Alternative Cancer Treatment - Reconstruction post Breast Cancer
In those tragic cases where a full mastectomy is required to treat breast cancer, reconstruction is a welcome option. With modern techniques and materials it is possible to restore appearance to a near invisible state. Carried out by specialized plastic surgeons, restoration is now commonplace.
There are many different techniques an each case is unique and approached on an individual and personalized basis. A consultation with a physician is necessary in order to select the right method and approach for you.
One commonly chosen reconstruction technique is breast implants. Today implants are commonly saline filled bags contained within a silicon shell. They are placed in front of the chest wall muscles and under the skin which covers the breast area.
In the past silicon filled implants were more typical. There was a huge concern that the silicon could possibly leak out into the body thus causing problems for the immune system. The FDA recently announced after years of study that there isn’t much basis for worry and silicon breast implants are now legal again. Some individuals prefer silicon implants because they behave differently.
In many instances reconstruction can be performed during the mastectomy. In other instance physicians recommend a waiting period to allow the body to completely recover and heal prior to undergoing any additional surgery. Each case is individual and can only be decided by the physician and the patient in question.
Usually, two-staged delayed reconstruction is performed if the skin and chest wall tissues are flat. In this instance an implant, called a tissue expander that functions much like a balloon under the tissue, is placed underneath the muscle. A surgeon then injects saline in stages over a specific period of time. In some cases the expander itself eventually becomes the implant. In other instances the expander is removed during a later procedure and replaced with a permanent implant.
Another breast surgery type that might be conducted are tissue flap procedures. These procedures use skin from the stomach, thighs or other areas as part of the entire process.
TRAM (transverse rectus abdominis muscle flap) surgery is one of the most common types of muscle flap surgeries. It utilizes tissues from the lower abdominal wall. A pedicle flap leaves the tissue attach to its original blood supply and stretches the tissue up toward the breast area. A free flap muscle procedure removes all of the tissue in addition to muscles, fat, and blood vessels. It then reattaches them to blood vessels under the chest.
Another, almost equally common procedure takes tissue from the upper back. A flap is moved in front of the chest wall in effort to create a pocket. A breast implant is then inserted into the pocket. Additionally, other procedures are available such as gluteal muscle tissue.
In each instance nipple and/or areola reconstruction may or may not be in order. In some instances it will be done simultaneously with breast reconstruction, in others it might be done later, sometimes it is not even done at all. The original nipple is rarely used as a replacement as it has yet to be determined whether or not it can regenerate cancer.
Keep in mind that reconstructive surgery is not performed without risks.
All of the normal surgical complications such as infection or scarring, and capsular contracture (scar tissue forming around the implant) can occur. Additionally breast implants might not last a lifetime, and depending upon each individual’s circumstances including age. Replacing your implants might require an additional surgery at a later time period in life. The end result might or might not be what the patient wanted or expected. Only a consultation with a physician specializing in reconstruction will provide the patient with realistic outcomes to expect.
