Technical Advances Improve Breast Reconstruction Post Mastectomy
Orange County Plastic Surgeon, mastectomy Comments (0)
The American Society of Plastic Surgery reports that approximately 93000 women underwent breast reconstruction surgery after a single or double mastectomy. That figure is a 20% increase from the year 2000. The question is why?
In the last ten years there have been major advancements in the mastectomy technique which have minimized the disfiguring scar. Also, women recovering from breast cancer can benefit psychologically from a breast reconstruction procedure.
“For me, there was never a question of whether or not I would have breast reconstruction,” said Teia Giraud, today a five-year survivor of breast cancer. “Mentally and emotionally, I needed to wake up from the nightmare of breast cancer intact, and that meant having newly constructed breasts.”
Nearly 70% of women in the United States elect to have a breast reconstruction procedure post mastectomy utilizing a method involving a tissue expander followed by an implant. Tissue expanders are inserted below the skin and muscle and inflated over several months to stretch and grow the skin to create space for the permanent implant.
Another option is using an autologous reconstruction which involves reconstructuring the breast with tissue from one area of the body. For example, a flap of tissue from the abdomen is rotated up into the breast. Microsurgery is required to reconnect the artery and veins in the flap to those in the breast.
The Women’s Health Act of 1998 requires insurance companies that provide benefits for mastectomies to also cover “reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy has been performed.” In addition, those companies are required to cover “surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance.”
The American Society of Plastic Surgery and the Canadian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery have found that breast reconstruction immediately following a mastectomy is linked with significantly improved survival rates. In addition, the U.S. National Cancer Institute found a 26 percent reduction in mortality rates among those who underwent immediate reconstruction – they attributed this to the patients improved sense of well-being.
Of course, choosing the right plastic surgeon is at or near the top of the list. Make sure to choose a board certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Thomas Nguyen, Medical Director at the Institute of Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery in Orange County.
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CosmeticInstitute @ October 13, 2011
