Breast Reconstruction New Jersey
Reconstruction of a breast
that has been removed due to cancer or other disease is
one of the most rewarding surgical procedures available
today. New medical techniques and devices have made it
possible for surgeons to create a breast that can come
close in form and appearance to matching a natural breast.
Frequently, reconstruction is possible immediately following
breast removal (mastectomy), so the patient wakes up with
a breast mound already in place, having been spared the
experience of seeing herself with no breast at all.
Most mastectomy patients are medically appropriate for
reconstruction, many at the same time that the breast
is removed. The best candidates, however, are women whose
cancer, as far as can be determined, seems to have been
eliminated by mastectomy.
You can begin talking about reconstruction as soon as
you're diagnosed with cancer. Ideally, you'll want your
breast surgeon and your plastic surgeon to work together
to develop a strategy that will put you in the best possible
condition for reconstruction. |
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After evaluating your health, your surgeon
will
explain which reconstructive options are most appropriate
for your age, health, anatomy, tissues, and goals. Be sure
to discuss
your expectations frankly with your surgeon. He or she
should be equally frank with you, describing your options and
the
risks and limitations of each. Post-mastectomy reconstruction
can improve
your appearance and renew your self-confidence.
The
length of the procedure will vary, depending upon which option
you and your physicians have chosen for your reconstruction.
Most procedures are done under general anesthesia, and require
a short hospital stay.
You are likely to feel tired
and sore for a week or two after reconstruction. Most of
your discomfort can be controlled by medication prescribed by
your
doctor.
Depending on the extent of your surgery, you'll probably
be released from the hospital in one to two days. Many reconstruction
options require a surgical drain to remove excess fluids
from surgical sites immediately following the operation, but these
are removed within the first week or two after surgery. Most
stitches are removed in a week to 10 days.
It may take you up
to six weeks to recover from a combined mastectomy and
reconstruction procedure. Reconstruction cannot restore normal
sensation to
your breast, but in time, some feeling may return. Most
scars will fade substantially over time, though it may take as
long
as one to two years.
Dr. Hazen will inform you on when to
begin stretching exercises and normal activities. As a general
rule,
you'll want to refrain from any overhead lifting, strenuous
sports, and sexual activity for three to six weeks following
reconstruction.
Chances
are your reconstructed breast may feel firmer and look
rounder or flatter than your natural breast. It may not have
the same
contour as your breast before mastectomy, nor will
it exactly match your opposite breast. But these differences
will
be apparent only to you. For most mastectomy patients, breast
reconstruction
dramatically improves their appearance and quality
of life
following surgery.
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