When a woman finds out that she has breast cancer, it can be a devastating experience. After she is treated for the cancer and has a mastectomy, there are several techniques that can be used in order to reconstruct a new breast. This can be accomplished using implants or the patient's own skin and tissue.
The first step that needs to be done in preparing for reconstructive surgery using an implant is to expand the tissue at the mastectomy site. This will entail placing an expanding device in the area and then gradually filling the device with saline solution in order to stretch the tissue. The skin must be stretched over a period of time until there is adequate space to hold an implant. The expansion process can take up to one year.
The implants that are used can be filled with either a saline or silicone solution. There are different sizes, shapes and textures to choose from. The sizes are available in a variety of bra cup sizes and will be chosen to align with the remaining breast. Shapes are either round or teardrop shaped and again will be chosen with symmetry in mind.
Sometimes a woman chooses to opt for a technique that uses her own skin and tissue. One method uses the TRAM, which stands for transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous, muscle. With this method, it is often the abdominal tissue and muscle that is used to reconstruct a breast. An alternate site to obtain tissue is the buttocks or back.
Another method of using the patient's own tissue is with the DIEP flap method. DIEP stands for deep inferior epigastic perforator. The flap method entails taking a portion of abdominal skin and moving it upward to reconstruct the breasts. Both methods which take the skin from the abdominal area can benefit the midsection by slenderizing it, almost like a tummy tuck.
After the mound is completed, a nipple and areola are the final steps. The nipple and areola are created by using some of the patient's skin, puckering it with a few permanent stitches and tinting it with the appropriate colored tattoo.
Plastic surgeons today are highly skilled at creating a natural looking mound and nipple to replace the breast that was lost to disease. A post-mastectomy woman should be able to get on with her life choosing and wearing whatever clothes she wants, looking well and feeling good about herself.
A reputable cosmetic surgeon who is skilled in breast reconstruction can surely make a woman's journey with cancer quite a bit easier.
