Bilateral Mastectomy / Immediate Reconstruction - Orlando, FL

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I was told it was one lobular carcinoma. After two lumpectomies, I learned it was in fact two masses and my wonderful breast surgeon, Dr. Danelle Chambers, recommended a mastectomy and Dr. Scott Rotatori as a plastic surgeon. Fortunately, my lymph nodes were clear. Dr. Chambers was able to to do a skin and nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy and Dr. Rotatori immediately reconstructed both breasts with Allergan 445 cc implants. (I was relieved to avoid radiation and if I had known I could these results, I would have had the bilateral mastectomy immediately.)

I never would have imagined posting on a site like this, but it was so helpful to me to see what breast surgery actually looks like, I want to encourage others by showing what a skin and nipple sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction can accomplish!

Dr Rotatori is so highly regarded in the professional community; everywhere I went in the hospitals (and I think I went everywhere in this drawn out process!) the nurses, technicians and other doctors all remarked, "At least you have an excellent surgeon."

Dr. Rotatori considered carefully and answered all my questions. He obviously cares about his work. He is not a boisterous or "showy" superficial plastic surgeon. He is practical and craftsmanlike, and I mean that in the very best way. There is no question he takes personal pride in his results. He is a painstaking and precise surgeon. He visited me in the hospital and his staff followed up with me several times before my follow-up appointment with him. You can see from my five week picture that the scars are negligible. After we discussed it, he used his professional judgment on the size and shape of the implants based on my measurements and skin and I feel the results are perfect for me.

When I visited my oncologist 10 days after the surgery, he actually gasped a little, and asked, "who was your plastic surgeon?" His nurse confided in me that her breasts didn't look as good as mine did after she had a breast lift (and she is much younger than I am.)

I cannot imagine the agony of having poor reconstruction results on top of enduring breast cancer. I recommend that anyone who needs surgery should go to Dr. Rotatori, and relax, knowing you are in skillful, caring hands.

I have had so many warm and supportive comments - Thank you all!

I took this picture on the third month anniversary of my bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
Hope this helps to see how the scars have faded and how natural my "new" breasts are. I have been using Palmer's cocoa butter for stretch marks every day, but the real basis for this great result is the skill of my surgeons, Danelle Chambers and Scott Rotatori.
I just want to encourage everyone not to be afraid of a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction (instead of lumpectomy and radiation). I keep saying, if I had had the radiation as originally recommended with my lumpectomy, I never would have been able to have this great reconstruction. I was literally "blessed" not to have had clear margins, to lead me to decide on the mastectomy!

Thanks to RealSelf for supporting us with a forum on which to share and support each other.