S2E13A: Choosing Our Breast Reconstruction Surgery | Reconstruction After Radiation

Too Young For This Shit | AYA Breast Cancer Podcast

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Shauna had a double mastectomy, while Rosalina had a unilateral mastectomy in 2021. Both had to wait six months post-radiation to get their “final” reconstruction surgery. For Shauna, this was the last thing on her list that she needed to check off. She was ecstatic, overjoyed, and looking forward to getting new foobs. Rosalina felt the opposite. She was frazzled and mentally drained from all her research and meeting with her plastic surgeon four or five times to ask more questions and devise a final plan.

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Resources

• https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/breast-reconstruction/types

• https://notputtingonashirt.org/whatisflatclosure/

• https://breastcancernow.org/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/living-beyond-breast-cancer/your-body/decorative-tattoos-after-breast-cancer-surgery

• https://www.cancer.org/treatment/finding-and-paying-for-treatment/health-insurance-laws/womens-health-and-cancer-rights-act.html

• Hybrid reconstruction: https://www.breastcenter.com/breast-reconstruction-procedures/hybrid-breast-reconstruction/

• **Important Info About DIEP Flap Reconstruction: In 2019, CMS decided to combine all flap breast reconstruction procedures together under one code and to phase out the unique codes for individual flap procedures by December 31, 2024. Although the coding changes don’t go into effect until next year, some health insurers have already stopped covering DIEP flap surgery.

  • https://www.breastcancer.org/news/diep-flap-surgery-cms-code-change