What issues should I consider to decide on reconstructive breast surgery?
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Dr. Gedge Rosson of Johns Hopkins Medicine answered:Women with breast cancer choosing reconstructive surgery need to decide when to have surgery and what type of surgery to have. There are a variety of options available if you are a good candidate and are healthy enough for surgery.
You can choose to have breast reconstructive surgery at the same time as your mastectomy, to delay it, or to have it in stages over time. Your breast surgeon and the breast plastic and reconstructive surgeon will help you decide which option is best for you. The specifics of these options include:
- Simultaneous breast reconstruction - Women have the option to have immediate reconstruction of their breast or breasts at the same time as their mastectomy. This is a reasonable option for patients who do not need breast irradiation.
- Staged breast reconstruction - Staged breast reconstruction rebuilds the breast in several stages to avoid complications. Doctors often advise women who need radiation therapy following mastectomy to have staged breast reconstruction instead of simultaneous reconstruction.
- Delayed breast reconstruction - Some women may opt for delayed reconstruction if a plastic surgeon was not involved after her mastectomy. Other women do not know their breast reconstruction options at the time of mastectomy. More and more women are discovering that surgically recreating their breasts is possible and is even covered by insurance as a result of a federal law passed in 1998.
Women with breast cancer choosing reconstructive surgery need to decide when to have surgery and what type of surgery to have. There are a variety of options available if you are a good candidate and are healthy enough for surgery. You can choose to... More -
Dr. Stuart Linder answered:When you undergo breast cancer surgery in the form of lumpectomy, partial mastectomy or total mastectomy with lymph node dissection, you may desire to undergo reconstructive surgery at the same operative setting. There are generally 3 options available currently. The first is to have concurrent breast reconstruction at the same time as the mastectomy surgery. Patients who will not undergo radiation therapy, however, may do well with immediate reconstruction with a silicone gel implant placed with or without a pedicle flap reconstruction. Delayed breast reconstruction may be useful for patients who undergo radiation therapy and who desire to delay their reconstruction using either silicone implants or autologous tissue transfer until the final healing from the mastectomy has occurred. Staged breast reconstruction may require a tissue expander placed in the breast after the mastectomy in order to expand the muscle and allow for more space and volume for a silicone gel implant.
When you undergo breast cancer surgery in the form of lumpectomy, partial mastectomy or total mastectomy with lymph node dissection, you may desire to undergo reconstructive surgery at the same operative setting. There are generally 3... More -
Dr. Ajay Sahajpal of Aurora Health Care answered:Breast reconstruction can be done using breast implants (filled with saline or silicone), skin, fat and muscle from your own body, or a combination of these methods. There is no one best reconstruction method. There are pros and cons to each method. For example, breast implants require less extensive surgery than procedures using your own body tissues, but the results may look and feel less natural.
When considering the type of reconstructive surgery, the individual and surgeon should review options specific to the disease course. This may include identifying the need for radiation after mastectomy, the risk of post-operative complications with each reconstructive option, the background of the plastic surgeon who will perform the surgery, and when the surgery will be completed.
Breast reconstruction can be done using breast implants (filled with saline or silicone), skin, fat and muscle from your own body, or a combination of these methods. There is no one best reconstruction method. There are pros and cons to each method.... More
