After Masectomy

My wife had a double masectomy a few years ago. She'd like to have breast augmentation to help her feel better about herself, but our insurance doesn't cover it. Is this common and if not, are there insurance carriers out there who do cover breast augmentation after masectomy?

I think most insurance companies only pay for a procedure if it is medical necessary. So if a doctor determines that for example a Breast reduction is medically necessary to avoid back surgery, then they will pay for the Breast reduction procedure.

unfortunatly breast augmentation following mastectomy is generally not covered by private insurance.It is still considered an elective procedure. It would still be a good option for your wife to consider. You can learn more about the procedure by clicking on the following link
http://www.plasticsurgery.com/breast-augmentation/info.aspx

Your wife would most likely have to undergo tissue expansion. This process can take several weeks. A surgical procedure is done to place a device under the skin to gradually streatch the tissue in the chest wall so that it can support the implant. Generally you can work with your oncologist to tean up with a plastic surgeon who has performed this type of procedure.