“Going flat”: rethinking life after mastectomy

“Going flat”: rethinking life after mastectomy

One in eight Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. For around 40%, treatment will involve a mastectomy — the surgical removal of one or both breasts. For some, reconstruction follows. Others, however, choose not to rebuild. They “go flat.” A growing number of women are choosing to forgo breast reconstruction after mastectomy — opting instead to live flat-chested. Yet until recently, their experiences remained l…