Be aware, do not go to Doctor Alan Musket, in Billings Plastic Surgery in Billings Montana.
During my first visit with Dr Musket he took his notes, pictures, etc. And then he stated that he would contact Dr. Smith to discuss the details in regards to the mastectomy. Not ones he asked me how I felt about the procedure or if I had any questions and he sent me out my way. Now that's not necessarily all his fault, the truth is that at the time I didn't know what to ask or how to feel.
So, I just went with what he said and trusted him, I thought... he is the Doctor, he knows what he is doing and he works with Dr. Sarah Smith with whom I was very impressed.
After the cancer treatment was completed the 2nd visit with him was very short again he did what he needed to do told me what was to take place during the procedure (latissimus dorsi flap). I asked him about a different procedure that I had read about, right away he turned it down and said that I was not not a good candidate for it. At this time I should have stopped everything but again I kept reminding myself that he knew better.
I should have never agreed to a Latissimus Dorsi Flap for breast reconstruction, the muscle taken from my back was placed on my chest above the breast area, it is a horrible procedure, it disfigured my back, I have constant back pain, and the muscles on my chest moved on their own, all the time! I hated feeling like a body builder, only on my chest I should add, because nowhere else on my body felt like that ????
After the reconstruction surgery my breast were too far on my sides they were huge, and painful. (He gave me side boobs????)The pain continued until I had the implants removed.
On the 2nd procedure, which he called a revision, he did liposuction on my hips so he could use the fat for my right breast because it had an indentation, it didn't work, it only made my breast bigger, at the same time he reconstructed my nipples that I hated because he made them so big. I remember being so angry with him,...he left an indentation on my hips where the fat was taken from, he thought he was doing me a favor, I knew that when he said that I was going to love what he did to my hips ☹
I will never forget his words, when I brought up my concerns to him, which left me feeling hopeless. He said ( you are as reconstructed as you will ever be)
I'm saddened by the fact that others go through the same experience as me.