Breast Reconstruction
After the loss of one breast or both due to cancer or other conditions, breast reconstruction surgery may be an option for women wishing to restore the appearance of their breasts.
Breast reconstruction, more technically termed "reconstruction mammaplasty," is a delicate and individualized procedure in which one or both breasts are reconstructed. Women who wish to have this procedure should:
- Have realistic goals and expectations
- Not have serious medical conditions or health problems
- Want breast reconstruction for their own personal reasons, not to meet an idealistic image
A potentially satisfying procedure that will affect the patient both physically and mentally, breast reconstruction surgery can provide the patient with natural-looking breasts. Although the reconstructed breast(s) will never feel the same as it once did, Dr. Livingston will be able to offer patients excellent results through breast reconstruction.
With the use of breast implants and/or flap surgery, Dr. Livingston will be able to rebuild the breast(s) using a number of methods.
Procedural Steps:
To reconstruct an acceptable breast size, shape, and appearance, Dr. Livingston may use flap surgery to help the patient achieve optimal results. The TRAM (Transverse Rectus Abdominus) Flap technique uses donor skin, fat, and muscle from the abdomen to form a natural-feeling breast. The flap may remain attached to its original blood supply and moved up along the chest wall, or it may be detached from this blood supply, moved, and shaped into a breast mound and finally reattached to blood vessels within the chest or axilla. This technique utilizes the same tissue discarded during an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), thus the breast cancer reconstruction results in a slimmer and tighter midsection.
The Latissimus Dorsi Flap technique may also be employed to reconstruct the breast(s). Using fat, skin, and muscle from the back, this flap can be tunneled into the affected breast defect, and finally shaped and molded to resemble a normal-appearing breast while the blood supply can remain attached.
Alternatively, breast implants (saline or silicone gel) may also be utilized to reconstruct the breast(s). On occasion, flap surgery is combined with breast implant surgery to supply patients with the needed muscle and tissue necessary to stretch the skin. During this four to six week process, tissue expanders may also be used to expand the skin to make room for the placements of breast implants. This procedure will be followed by saline or silicone gel implant placement once the skin envelope has been stretched to accommodate the permanent prosthesis.
In addition to completing the reconstruction of the breast(s), the nipples and areolas will also need to be reconstructed. Depending on the extent of the surgery, the patient will be placed under intravenous sedation or general anesthesia for the simple outpatient procedure.
The Results:
Following your surgery, bandages will be placed with a support bra to help the newly constructed breast(s) heal and settle properly. Swelling will begin to resolve and the final position of the breast(s) will begin to take shape over the next several months following surgery.
Although scars will always be present on the breast(s), these will soften and fade with time and you be left with a more proportionate, satisfying, and long-lasting bust line.
