What is Breast Reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction is the surgical process of rebuilding the shape and look of a breast, most commonly in women who have had surgery to treat breast cancer.
Breast reconstruction is usually done when the patient are undergone a surgery called mastectomy and lumpectomy.
Mastectomy –
A mastectomy is a surgical procedure during which a surgeon removes the entire breast, usually including the nipple and areola, to treat or prevent breast cancer.
Lumpectomy –
A lumpectomy is the removal of a breast section that contains a smaller tumor.
Implants for reconstruction of Breast?
Implants are inserted underneath the skin or chest muscle following the mastectomy.
Implants are usually placed as part of a two-stage procedure.
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First Stage – The surgeon places a device, called a tissue expander, under the skin that is left after the mastectomy or under the chest muscle . The expander is slowly filled with saline during periodic visits to the doctor after surgery.
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Second Stage – The expander will be removed when chest tissue is healed.
After the chest tissue has relaxed and healed enough, the expander is removed and replaced with an implant. The chest tissue is usually ready for the implant 2 to 6 months after mastectomy.