Breast plastic surgery after mastectomy
Breast plastic surgery with implants after cancer
Top Countries for Breast Reconstruction
Frequent questions from patientsWhat is breast reconstruction after cancer?
Women who have had a mastectomy (surgery to remove an organ to treat breast cancer) can reshape the lost body part. Breast plastic surgery after mastectomy can be performed during the removal of the tumor or after it. Doctors may perform delayed breast reconstruction months or even years after breast cancer surgery.
What does breast plastic surgery do after oncology?
After a mastectomy on one of the breasts, a woman wants a lot so that the décolleté area looks beautiful; there is symmetry when wearing a swimsuit and in clothes with a low neckline. If you go to a professional plastic surgeon, no one will be able to tell the difference between reconstructed and healthy breasts if you are naked. A well-made reconstruction looks natural, especially when wearing a bra.
Options for Breast Reconstruction Surgery
In modern medical practice, doctors use the main 3 methods that ensure breast recovery after cancer. Depending on the volume of intervention for the treatment of breast cancer and the wishes of the patient, doctors select the most appropriate surgical technique.
The following methods of breast plastic surgery after mastectomy are available to patients in foreign clinics:
After the main breast reconstruction surgery, the surgeon may perform the reconstruction of the areola and nipple.
How are tissue flaps used for breast reconstruction?
Reconstruction after a mastectomy can occur at the expense of the patient's own (autologous) tissues. A donor flap containing skin, fat, blood vessels, and sometimes muscle is taken from other parts of the woman's body and used to reconstruct the breast.
The flaps that are used for breast reconstruction are most often taken from the areas of the abdominal cavity or back. However, they can also be removed from the thigh or buttocks.
Depending on the donor area, the flaps may be pedunculated or free. What does it mean?
When using a pedicled flap, the tissue and the blood vessels attached to it are moved to the breast area. Because the blood supply to the tissue used for reconstruction remains intact, the blood vessels do not need to be reconnected after tissue transfer.
In the presence of free flaps, the tissue is cut off from the blood supply. It needs to be attached to new blood vessels in the breast area using microsurgery. This ensures a full blood supply to the reconstructed mammary gland.
Varieties of patchwork fabrics for breast reconstruction after removal
When patients discuss surgical options with their plastic surgeon, it is important to understand the types of donor tissue for flap reconstruction. How do they differ, and what can be the features when using one or a different kind of breast reconstruction flap after mastectomy?
The abdominal and posterior valves include:
- DIEP flap: tissue is taken from the abdominal cavity. It contains only skin, blood vessels, and fat without the underlying muscles. This is a loose type of flap.
- Latissimus dorsi (LD) flap: tissue comes from the middle and side of the back. This type of flap is pedicled for breast reconstruction. LD flaps can also be used for other types of body reconstructions.
- SIEA (or SIEP) flap: Tissue is taken from the abdomen like a DIEP flap, but it includes a different set of blood vessels. It does not involve cutting the abdominal muscle and is a free flap. This flap type is unsuitable for many women because the necessary blood vessels are scarce or missing.
- TRAM flap: Tissue is taken from the lower abdomen like the DIEP flap, but it includes muscle. Such a flap can be either pedunculated or free.
Flaps taken from the thigh or buttocks are used for women who have previously had major abdominal surgery. This operation is suitable for patients who do not have enough abdominal tissue for breast reconstruction. These types of flaps are free. An implant is often used with these flaps to provide adequate breast volume.
Patch options:
- IGAP: tissue comes from the buttocks and contains only skin, blood vessels, and fat;
- PAP: muscleless tissue originating from the upper inner thigh;
- SGAP: tissue is taken from the buttocks, like the IGAP flap, but includes a different set of blood vessels, contains only skin and fat;
- TUG: This is tissue, including muscles, that radiates from the upper inner thigh.
Foreign specialists strive to achieve the most natural effect in patients who require breast reconstruction. In cases where a restoration technique using an implant is chosen, doctors use an expander - a special tissue expander. For this, a pocket is formed where this temporary prosthesis will be located.
