breast reconstruction surgery
Going through a mastectomy due to breast cancer treatment or prevention can be an experience that is both physically and emotionally challenging, and can have a negative impact on a woman’s body image. However, there are procedures that can help to maintain and restore the appearance of your breasts. For most women who have a unilateral or bilateral mastectomy, breast reconstruction surgery can help to increase your self-confidence and pride in your appearance and help you to feel more comfortable with your body after breast cancer.
At Cold Spring Plastic Surgery, our skilled plastic surgeons will work with you to plan your breast reconstruction along with your breast surgeon to achieve the best results possible for your medical and aesthetic care.
There are several different types of breast reconstruction surgery that can be most suitable for your unique circumstances. Breast reconstruction results can be beautiful, natural, attractive and balanced, and our Long Island plastic surgeons have a long record of successful breast reconstructions.
This procedure has an artistic basis as well as a medical basis, working to achieve your goals for the look and feel of your breasts.
Our surgeons use highly advanced reconstructive techniques alongside breast enhancement and augmentation techniques to produce exceptional results that restore the natural beauty of your body.
What is Recovery Like After Breast Reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction is often combined with mastectomy and thus the recovery period combines cancer treatment recovery with that from plastic surgery.
In general, breast reconstruction patients will stay in the hospital for one or two nights after their initial procedure. You can return to work three to four weeks after your mastectomy and reconstruction, although some return to work earlier if their work is not physically demanding. Drain tubes are used in the breasts for 10 to 14 days after surgery, after which they are removed. After the removal of the tubes, light exercise may be resumed. For vigorous exercise or strenuous physical activity, you should expect to wait four weeks or more after your surgery.
What Are the Major Types of Breast Reconstruction?
These are a number of popular options that can all achieve beautiful, natural results in breast reconstruction surgery without compromising the treatment of your breast cancer.
These include the following:
- Tissue expander implant reconstruction
- Direct implant reconstruction
- DIEP flap reconstruction
- Latissimus dorsi flap and implant reconstruction
- TRAM flap reconstruction
There are a number of factors that your Long Island plastic surgeon at Cold Spring Plastic Surgery can keep in mind in order to recommend a specific type of procedure, including your breast size, body shape, type of mastectomy, lifestyle and goals for outcomes. Like all plastic surgery, breast reconstruction is a uniquely individualized procedure designed to help you achieve your personal aesthetic goals for your body and appearance.
Implant-based breast reconstruction can take place in one or two procedures. In direct-to-implant reconstruction, a permanent breast implant will be inserted immediately following your mastectomy, designed to stay in place and complete your breast surgery journey in one session. On the other hand, tissue expander surgery will first insert a tissue expander that is gradually filled to the ultimate volume desired. After the use of the tissue expander following mastectomy, a second procedure is performed to replace the expander with a permanent implant approximately three months later.
On the other hand, autologous breast reconstruction uses fatty tissue from the abdomen, hips, back or thighs to reconstruct the breasts without inserting an implant. The DIEP flap reconstruction, for example, is performed entirely within the abdomen. It uses a deep inferior epigastric perforator flap that protects the muscles of the abdomen while bringing fat higher into the breast. The TRAM flap procedure similarly transfers fat from the abdomen directly to the breasts. Other procedures may use a combination of autologous fat transfers and implant placement to achieve the best results.
Breast reconstruction surgery often takes place in several steps. Most of the work is performed in the first operation, especially during immediate reconstruction after mastectomy. In some cases, such as when a tissue expander is used, a second surgery will then replace the expander with a permanent breast implant. Nipple reconstruction is also possible as the final stage of breast reconstruction surgery. Performed six to 12 weeks after the previous surgery, a nipple can be reconstructed. In many cases, this can include the skin of the mastectomy scar and generally avoids a need for further incisions. Tattooing can also be used to complete the process for a fully natural appearance.
What is Recovery Like After Breast Reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction is often combined with mastectomy and thus the recovery period combines cancer treatment recovery with that from plastic surgery. In general, breast reconstruction patients will stay in the hospital for one or two nights after their initial procedure. You can return to work three to four weeks after your mastectomy and reconstruction, although some return to work earlier if their work is not physically demanding. Drain tubes are used in the breasts for 10 to 14 days after surgery, after which they are removed. After the removal of the tubes, light exercise may be resumed. For vigorous exercise or strenuous physical activity, you should expect to wait four weeks or more after your surgery.
Schedule a Breast Reconstruction Consultation
The experienced Long Island plastic surgeons at Cold Spring Plastic Surgery will be happy to discuss your thoughts about breast reconstruction after mastectomy and your desires for the procedure. Call us today or use our online form to make an appointment at our convenient Huntington office located in Suffolk County on Long Island. We look forward to working with you to achieve your aesthetic and medical goals.