For the visits where the type of mastectomy or lumpectomy, lymph node procedure, and timing decisions are made. Use these as inspiration. Coordinate with your plastic surgeon if reconstruction is part of the plan.

About my surgery

1. What type of surgery do you recommend — lumpectomy, simple mastectomy, modified radical, double, prophylactic?
2. Why this approach for my specific cancer / risk profile?
3. What does the incision look like, and where?
4. Will I have drains, how many, and for how long typically?
5. How long is the surgery, and what does the day look like (admission, time, recovery)?

Lymph nodes

1. What lymph node procedure are you doing — sentinel node biopsy, axillary dissection?
2. Will the decision change based on what’s found during surgery?
3. What’s my risk of lymphedema with each option?
4. What restrictions will I have on the affected arm afterward (BP cuffs, IVs, blood draws)?

Pathology and follow-up

1. When will I have pathology results, and how will I receive them?
2. What information will the pathology give us — margins, grade, receptor status?
3. What if margins are positive — does that mean another surgery?
4. Will I need additional treatment (chemo, radiation, hormone therapy) afterward, and when is that decided?

Reconstruction coordination

1. Do you recommend immediate or delayed reconstruction for my situation?
2. When should I see the plastic surgeon — before this surgery, or after?
3. If I’m going flat, will the closure be optimized for that aesthetic?
4. How does radiation, if needed, affect reconstruction timing?

Recovery

1. What does week 1, week 4, week 8 look like for someone with my surgery?
2. When can I drive, lift, return to work, exercise?
3. What range-of-motion goals should I have, and when does PT start?
4. What signs of complication should make me call right away?