Breast cancer patient under the care of Dr. Grace Ma.
This…read morereview is not for cosmetic patients. It is for women navigating reconstruction after cancer, especially younger women trying to make careful, long-term decisions about their bodies during an already overwhelming time.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent mastectomy on September 3, 2025. I chose this surgeon intentionally because I did not want breast implants. From the beginning, I was clear that I wanted reconstruction using my own tissue. My goal was not to recreate what I had before, but to move forward in a way that felt livable in my body. Smaller, lighter, natural. I would have rather gone flat than have implants.
Based on those conversations, I agreed to a staged reconstruction plan. I underwent mastectomy with placement of a tissue expander with the understanding that DIEP flap reconstruction would follow in about three months.
My mastectomy went well. My pathology showed the best possible outcome and I had no healing complications. There was no medical reason to delay reconstruction.
I continued through recovery believing the plan was moving forward. I completed a CT scan specifically for DIEP surgery. At my final appointment, I was told surgery would be scheduled and to expect a call from the nurse.
After receiving no call as promised, I followed up. The following week, I received a voicemail stating that DIEP reconstruction was not covered by my insurance and implants were suggested instead.
I contacted my insurer directly. They informed me no prior authorization had ever been submitted on my behalf. The procedure had never been reviewed, which also meant I had no path to appeal.
I reached out to the office multiple times asking them to submit the authorization or confirm in writing that they would not, so I could move forward elsewhere. I received no response.
As a result, I have been left for months in the expander stage of reconstruction, which is supposed to be temporary. It is painful, physically limiting, and not something you can simply adjust to. I cannot sleep on my side. I have ongoing discomfort and shoulder pain. This has gone on far beyond what I agreed to.
Eventually I had no choice but to leave and find a new surgeon, restarting reconstruction mid-process.
That should not happen in the middle of cancer care.
This was not a medical complication. It was a breakdown in communication and follow-through that left me without access to the reconstruction I had planned and consented to. It also reflects a failure to respect clearly stated patient goals.
I filed complaints with my insurance, my state senators, and the Insurance Commissioner. The Commissioner's office investigated and determined that the barrier to my care was the responsibility of my provider, not my insurer.
Today the medical board informed me that my complaint falls outside their jurisdiction and referred me to the Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.
We are talking about cancer treatment and my body btw, yes, the body I live in and am always aware of. Women are not lifeless objects that have no thoughts or feelings. My cancer reconstruction should not be in the same category as a microwave oven but that is where becoming a client of Peachtree Plastic Surgery has led me.
If you are a breast cancer patient considering reconstruction, do not assume that statements about what is or is not covered are final. Confirm that a prior authorization has actually been submitted and reviewed. Get everything in writing.
I would not recommend this surgeon if your goal is autologous reconstruction or if you do not want implants.
I am sharing this as a warning so that other women do not find themselves in the same position.
