Who is really making the important decisions when it comes to breast reconstruction? I think the most immediately apparent thing that has struck me in Milan this week is the fact that in spite of every surgeon’s attempts to portray themselves as operating in the best interests of our patients, this simply cannot always be true. I say this because I have spent the last few days listening to surgeons passionately defending their operative choices, telling anyone who will listen that they continue to do X or Y operation (often in spite of evidence against doing so), because they truly believe that they are doing the best thing for their patients. I have heard these men and women describe what I would consider antiquated, out of date, often what I think are just crazy choices, and then defend them as being good for their patients, and therefore the right thing to do. Now, as far as I can tell, the only way that this can be possible, is if in many (many) cases, the choices put to patients are limited by what a surgeon is capable of. And without any extra information in their possession, such patients believe that their … Continue reading What women want?