A Kansas City woman’s breast cancer diagnosis led her to a groundbreaking surgical option that cut her recovery time in half and allowed her to return to daily life faster than traditional procedures.
Nearly two years ago, AnnMarie Neal discovered a lump near her upper collarbone, months after moving from Denver. Initially dismissing it as a fatty lipoma, Neal sought a mammogram at a Blue Springs multi-specialty clinic.
“I had just had a mammogram in November, and this was in May. I thought my mammogram couldn’t be bad,” Neal recalled. “Lo and behold, it wasn’t normal.”
She was diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative lobular breast cancer, with a large tumor measuring 8.5 centimeters. “I think you go into survival mode,” Neal said. “I knew what I had to do.”
At Saint Luke’s, Neal met a team of specialists who offered a direct-to-implant reconstruction option immediately following her bilateral mastectomy.
“Sometimes, we can go right to the implant at the time of surgery,” said Dr. Dana Rioux Forker, a plastic surgeon at Saint Luke’s. “You go in to get a mastectomy and wake up with your reconstruction done.”
Neal immediately agreed. She had feared the traditional tissue expander method, which requires weekly visits for up to 12 sessions to gradually stretch the tissue. “All I envisioned was what my mother-in-law went through—expanders, constant appointments, and fillings,” Neal said.
Direct-to-implant reconstruction, by contrast, typically requires only five follow-up visits over three months. “It was huge to go direct to implant,” Neal said. “I’ve resumed all my activities—pickleball, golf, everything.”
The benefits are not only physical but also practical, with reduced appointments, lower costs, and a faster path to normalcy. “When I came home from having a bilateral mastectomy, I had breasts. And they looked awesome,” Neal said.
Studies from leading cancer centers support the procedure’s effectiveness. Research shows that 70-80% of direct-to-implant patients need only the initial surgery, compared to traditional reconstruction, where about a third of patients require three or more surgeries.
Eighteen months after her surgery, Neal says she feels better than before. “When I look in the mirror now, I’m better than I was before. And I don’t have cancer,” she said.
Neal encourages others facing breast cancer to educate themselves and seek support. “Become educated. Surround yourself with people who will help educate you. Get your mammograms and ask questions. When you are told you have dense breast tissue, ask for an ultrasound and an MRI.”
The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 guarantees insurance coverage for breast reconstruction, including any necessary adjustments to achieve symmetry, for the lifetime of the patient.