The expander implant allows you to install a permanent breast implant over time. The operation is valuable in that even with an insufficient amount of skin, a good aesthetic result can be achieved.
How long do you need to wear an expander-implant and what happens then? Approximately 6 months later, the surgeon removes the expander and installs a permanent implant in its place. Such a period is necessary for sufficient stretching of the tissues. In order for the patient to be as satisfied as possible with the result, the doctor can perform a simultaneous correction of the second breast. That is, it can be an option not only for the reconstruction of one mammary gland but also for comprehensive breast augmentation in one operation.
Reconstruction after mastectomy with areola and nipple formation
Surgery for breast cancer, when a woman's own nipple and areola remain, is called a nipple-sparing mastectomy. This may be an option for some patients, depending on the size and location of the tumor and the original shape and size of the breast. But in many cases, breast reconstruction is still required, along with the rest of its details.
How does a plastic surgeon restore the nipple and areola?
After the thorax heals and the position of the anatomical tubercle on the chest wall has time to stabilize, the surgeon can reconstruct the nipple and areola. Typically, a new nipple is created by cutting and moving small pieces of skin from the reconstructed breast to the desired location and forming a new nipple from them. A few months after the nipple reconstruction, the surgeon can recreate the areola. Often, this is done with tattoo ink. However, in some cases, skin grafts may be taken from the groin or abdomen and attached to the breast to create an areola during nipple reconstruction.
Some women who do not have nipple reconstruction surgery may consider a 3D tattoo. This is getting a realistic image of the areola from a specialist who owns the technique of three-dimensional tattooing.
Breast reconstruction after mastectomy: patient reviews
According to an analysis conducted at the US National Institutes of Health, the following reviews were received about breast reconstruction after removal:
- the operation has a positive effect on the quality of a woman's sexual life;
- gives the patient more self-confidence, returns her attractiveness;
- stabilizes psychological comfort and reduces stress levels after breast cancer treatment.
Reconstruction after a mastectomy according to the reviews of Experts Medical patients can take place in two scenarios. This is a one-time reconstruction or a delayed operation. You can discuss the option that is most suitable in a particular case with your oncologist in a foreign clinic. Doctors give those recommendations that in all aspects are suitable for the patient.
Among the women who came to foreign clinics, there were such reviews about reconstruction after mastectomy:
- attentive and respectful attitude of medical personnel;
- high level of service in foreign hospitals;
- the choice of breast implants from the world's best manufacturers.
Breast reconstruction after mastectomy: the cost of the operation
Surgical restoration of the breast after removal can be organized as part of a package offer from a foreign clinic. For example, medical centers in Turkey, such as Hisar and Medipol, offer patients a range of services at a fixed cost. This means that the patient will be able to carry out breast reconstruction after a mastectomy at a price that includes:
- breast reconstruction;
- stay in the ward with meals;
- daily dressings;
- postoperative medications.
To clarify the conditions for individual clinics and package prices for breast reconstruction after mastectomy, you can contact the coordinating doctor of Experts Medical. To do this, leave a request on the site and get a free consultation.
Breast restoration abroad: what areas should be considered?
In popular foreign clinics, you can get not only high-quality breast cancer treatment but also undergo breast reconstruction after cancer. Leading world-famous specialists work in foreign medical centers of plastic surgery. They deal with all issues related to the correction of the shape and size of the bust.
You can get a preliminary consultation with a specialist in breast reconstruction by leaving a request on this page.
Most often, women are interested in affordable options for breast reconstruction. For this, one of the best options is the Republic of Korea. Among the advantages of South Korean plastic surgery clinics is the affordable cost of procedures with their high-quality performance. Doctors help patients by performing operations of any complexity. They use microsurgical techniques to recreate the feminine proportions of the bust.
One of the most visited countries for breast cancer treatment followed by mastectomy reconstruction is Turkey. The country is famous for its wide choice of doctors, among which the star of plastic surgery is Selcuk Aytac, a doctor with over 25 years of experience. In Turkish clinics, it is possible to purchase an All-inclusive package. Thus, a Turkish top surgeon will have breast reconstruction at a price 30-40% cheaper than in hospitals in Western Europe or the USA.
