Breast Reconstruction
Breast reconstruction is a surgical
procedure to rebuild the contour of the breast, along with the nipple and
areola (the pigmented area surrounding the nipple) if desired. Recent
advances in reconstructive techniques have given patients more choices when
it comes to breast reconstruction, including the option to have breast
reconstruction during the same operation in which the breast is removed.
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is not usually a medical emergency; most
women have a sufficient amount of time to research treatment and
reconstructive options before having to make any decisions.
Women are encouraged to weigh both the advantages and disadvantages of
breast reconstruction with their plastic surgeons and cancer treatment team
and make an informed decision based on their own situation. Breast
reconstruction is most often an option for women who have had mastectomy if
their entire breast has been removed. Women who undergo lumpectomy (surgical
removal of a breast lump and a margin of surrounding tissue) rarely need
breast reconstruction.
The goal of breast reconstruction is to create breast symmetry when a woman
is wearing a bra. When a woman is nude, the reconstructed breast will look
different from the unaffected breast, regardless of the type of
reconstruction chosen. However, when a woman is wearing a bra, the size and
shape of the reconstructed breast should closely resemble the unaffected
breast.
It is a common misconception that women may have to wait a year or longer to
begin the reconstructive progress after breast surgery. Though breast cancer
patients who receive chemotherapy after mastectomy may have to delay
reconstruction under chemotherapy is finished, the majority of women begin
may reconstruction soon after the surgery in which the breast is removed (if
not during the same operation).
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Renaissance Surgery
Center | 73-180 El Paseo | Palm Desert, CA 92260 |
