Questions to ask your plastic surgeon
The plastic surgeon does the reconstruction. Take this with you. You are allowed to ask any of it, and a good surgeon will be glad you did.
You don't have to ask them all. Start with the ones in bold — the rest are there if you want them.
About them
- Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
- Do you have hospital privileges to do this procedure, and where?
- Do you offer all of the options yourself — implants, my own tissue, and going flat? If not, will you refer me to someone who does?
- How many reconstructions like mine do you do each year?
About you
- Am I a good candidate for this?
- What are all of my options — implants, my own tissue, delayed reconstruction, or going flat — and what are the trade-offs for me?
- Which technique do you recommend for me, and why that one?
- How would radiation or other cancer treatment change the plan, if I need it?
- How will you and my breast surgeon plan the mastectomy and the reconstruction together?
- What will my breasts look and feel like, with clothes on and off? Where will the scars be?
- What sensation am I likely to lose, and is preserving or restoring any of it an option for me?
- Will my reconstructed breast match my other one? Should I consider surgery on that side to make them look alike?
- If you use my own tissue, what will the place it came from look and feel like afterward — pain, scars, weakness?
- Would my implant be saline or silicone? What's the difference in how it feels, and in how I'd know if it ruptured?
- If I have an implant, would it go above or below the muscle, and what difference does that make for me?
Recovery
- How long is the operation, and how long will I be in the hospital?
- How many drains will I have, for how long, and how much help will I need at home?
- How much pain should I expect, and how will it be managed?
- When could I drive, work, lift, exercise and sleep comfortably again?
- Will I have exercises to do, and when do I start them? Will I need physical therapy?
- Will you give me instructions for scar care and desensitization?
- What can I do before and after surgery to support healing, and what could slow it down?
Longer term
- What are the risks and complications, and how do you handle them if they happen?
- How many planned operations and appointments should I expect, and over what timeframe? What would mean extra surgery?
- What happens if the reconstruction fails, or I decide I don't want to continue?
- What are my options if I'm unhappy with the result?
- Can I see before-and-after photos, and what result is realistic for me?
- What care or further surgery might I need years from now?
- If I have implants, will I need extra imaging to keep an eye on them, and how often?
- What will insurance cover, and what might I have to pay myself?
Is this person right for you?
I asked my plastic surgeon what her favorite surgery was, and what she listened to in the operating room. Not because the answers mattered — because I wanted to know who she was, and whether we were a good match. You're allowed to ask things like that. It's how you find out who someone is.
- What made you choose plastic surgery and reconstruction as your career?
- What's your favorite surgery to do?
- What music do you listen to in the operating room?
- Will you be doing the whole operation yourself, or will part of it be someone else?
- If something worries me after I'm home, who do I call — and who actually answers?
- Can I speak to a patient of yours who's had this done?
- How many times will I see you before the day?
- If I change my mind about what I want, how do you handle that?
The first four groups build on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons consultation checklist, with questions added about radiation, sensation, planning with your breast surgeon, and cost. The last group is mine.
foobsontheloose.com — questions to ask your plastic surgeon