Breast reconstruction after cancer is available in many clinics in Israel. The hospitals of this country accept patients from all over the world for the effective treatment of breast cancer, so preperctoral reconstruction is practiced here. This is a one-stage breast plastic surgery after oncology.
Women who undergo breast cancer treatment in Europe often turn to German clinics. Public and private hospitals provide innovative treatment for women's diseases. Therefore, among the centers of plastic surgery in Germany, you can choose an experienced specialist in breast reconstruction after cancer. However, it is worth considering that breast reconstruction after a mastectomy will be somewhat more expensive than a similar service in Turkey or Korea.
Plastic surgery after the removal of the mammary gland is an integral part of the physical and psychological healing of a woman. Therefore, an individual approach is important here, considering the patient's financial capabilities. Experts Medical specialists can provide you with comprehensive support: from choosing a surgeon and clinic to organizing a trip abroad.
Breast Reconstruction: Frequently asked questions from our patients
When patients are interested in plastic surgery after breast removal, they face several new questions and fears. We will try to reveal the main aspects related to the breast restoration after removal.
Can breast plastic surgery cause complications after mastectomy? Can cancer relapse after breast plastic surgery? It is important for the patient to know! Implant-associated large anaplastic lymphoma (BIAALCL) is a rare type of T-cell lymphoma associated with implants. Can develop in a capsule of scar tissue and fluid surrounding the prosthesis. BIA-ALCL is not breast cancer, but a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Can breast reconstruction be performed after a mastectomy if radiation therapy is ongoing? What is conservative mastectomy? How can you solve the problem of breast asymmetry after cancer treatment? What are the contraindications for breast reconstruction after mastectomy? Why do patients go abroad for breast reconstruction?
Any surgical intervention in the human body carries certain risks. Plastic surgery after the removal of the mammary gland will not be more dangerous than mammoplasty – the planned increase of the mammary glands due to implants. It is important to contact a proven doctor who specializes in reconstruction and knows all the subtleties of working with patients after breast cancer.
After restoration of the mammary gland with the installation of an implant, capsular contractures (formation of hard scar tissue around the prosthesis) may appear. They do not belong to malignant neoplasms. To separate such cases from the recurrence of an old disease, you should consult an oncologist. High-quality treatment according to modern medical protocols minimizes the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence.
Combining radiation therapy with breast reconstruction is possible. The final decision to carry out breast plastic surgery after mastectomy in the course of radiation therapy should be made individually. This requires consultation with your oncologist.
This is an option for surgical treatment of breast cancer, in which the entire glandular tissue is removed, but the skin, nipple and areola are preserved. This is the most gentle operation, which allows for an easier reconstruction of the shape of the mammary gland.
If the surgery was performed at an early stage of breast cancer, complex reconstruction may not be necessary. An experienced plastic surgeon will be able to perform a lipofilling procedure – filling the mammary gland space with the patient’s own fat. Similarly, lipofilling is suitable if the removed gland was restored with the help of an implant, and the second gland needs to be slightly adjusted to improve symmetry.
Oncologists include the following as the main contraindications to breast plastic surgery after mastectomy:
Modern reconstructive and plastic surgery for breast cancer provides women with a short period of rehabilitation. Thanks to this, the patient not only successfully recovers, but also does not experience long-term psychological discomfort. In most cases, foreign oncological and plastic surgeons perform simultaneous operations for the treatment and reconstruction of the breast.
How to go abroad for breast reconstruction after cancer?
Leave a request on the Experts Medical website so that coordinating doctors can help you for free on the following issues:
- choose the most attractive package offer from the medical center;
- get an online consultation with a foreign doctor;
- organize a trip to a foreign hospital.
Seeking qualified medical help will help to avoid all the risks associated with the operation. You can get a range of services for high-quality breast reconstruction from a foreign specialist.
Sources:
- https://www.breastcancer.org/
- https://www.cancer.gov/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
