Breast Reconstruction

Breast reconstruction is now a popular surgery for women who have had their breasts removed due to cancer or other disorders. Plastic surgeons may now make a breast that is nearly identical in shape and look to a perfectly natural breast using new medical procedures and technologies. The restoration can often be done concurrently with the surgical removal of the damaged breast (after the removal of the breast) so that the patient does not have to go through the ordeal of having their breast removed completely.

The best candidates for breast reconstruction

The majority of mastectomy patients are medically capable of recovery, and in some cases, the cancer's shape, size, and early diagnosis allow for quick recovery. The best candidates, on the other hand, are women whose cancer will not require any extra radiation treatments due to early diagnosis and radical resection.

All surgeries hide some risk and uncertainty

Hypothetically, all women undergoing mastectomy can benefit from reconstructive breast surgery. What they need to know is that these surgeries are not simple and involve some general risks, but also specific ones that the surgeon should seriously consider when choosing the time of the technique and the method to be followed.

Generally, the usual problems of a surgery, such as bleeding, fluid collection, extensive tissue scarring, or problems with anesthesia, can occur even though they are not related. As with all surgeries, smokers should consult their doctor that nicotine delays the healing process, resulting in obvious scarring and prolonged recovery. Occasionally, these complications are serious enough to require a second operation.

Choosing the right option for you

Once cancer has been identified, you can begin talking about recovery straight away. You'll want your breast surgeon to collaborate with your plastic surgeon to come up with a plan that will give you the greatest potential outcome.

The plastic surgeon will explain which rehabilitation choices are acceptable for you based on your age, health, anatomy, tissues, future treatment (chemotherapy-radiation), as well as your goals, after examining your health.

Make sure you tell Dr. Andrea Ioannidis all you want to know about your expectations, and he'll be just as honest with you, detailing the possibilities, dangers, and restrictions for each one. Breast reconstruction after mastectomy can help you look better and feel more confident, but keep in mind that the goal is improvement, not perfection.

Preparing for surgery

Your oncologist and plastic surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including instructions on eating, drinking and avoiding certain vitamins and medications.

During the preparation, make sure that you arrange for someone to come and take you home after the surgery and help you during the first few days if needed.

Where will the surgery take place

Breast reconstruction usually necessitates multiple operations. The initial stage, which can be done at the same time as the mastectomy or at a later date with a new surgery.

The operations listed below can also be done in the hospital. Alternatively, depending on the scope of the operation, your surgeon may decide to perform the procedure without the requirement for an overnight stay.

Types of anesthesia we use

During the first stage of rehabilitation, the formation of breast size, general anesthesia is almost always employed. This way, you'll be able to sleep through the entire procedure. Complementary therapies that may be performed after corrective or procedural procedures may just necessitate local anesthetic and some moderate relaxation.

The operating room

Because there are so many possibilities for breast reconstruction after mastectomy, you and Dr. Andreas Ioannidis will need to talk about which one is best for you.

The most typical procedure involves the use of skin dilators, which combines the dilation process with implants, serum, and silicone, after which the infusion valve is removed and the implants stay in place.

Your plastic surgeon will place a dilation insert under the skin and muscle of your breast after a mastectomy. A saline solution will be supplied periodically through a tiny valve mechanism under the skin, where it will progressively fill this enlargement over several weeks or perhaps months. After the skin in the chest area has been stretched sufficiently, the stretcher is removed if it is not permanent, and a more stable silicone insert is inserted in the created case in a second surgery.

Serum silicone dilators, which are supposed to stay in place like the final insert, are utilized in some cases of stretching. After the operation, the nipple region and the dark skin around it are recreated.

Tissue expansion may not be required before the implant is implanted in some patients. The plastic surgeon will perform an implant implantation as a first step for these women.

Another way to repair an implant is to make a skin flap from tissue taken from other regions of the body, such as the back, buttocks, or abdomen. The tissue is left attached to its original position in one procedure, which keeps the blood drain in place. The tissue, which includes skin, fat, and muscle, is inserted under the skin in the chest, either to build a casing for the insert or, in some situations, to create a breast tumor from autologous tissue without the need for the insert.

Tissue is surgically taken from the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks and then transplanted into the breast, anastomosing the blood arteries with new ones positioned in the precise location, in the free flap transfer technique. This technique necessitates the expertise of a plastic surgeon who has performed microvascular procedures before.

It's a more involved procedure than extending the skin when autologous tissues are used, either as free or removable flaps. The donor area and the location where the repair will take place will both have scars, and the healing will take longer than it did with the implant.

When the breast is totally reconstructed with your own tissue, however, the effect is usually more natural, and there is no need to worry about the silicone implant.

After surgery

After you've recovered, you can feel fatigued and depressed for a week or two. Your doctor can alleviate the majority of the discomfort with medicines.

You may be able to leave the hospital in two to five days, depending on the extent of your operation. In a week or ten days, the stitches will be removed.

Returning to your regular daily activities

A combined mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, or just a tissue repair, will take about six weeks to recover from. The type and intensity of the mastectomy, as well as the technique and method of therapy, all influence recovery.

You will not be able to regain your typical chest sensations throughout recuperation, but you may begin to feel something over time. Most scars will fade away over time, however it may take a year or two for them to totally disappear. The scars will be less distracting if the overall recovery is of higher grade.

Follow your doctor's recommendations for when to begin exercising and engaging in routine activities. In general, you should avoid overexertion, intense sports, and sexual activity for three to six weeks after you've recovered.

Your new look

It's possible that your repaired breasts will feel tighter and appear rounder or flatter than your natural ones. It might not have the same shape as your breast before the mastectomy, or it might not match the other breast precisely. These distinctions, however, will only be apparent to you. Breast reconstruction will greatly improve your look and quality of life after surgery for the majority of mastectomy patients.

For an appointment with Dr. Andreas Ioannides, please contact us