-hospital/queensland-first-surgical-technique-at-pah-to-benefit-breast-cancer-patients44ViewsSign in to react to this post0Comments
Surgical options
Hi all, I have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and I have my first meeting with the surgeon on Thursday. I know to expect surgery soon but dont know if this will be lumpectomy or mastectomy. I know that this will be one of the things to discuss on Thursday but I am curious if there is a 'choice' - in a sense part of me just wants to be told which option but I wondered if anyone here made a decision one way or the other and how they felt about that? How long do you get to make any decisions if a choice is available? Am also put this query in the recently diagnosed thread as I have not posted before and not sure which is better for this. Thanks for any thoughts.167ViewsSign in to react to this post5Comments
Inquiry
Had left hand side mastectomy with sentinel lymph biopsy 3 weeks ago and results showed 4mm on the node and dcis 19mm and invasive ca 22mm found hence surgeon suggested axillary clearance which i have done a last week and still recovering. I dont get enough sleep as i kept waking up in the middle of the night. I have not book my post review as still processing all the information.188ViewsSign in to react to this post4Comments
A-cup surgery options
I have very small breasts and I do a lot of running. My surgeon says she can easily do a silicon implant reconstruction for my unilateral mastectomy, but she didn’t have a sample of an implant that was small enough to match my size in her collection of samples or in recent patient images. I’m concerned that the end result will be annoying when I’m running and whether an aesthetic flat closure would be a simpler option for someone with such small breasts to start with. Can anyone relate and what did you decide?151ViewsSign in to react to this post2CommentsMentally preparing for mastectomy
Hi everyone, I have just finished chemo and am having a single skin sparing mastectomy, with temporising implant, in June. Any handy hints on getting oneself mentally prepared? I am anxious, scared and all the emotions in between. Thanks in advance201ViewsSign in to react to this post4CommentsAnother Re-Excision or Mastectomy?
Note: this is all behind me now and I feel great. I had four surgeries in the end, the last being a mastectomy. Recovery was pretty easy and I now have my external prosthesis, and noone would even know! Well, here I go again. I was diagnosed with DCIS in December. It has been a long path, but I eventually had a double lumpectomy on my right breast on 26 March 2026. A week later I was told that although they got clear margins, three of the margins on my largest lesion (4 cm) were less than 1mm. So, I had a re-excision on 15 April to get wider margins. I saw the surgeon this morning, who told me they found more disease and the new margins are still less than 1mm in two places. I have to have more surgery next Wednesday but have to decide (by Friday) whether to have another re-excision (and my breast will be starting to look a bit sad after that) or go straight to a mastectomy. She said it was quite feasible to try a re-excision again, to preserve the breast if I want to, but if they still find disease or don't get good clearances, then I have no choice but to have a mastectomy. If I have the re-excision, I have to have radiation treatment for 3 weeks, 5 days a week afterwards. If I have a mastectomy, then it's all done. No radiation and no lymph node involvement. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do / or want to share your story if you've had a similar experience? I know it's my decision, but your advice is appreciated, thank you.828ViewsSign in to react to this post26Comments
Post mastectomy and auxiliary clearance concerns ?
Hi I am a 45 yr old post single mastectomy on my left breast and also full auxiliary clearance and was hoping for some advice from those who have gone through the same ! I am still struggling to be able to lift my left arm to a full reach and also have some weird sensations in different parts of my under arm and also my upper arm and from where breast was ! I haven’t left the house much and can feel my mental health heading down ! I’m just curious as how long it took others to be able to be at full arms reach after surgery and or any tips regarding this ! I am following the after drain removal exercises but still quite painful for me is this normal for 2 weeks 3 days post surgery ? Feeling quite lost with it all so thought would reach out to others for some or any advice ? Thanks a lot for taking the time to read !!286ViewsSign in to react to this post7Comments
Prosthetic
Hi there, this is my first post. I have had a single mastectomy of the right breast in October 2026 and recently given the all clear to get myself a prosthetic. I got an Amoena gel prosthetic which I am very happy with but I am finding that when I wear it in my mastectomy bra I am getting really itchy inside my scar. My scar is still numb so scratching is useless 🤦♀️. Just wondering if anyone else has this issue? if it will go away? or is this still part of the healing?142ViewsSign in to react to this post2Comments
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