Breast Reconstruction Surgery For Cancer Victims

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The latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that in 2005, 185,000 women and 1500men were diagnosed with breast cancer. It is one of the top ten causes of death for women in the United States, and because younger women are more keenly aware of their family history of breast cancer, they are making very difficult and often emotionally painful decisions about their health care. This includes undergoing mastectomies to remove the breasts completely. Some have even chosen to under go mastectomies even before cancer is present, if they feel the odds are against them. Although this is a difficult experience to go through, women are able to regain some sense of what it means to be a woman, in a traditional sense, with breast reconstruction.

During your consultation and pre-surgery visits, your reconstructive plastic surgeon will help you choose which option is best for your situation. If you are electing to have breast augmentation implants, then they are usually inserted through the scar that already exists from your prior surgery. If it is necessary, a breast lift on the unaffected breast is performed using a short scar technique. This will allow symmetry between the affected breast and the normal breast. At this point, other reconstructive options include areola and nipple reconstruction, areola and nipple tattooing and subtle fine tuning of the breasts to make them look as symmetrical and natural as possible.

The reconstruction can be divided into two phases. The first phase involving the rebuilding of the mound can be carried out in different ways; the main goal is to support new skin growth in the area to be implanted. This will ensure that there is space for a permanent implant. This can be done along with other kinds of reconstruction like the transfer of skin from another area to the breast mound. The second phase is the restructuring of the nipple which is carried out by sculpting or tattooing. In the absence of one breast due to cancer treatment, the other breast can be reduced to achieve symmetry or breast augmentation implants can be harmonized. Another alternative used to make the breasts more equal is a breast lift.

Because of cancer and undergoing a mastectomy, the loss of one or both breasts can be a devastating situation for a woman and her family. Yet breast reconstruction procedures have advanced, and most people will not even be aware that a person has undergone a mastectomy in the first place. Breast augmentations and tissue harvesting are just a couple ways to bring normalcy back into the life of a woman who has undergone cancer surgery.

Further information concerning breast reconstruction
Breast Implants 101 - Getting a Quick Overview

Breast Augmentation Using Natural Means