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"Beauty comes as much from the mind as from the eye."
- Grey Livingston |
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Reconstructive Surgery>>
Breast Reconstruction
What Is Breast Reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction surgery restores breast appearance for women who have had their breast(s) removed to treat breast cancer. A plastic surgeon rebuilds the breast so it is about the same size and shape as it was before the mastectomy. The nipple and the darker area surrounding the nipple (the areola) can also be surgically reconstructed.
Some women will have breast reconstruction done at the same time as the mastectomy, while others, like Applegate, may wait a requisite period of time.
With immediate breast reconstruction, the chest tissue is undamaged by radiation therapy or scarring. Also, immediate reconstruction means one less surgery.
Delayed breast reconstruction may be advised if radiation to the chest area is needed after the mastectomy. Radiation therapy that follows breast reconstruction can increase complications after surgery.
The reconstruction process may require one or more operations. The final surgery is typically the nipple and areola reconstruction.
Am I a Candidate for Breast Reconstruction?
Each year, more than 240,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the Atlanta-based American Cancer Society. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 57,000 breast reconstructions were performed in 2007, up 2 percent since 2006.
Not every woman with breast cancer chooses or even needs breast reconstruction. For example, many women may opt for breast conservation surgery (lumpectomy or segmental mastectomy), which removes less breast tissue than a mastectomy. These women may not need breast reconstruction.
Contact Dr. Harry Marshak for a consultation. |
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