When survivor Laura Morton was told she needed surgery for breast cancer, she really wanted to try nipple-sparing surgery — which is when surgeons work to keep the nipple and areola intact during a mastectomy.
“I so wanted to have the nipple-sparing surgery, I wanted the best cosmetic outcome that I could have,” Laura says. She visited a plastic surgeon’s office and spent some time looking through books of breast augmentations — she was almost sold on taking the nipple-sparing route. But when she visited another surgeon at a major cancer center, she got some really solid advice. “She said, ‘I’m not selling you plastic surgery, I’m not giving you cosmetic surgery. I’m giving you back breasts, because you have cancer,'” Laura says.
Read MoreAs much as it hurt to hear that she was not actually a good candidate for nipple-sparing surgery, Laura’s very happy that her surgeon was so honest with her. There’s value in asking your doctor the hard questions — and getting the hard answers.
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