Breasts are considered a symbol of femininity for women. For this reason, women who lose their breasts due to cancer or another disease have to deal with important psychosocial problems.
Reconstruction of breast tissue with similar tissues or prostheses simultaneously with or after mastectomy is called breast reconstruction.
Breast reconstruction is a very difficult operation and especially if it is to be performed after cancer, the patient should be evaluated by a specialist team consisting of general surgery, plastic surgery, pathology and oncology doctors for the most accurate decision and good results.
Who is the best candidate for breast reconstruction?
There is no medical barrier to breast reconstruction in many mastectomy patients, and most patients are likely to have a simultaneous reconstruction with mastectomy.
The best candidates for breast reconstruction are patients whose cancer has completely disappeared through mastectomy. These procedures are safely performed on patients who do not have any obstacles in the oncological reconstruction.
Planning the Surgery
From the time you are diagnosed with cancer, you can start discussing reconstruction. Ideally, your general surgeon and plastic surgeon will plan and operate together. With the joint decision, a surgery is planned to be performed simultaneously or after.
Preparation for Surgery
Necessary preparations are made after the planning made by oncology, general surgery and aesthetic surgery. Measurements are made. If autologous tissue transfers are to be made, additional imaging is requested.
Postoperative
After a surgery to be performed under general anesthesia, you can stay in the hospital for 2-5 days and have drains. Special bras are used according to the operation to be performed in the subsequent process.
Returning to Normal
It may take several weeks for you to return to normal after mastectomy and reconstruction or flap reconstruction surgery only. In prosthetic surgery, this period may be shorter. Normal sense is not gained with reconstruction; however, some sense may come over time. Most of the scars can fade over time. However, this period can take up to 1 year and the traces never completely disappear.
Listen to your surgeon's advice about when to start exercises and movements. As a general rule, you should avoid sexual intercourse and heavy exercise for 3-6 weeks.