How to decide whether to have breast reconstruction surgery

• Breast reconstruction is permanent.

• Breast reconstruction is a woman’s choice. Under federal law, health insurers are required to pay for reconstruction or any surgery related to mastectomy or reconstruction. This is true regardless of when the reconstruction is done, or whether the mastectomy was done as a preventive measure rather than after a breast cancer diagnosis.

• A breast prosthesis is simpler than reconstruction surgery; it is just placed in your bra

• A prosthesis does not require any additional surgery or doctors' visits.

• However, it is a temporary device, and the larger your breasts the more cumbersome a breast prosthesis can be.

• Clothes with a lower neckline or a bathing suit can pose some problems for some women using a prosthesis.

• Sometimes oncologists recommend not having immediate breast reconstruction if the cancer is very aggressive because they do not want to delay the chemotherapy.

• Some women delay breast reconstruction because they are not ready (mentally, physically). It can be performed at any time at a later date.

• There are certain factors that make some women better candidates for breast reconstruction than others.

• Conditions that may prevent you from having breast reconstruction are: other medical illnesses that may not allow you to have prolonged anesthesia or additional surgery, being a heavy smoker or being treated with radiation therapy. Radiation therapy has been shown to have a negative impact on breast reconstruction so it may be advisable to delay reconstruction until after radiation therapy has been completed.

• If you have a breast surgeon who works with a plastic surgeon, you can get a referral.

• Research the person you are going to see.

• Find out how much breast reconstruction experience the surgeon has.

• Make sure that doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Go to the ABPS web site and look for your surgeon to find out more about them.

For more information on breast reconstruction surgery and breast prosthesis, go to www.komen.org or call Komen for the Cure’s helpline at 1-800-IM AWARE.