what we're working on
Flat Closure NOW is dedicated to ensuring that breast cancer patients and providers understand that “going flat” is a valid, beautiful, healthy surgical option after mastectomy.
Click each focus area below to read about the specific projects FCN is tackling!
PROJECT GOALS
Patients:
To help those facing mastectomy to be fully informed about flat as a legitimate reconstructive option, and to provide them with the tools and resources they need in order to ensure their choice is honored and that they receive the best possible outcome. To help those who are living flat - no matter the quality of their surgical result - to access the community and informational support they need to heal.
Providers (Surgeons - General, Breast, and Plastic) and Hospital Administration:
To support surgeons who are working to provide optimal outcomes to patients going flat, and to support efforts to train general and breast surgeons in flat closure techniques. To support efforts to improve coordination of care between surgical oncologists and plastic surgeons.
Related Advocacy Organizations:
To ensure that all breast cancer organizations serving patients going flat have access to the best, most accurate and complete information and imagery in order to support these patients.
The Media:
To put the spotlight on flat closure and encourage public awareness and conversation about flat as a legitimate mastectomy choice that deserves parity with breast mound reconstruction, to engage public figures and the general public to support our cause, and to celebrate and promote the visibility and cultural normalization of a breastless chest contour in the public sphere.
Legislators:
To pitch and garner support for our legislative agenda - amending existing legislation (including but not limited to the WHCRA) to include specific language on flat closure, in order to promote parity for flat closure from the top down. Many legislators have a strong interest in breast cancer issues, and our proposals are bipartisan. The existing legislation provides an excellent framework that only needs small adjustments to cover flat closure alongside breast mound reconstruction.
Researchers:
To promote interest in research on flat closure - patient experience and outcomes, flat closure surgical techniques and training for surgeons, coordination of surgical approach and resources for referral, contributing factors to insurance coverage confusion and gaps, barriers to optimal care). To facilitate the execution of this research as patients.