All you need to know Breast Reconstruction Following a Mastectomy.
Breast Reconstruction Following a Mastectomy
Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy is a complex procedure. It reshapes the breast following a mastectomy, which removes the breasts to cure or prevent breast cancer. A surgeon reconstructs a breast using an artificial implant, a flap of tissue from another part of the patient's body, or both.
Who needs Breast Reconstruction after a Mastectomy?
Breast reconstruction surgery may be chosen by women who have had surgery as part of their breast cancer treatment to restore the shape and appearance of the breast. However, before undergoing a mastectomy, the patient should discuss this option with his or her doctor. A woman may choose breast reconstruction for a variety of reasons, including:
To make her chest seem balanced whether she is wearing dresses
to recover her breast shape permanently
Refusing to utilize an external prosthetic
to make her feel better about her body image
The surgical team will advise the patient whether reconstructive breast surgery needs to be done at the time of mastectomy or months later based on the patient's treatment approach.
What to anticipate before breast reconstruction?
The patient will be briefed about the operation, including all risks and advantages. Doctors will inform the patient about the specifics of the procedure, such as anesthesia, the duration of the surgery, any problems, and the cost of the surgery.
Before surgery, the patient will be given advice on what to eat and drink, how to alter existing medicines, and so on. If the patient is a smoker, she will be advised to stop.
What happens during the procedure?
During the mastectomy and immediate reconstruction, the patient will be put under general anesthetic. The doctor creates an oval incision over the nipple. The nipple can be kept on the breast in certain persons with early breast cancers (nipple-sparing mastectomy), in which the patient's own nipple may be saved. This is accomplished by making incisions at the nipple or at the bottom of the breast.
Occasionally, surgeons may undertake flap surgery to rebuild the breast, in which a portion of tissue made up of skin, fat, blood vessels, and, on rare occasions, muscle is removed from elsewhere in a woman's body (most often the abdomen, back, or thigh) and utilized to reshape the breast.
In certain circumstances, the patient and surgeon may decide to use implants to rebuild the breast. The majority of mastectomies are done using a technique known as a skin-sparing mastectomy, in which most of the breast skin is spared for use in breast reconstruction. Following the mastectomy, implants are placed under the skin or in the chest muscle.
A surgeon may restore the nipple and areola when the chest has healed following reconstruction surgery and the location of the breast mound on the chest wall has stabilized.
What to expect after Breast reconstruction?
After this procedure, the patient will most likely be hospitalized for a week or two. Drains will be attached to the chest to drain fluids. Doctors will remove the drains after the fluid level has dropped to an appropriate level, which should be within a week or two. The replacement breast will most likely not appear precisely like the natural one. The form of the replacement breast, on the other hand, may typically be restored such that the patient's silhouette resembles that before surgery. The patient may be able to resume regular activities within a few weeks to months, depending on the sort of reconstructive surgery.
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