The cancer survivors waiting years for breast reconstruction

A cancer survivor who has waited almost eight years to get a breast reconstruction will finally get her surgery next month.

Gail Agar from Aberdeenshire had a mastectomy – an operation to remove her right breast – after being diagnosed with cancer in May 2016.

When she asked her surgeon to reconstruct her breast in summer 2017, she was warned to expect an 18 month wait.

NHS Grampian acknowledged that some patients had waited “vastly longer than we would have liked” and publicly apologised for the delay.

Ms Agar, 56, is one of a number of women who contacted BBC Scotland News about their delayed breast surgery following a report about lengthy waiting times.

The women, who range in age from 44 to 73, said they were grateful to the NHS medics who helped rid them of cancer.

But many spoke of the mental anguish of living with one breast for years while waiting for surgery.

And some felt guilt for wanting elective surgery which, unlike their previous treatment, would only improve their appearance – not save their life.

Ms Agar was diagnosed with breast cancer two days before her daughter’s second birthday.

She had chemotherapy and a mastectomy, and asked to have a breast reconstruction.

But while she waited for a surgery date, she has learned to live with one breast. She said she could not put her “life on hold”.

In the years since, she has got a new job and sadly lost her father. Her daughter is now 10, her mother is in her 80s and her husband works offshore.

It meant that when she was offered a surgery date with just a few days notice in 2022, she had to turn it down as she was unable to organise last-minute childcare.

Just before Christmas she was finally offered a date for surgery in February – almost eight years since she asked for reconstruction.

Now she admits she questioned her need for the surgery when the date for the operation finally came through.

“I have gone for seven years without getting it. Should I be electing to get it done?” she said.

But in the end, she has decided to go ahead with the surgery.

“I don’t really look at my body. I just want to feel like a woman again. My boobs were a big part of me,” she said.

“Every time I put on that prosthesis, it reminds me of my cancer journey. I just want to be over it.”

Breast reconstruction surgery usually take more than 12 hours and requires a large number of staff and theatre provisions.

NHS Grampian said its “surgical capacity remains challenged” and it was unable to undertake breast reconstructions in large numbers. They said they needed to prioritise patients based on “immediate clinical need”.

Waiting times have been affected by the pandemic and by an increased workload associated with mastectomies on women with the so-called Angelina Jolie or BRCA1 gene.

A spokesman for the health board confirmed they are currently undertaking a small number of delayed breast reconstruction surgeries and they are prioritising those who have faced the longest waits.

“While we are pleased to be once again undertaking these surgeries, it will take some time to tackle the backlog of patients waiting,” he added.

Jenni Christieson is so self-conscious since surgery to remove a breast, she has given up one of her passions – salsa dancing.

The 44-year-old from Abroath, who also lost her hair during chemotherapy, said she felt that she was losing the two things that made her look like a woman.

“Losing both at the same time was probably one of the hardest things and it was only the promise of my hair growing back and getting the breast reconstruction that stopped me from falling apart,” she said.

But three years on, she has yet to undergo breast reconstruction.

“My hair has taken ages to grown back and my reconstruction has not materialised,” the mother-of-three said.

The situation has taken its toll on Jenni’s mental health, and left her feeling self-conscious.

“I used to be a salsa dancer but I won’t do that any more. I’m so aware of not being looked at,” she said.

“One of the worst things is going to my wardrobe and nothing fits right,

“My daughter is getting married next year. I’m trying to get a mother-of-the-bride outfit but they all look awful.”

NHS Tayside confirmed that it had received a complaint.

A spokesperson added: “The surgical team continues to prioritise clinically urgent patients who require surgery as part of their breast cancer treatment.

“This means that some patients have waited longer than we would like for their reconstructive surgery and we apologise for this.

“A number of patients in this group have had their surgery in recent months and the service is exploring further opportunities for the remaining patients.”

Judith Logan had a breast reconstruction about a year after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer 20 years ago, when she was 43.

“It completely changed my life,” the 62-year-old from Aberdeen said. “[Beforehand] I couldn’t look in the mirror, I thought it was awful.

“Then I was given a reconstruction and a boob uplift on the other breast. The whole of the north-east got to see my amazing breasts,” she joked. “The surgeon who did it is my absolute hero.”

She has had breast cancer twice since then and in 2021 she had to undergo another mastectomy. She has been warned it could be another couple of years before it is reconstructed.

“I hate my body, I hate my prosthesis. But part of me asks if I’m being fair. It’s cosmetic, it’s not going to save my life,” she said.

“Am I being selfish because I want cosmetic surgery? But it goes deeper than that. It affects my mental health. I know the difference it made to me as a person the first time round.”

However she said she gets annoyed by people who complain about the delay.

“We don’t have a right to this. It’s part of the healing process. I see it as a privilege getting the surgery. I totally understand that life-saving operations have to come first.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Excessively long waits are not acceptable and we sympathise with any patient whose treatment has failed to reach standards we all expect from our health system.”

They said they were working with health boards to treat those who have waited too long as quickly as possible, while developing a sustainable model for the future.

“The Scottish government is considering key actions to support the development of the next cancer action plan ahead of its 2026 publication, aiming to improve cancer survival and provide equitable care,” they added.

“Our ambition remains that all women and girls receive the best possible health outcomes throughout their lives.”