Are There Benefits of Breast Reconstruction After Breast Cancer Surgery?
If you’ve been through breast cancer surgery, you know how frightening the whole experience is – starting right from the diagnosis.
Perhaps you’ve had a lumpectomy that altered the size and shape of your breast. Or if you’ve had a single or double mastectomy, the appearance of your breasts has significantly changed.
It’s an emotional journey, to be sure. If the smoke hasn’t yet cleared, give yourself time to settle into your new reality. You may be quite comfortable with it. If not, you could always consider the benefits of breast reconstruction.
The Benefits of Breast Reconstruction
As horrifying and worrisome as the above-mentioned procedures are, they are often life-saving and most patients are grateful for them. Even so, some women feel self-conscious about how their breasts now appear. For them, breast reconstruction is a consideration.
There are several reasons these patients opt for breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy or lumpectomy.
- Restores Proportion and Balance to the Breasts
One of the biggest laments patients share after a lumpectomy or mastectomy is the perceived lack of symmetry and balance. They feel their appearance is off-center or ‘crooked’. This is especially true if surgery was performed on only one breast. Breast reconstruction reconciles this by restoring balance and proportion to the breasts.
- Eliminates the Need for a Prosthetic
Breast reconstruction isn’t the only option. The truth is, after undergoing surgery to fight breast cancer, some women are not eager to go under the knife again. For them, a prosthetic known as a breast form is a viable solution. And many of them will stay with this option.
The issue with breast forms is that they require the use of adhesives and specialized bras though. So some women begin to miss the feeling of having their breasts as a natural part of their bodies. At this point, they may choose breast reconstruction to attain that.
- Boosts Self-Esteem and Confidence
When you get right down to it, it’s reason #3 here that patients opt for breast reconstruction. While some women are largely unaffected by their new look, confidence and self-esteem take a hit with the loss of breast tissue for others.
At the end of the day, bringing proper balance back and feeling that the breasts are a natural part of the body all lend to increased self-esteem and confidence for these patients.
Breast Reconstruction Surgery Is Not One Size Fits All
Breast reconstruction surgery is customized to meet each person’s specific situation. There are three basic methods:
- Breast Implant
Breast implant reconstruction is the least invasive method. It does not require harvesting tissue from another part of the body and relies, instead, on saline or silicone implants. With this method, the surgeon employs tissue expanders to gradually recreate the natural mound of the breast. Then the implants can be placed.
- Fat Transfer
Fat transfer reconstruction is going to be a better option for patients who’ve had a lumpectomy or partial breast trauma than for those who’ve had a full mastectomy. In this procedure, rather than using implants, fat tissue is harvested from elsewhere on the body (typically hips, thighs, abdomen, or back). It is then purified and transferred to the breast area to restore its/their natural shape.
- Autologous
Autologous breast reconstruction, also known as perforator flap reconstruction, is the most complex of the three methods. Requiring the skills of an experienced plastic surgeon, it also involves harvesting tissue from somewhere else on the body to manipulate a new breast that looks and feels like a natural one. The results are long-lasting.
Still Not Sure?
If you’re not entirely confident about breast reconstruction surgery, there’s no rush. You want to feel ready and right about your decision. No rule says you have to do it. Many women do not.
In the meantime, if you’re curious about all of the many other ways plastic surgery can serve you, keep checking back with our blog. It’s chock full of descriptive, informative, and even fun articles.
And if you come across a procedure that sounds even more beneficial for you, don’t hesitate to contact us!
