Breast reconstruction is very specialised surgery. Surgeons who do this type of operation may be breast cancer surgeons or plastic surgeons. Some surgeons have some training in both these specialities and are known as oncoplastic surgeons.

Some operations need surgeons who are skilled in microsurgery, which is a specialised technique. These more complex operations will need to be done by a reconstructive plastic surgeon. You may need to travel to your regional plastic surgery unit – which may be some distance from your home - to have this type of operation. However, it may be possible to still have the mastectomy at the same time as the reconstruction. 

You can ask your breast cancer surgeon or specialist nurse if there is a surgeon in your hospital who carries out breast reconstruction. If not, your surgeon can refer you to a reconstructive surgeon at another hospital.

When you see the reconstructive surgeon, you can ask them about their experience in breast reconstruction. You can also ask to see photographs of operations they have done. This can help to give you an idea of what may be possible with reconstructive surgery.

It’s important that both your breast surgeon and the reconstructive surgeon are sensitive to your thoughts and feelings about breast reconstruction. 

Some questions to ask your breast surgeon

It often helps to have a list of questions to ask your surgeon. It can help you gather the information you need to consider when deciding whether to have breast reconstruction. Some questions you might want to ask are:

• What type of reconstruction surgery would you recommend for me and why?
• What are the risks and benefits of this type of surgery?
• When can I have surgery?
• Where can I have this surgery?
• Who can carry out this type of surgery?

Questions for the reconstruction surgeon

• What is your experience in this type of surgery?
• What can I expect my reconstructed breast to look and feel like?
• Immediately after surgery?
• After six months?
• After one year?
• What will the scar(s) be like?
• How long will I need to stay in hospital?
• How long will it take me to recover?
• What do I need to do to make sure I have a good recovery?
• Can I see pictures of the different types of operation?
• Can I talk to someone who has had this type of operation?