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New Resource Pages at Flat Closure NOW for Patients Seeking Explant and Revision Surgery
EXPLANT SURGERY
Our sister organization, Flat Closure NOW (FCN), just published a new resource page for women who have chosen to remove their breast implants (“explant“) and go flat!
If you are considering going flat after explant, please visit FCN’s Explant Page to learn about the process and how to ensure you get an acceptable cosmetic result! It’s not always a straightforward process to find a good explant surgeon, and there are many practical considerations patients may not be aware of, including the insurance coverage issue:
“In the United States the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 requires almost all insurers to cover breast cancer related surgeries, including explant… [but] not all plastic surgeons understand the law, and not all plastic surgery practices know how to handle the logistics… If your surgeon says that your insurance won’t cover your explant, consider getting a second opinion.” – FCN (our bold)
In terms of getting a flat result after explant, there is a real risk that the explant surgeon will simply remove the implants and leave behind the excess skin, producing a “deflated” appearance that is highly distressing to many patients who affirmatively chose to go flat. This is flat denial, and it happened to Suzie, a brave survivor who shared her story with Not Putting on a Shirt last year, and just this month shared her “Finally Flat” revision surgery story.
“To be clear, breast cancer patients are allowed to change their minds. This does NOT justify a surgeon overriding a patient’s clear directive.” – FCN
FCN’s Explant Page lists specific steps to take and questions to ask your explant surgeon to ensure you get a good flat result in one surgery.
Further Reading: Beth Greenfield recently wrote a great article about explant entitled “Why some breast cancer survivors are getting their implants removed” for Yahoo Lifestyle. She interviewed four women who chose to explant, as well as several surgeons, and has some encouraging words about the changing culture in the medical community.
“All the surgeons interviewed for this article believe that a shift within the medical community is occurring, if slowly, to focus on better informing and empowering patients on their options.” – Beth Greenfield (our bold)
REVISION SURGERY: GOING FLATTER
If you pursued explant surgery and were left with an unacceptable result, OR if you received an unacceptable result after your initial mastectomy despite clearly stating your wishes, you may not be aware of the possibility of revision surgery to “fix it,” i.e. create a flat contour. FCN also recently published a Revision Surgery resource page where you can learn about that process. And Not Putting on a Shirt is currently publishing a series called “Finally Flat” where brave survivors of flat denial who have had revision surgery share their stories of perseverance and hope.
Together, we WILL put an end to flat denial.
#notputtingonashirt #flatclosurenow #putflatonthemenu #goingflat #explant