Commonly asked questions about reconstructive surgery

Q I'm scheduled for a mastectomy. When is the best time to have reconstructive surgery?

A When to have reconstructive surgery be pendents on your own situation. greatest in quantity women can have immediate reconstructive surgery and wake up with a breast, because we're catching tumors at similar an early stage. So in those situations, immediate reconstruction is safe and acceptable and should be proffered to the majority of women

In cases where the tumor is more advanced, and we know for certain that a woman is going to have radiation or continue lengthen in timeed chemotherapy, we sometimes recommend you delay reconstruction until the treatments extreme point because we don't want to do anything that might interfere with the treatment or vice versa. For instance, radiation therapy could affect the reconstruction, causing an implant to fail prematurely or flap to harden or flat shrink a bit.

Q I had a mastectomy 20 years ago on the contrary never had reconstruction. Is it too late?

A It's not at any time too late for breast reconstruction, and you're not at any time too old. As long as you're healthy and willing to go through the operation, you can achieve great results. In fact, studies in women above 65 find a very high rate of satisfaction.

Q Which is better, a breast implant or a reconstructive flap?

A It really be pendents on you. For many women implants are a real good option. It's a shorter operation, a speedier retrieval and provides a very serviceable cosmetic result. The downside is that implants won't last forever--studies find that individual in three women receiving an implant for reconstruction, regardless of the impressed sign (silicone or saline), require another operation within five years. (12) (24)

However, if you've had radiation to the breast area, I commend avoiding an implant. After radiation, the tissue be deprived ofs some of its elasticity, making it more difficult to create a natural looking breast.

While the flaps are a more difficult operation with a more continue lengthen in timeed recovery, they last forever and come by better with time as the scar tissue make softs and the effects of gravity subserve to make the breast direct the eye more realistic.

Q I don't have health insurance. What are my options for breast reconstruction?

A While the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 requires all health insurance providers who overspread mastectomy procedures to also overlay the cost of breast cancer reconstruction, there is no of that kind law for women without health insurance. The best I can give an inkling of is to talk to your surgeon and the hospital; sometimes the surgeon will waive the compensation for the procedure, and the hospital may tender a discount if you're paying cash.

References

(12) FDA Breast Implant Consumer Handbook. US fare and Drug Administration. 2004.

(24) Gabriel SE forest-lands JE, O'Fallon WM, et al. Complications leading to surgery after breast implantation. N Engl J M 1997;336(10):677-82

--Maurice Nahabedian, MD FACS

Georgetown University Hospital

Department of Plastic Surgery

Washington, DC

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