Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy - National Cancer Institute. Most women can choose their type of breast reconstruction method based on what is important to them. However, some treatment issues are important to think about. For example, radiation therapy can damage a reconstructed breast, especially if it contains an implant (6- 8). Therefore, if a woman knows she needs radiation therapy after mastectomy, that information may affect her decision. Sometimes, a woman may not know whether she needs radiation therapy until after her mastectomy. This can make planning ahead for an immediate reconstruction difficult. In this case, it may be helpful for the woman to talk with a reconstructive surgeon in addition to her breast surgeon or oncologist before choosing the type of reconstructive surgery. Other factors that can influence the type of reconstructive surgery a woman chooses include the size and shape of the breast that is being replaced, the woman’s age and health, the availability of autologous tissue, and the location of the breast tumor (3).
Each type of reconstruction has factors that a woman should think about before making a decision. Some of the more common concerns are listed below. Reconstruction with Implants. Surgery and recovery Enough skin and muscle must remain after mastectomy to cover the implant. Shorter surgical procedure than for reconstruction with autologous tissue; little blood loss. Recovery period may be shorter. Many follow- up visits may be needed to inflate the expander and insert the implant. Possible complications Infection. Pooling of blood (hematoma) within the reconstructed breast. Extrusion of the implant (the implant breaks through the skin)Implant rupture (the implant breaks open and saline or silicone leaks into the surrounding tissue)Formation of hard scar tissue around the implant (known as a contracture)Other considerations Can be damaged by radiation therapy. May not be adequate for women with very large breasts. Will not last a lifetime; the longer a woman has implants, the more likely she is to have complications and to need to have her implants removed or replaced. Silicone implants may provide a more natural- looking breast shape than saline. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that women with silicone implants undergo periodic MRI screenings to detect possible “silent” rupture of the implants. More information about implants can be found on FDA’s Breast Implants page. Find out more about the history of Reconstruction, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on HISTORY.com. Reconstruction, one of the most turbulent and controversial eras in American history, began during the Civil War and ended in. Reconstruction refers to the period following the Civil War of rebuilding the United States. It was a time of great pain and endless questions. Reconstruction with Autologous Tissue. Surgery and recovery Longer surgical procedure than for implants; more blood loss. Recovery period may be longer. Pedicled flap reconstruction is a shorter operation than free flap but requires more donor tissue. Free flap reconstruction uses less donor tissue than pedicled flap reconstruction but is a longer, highly technical operation requiring a surgeon with experience re- attaching blood vessels. Possible complications Necrosis (death) of the transferred tissue. Blood clots. Pain and weakness at the site from which the donor tissue was taken. Obesity, diabetes, and smoking may increase the rate of complications. Other considerations May provide a more natural breast shape than implants. Less likely to be damaged by radiation therapy than implants. Leaves a scar at the site from which the donor tissue was taken. Any type of breast reconstruction can fail if healing does not occur properly. In these cases, the implant or flap will have to be removed. If an implant reconstruction fails, a woman can sometimes have a second reconstruction using autologous tissue. If an autologous tissue reconstruction fails, a second flap cannot be moved to the breast area, and an implant cannot be used for another reconstruction attempt due to the lack of chest tissue available to cover the implant (2).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2016
Categories |