What is breast reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction is a variety of procedures that restore your breast’s form and shape following a mastectomy or lumpectomy surgery.
Why get a breast reconstruction surgery?
If you had a mastectomy or lumpectomy surgery, reconstructive breast surgery may be right for you. It’s important to discuss your cancer surgery with an aesthetic plastic surgeon before undergoing mastectomy. The proposed cancer removal surgery may significantly affect the choices and the results of your breast reconstruction. Factors such as individual anatomy, aesthetic goals, and the need for any post-surgical chemotherapy or radiation will determine your options.
Below are some of the benefits of breast reconstruction:
- Restore your feelings of femininity
- Improve symmetry if only one of your breasts is affected
- Feel more comfortable and confident in clothes and swimwear
- Remove reminders of your mastectomy and breast cancer experience
- Avoid wearing external breast forms or pads
- Feel like you again and restore confidence in your sexuality
What should I consider before getting breast reconstruction?
Please consult with your aesthetic plastic surgeon for more information on what is unique to you.
- Breast reconstruction involves additional surgery, medical appointments, and possibly additional costs.
- Breast reconstruction may interfere with your body’s natural state, which has just returned to normal health.
- Results are best if your body mass index is under 30.
- You should not have blood flow problems or other serious health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Diabetes and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma, increase the risk of wound healing problems and infections. Clotting disorders may increase the risks associated with breast reconstruction.
- Smoking interferes with blood flow and can cause problems after surgery, delay healing, and lead to more significant scars.
- Radiation therapy significantly affects the timing and the type of breast reconstruction surgery you will undergo. Radiation delays wound healing and can cause the skin to darken and tighten. Your reconstruction may require the use of your own tissue to help replace affected skin.
- Chemotherapy following mastectomy can also affect the timing of your reconstruction.
- Your reconstructed breast(s) will not have the same sensation or feel the same as your original breast(s).