Rebuilding Your Breasts

Women seek breast reconstruction as a way of rebuilding the appearance of their breasts after a mastectomy or other operation has caused tissue loss in that area. Female patients have generally undergone tissue removal operations to combat diseases such as breast cancer. And in a majority of cases, such diseases cannot be fought without diminishing the breast's original mass and form.

Reconstruction is a process different from breast augmentation, which is used to enlarge or enhance an already complete set of breasts. It is also a more extensive undertaking, since rebuilding the breast tissue often requires more than one operation and can be divided over weeks or months.

Reconstruction and augmentation do share the common method of breast implants, which provides a silicone prosthetic as a replacement for the lost tissue. But during reconstruction, the patient may instead choose to undergo a longer procedure called flap reconstruction. This involves rebuilding the lost breast mass by transplanting soft living tissue from other areas of the woman's body. Typical areas are the abdomen, thighs, buttocks or back.

The "flap" procedure is concluded by performing incisions that link a blood supply between the breast area and the location of the transplanted tissue - or by creating a new blood supply for the rebuilt breast tissue. Flap reconstruction is perhaps more arduous for both surgeon and patient, but is sometimes preferred over implants. This is because a breast rebuilt from living tissue can look and feel more natural.

There is also concern among some patients that receiving the synthetic implants can lead to unwanted internal exposure to artificial chemicals, such as leaked silicone or saline fluid. But some women are found to be ineligible for the flap procedure, due to a lack of tissue that is considered suitable. This can be a result of age or poor health triggered by smoking and other lifestyle factors.

In either case, moderate bruising and swelling is to be expected after reconstruction, plus scars that vanish later. A patient's recovery can take six weeks or longer. Another temporary drawback to reconstruction is that bathing and showering are delayed for several days after the operation, since water can damage bandages and dressings.

After the breast has been fully rebuilt through implants or the flap process, the patient will undergo an operation that creates a reconstructed areola and nipple. This is preferably done at a separate time so that a proper location, relative to the "new" breasts, can be decided.

It is crucial to remember that breast reconstruction almost always follows treatment of cancer, and likely wouldn't have been necessary if not for the disease. And so any cancer screening that follows a breast reconstruction should be performed with that operation in mind. An implanted breast can be more difficult to examine than a natural one.

It is recommended that breasts reconstructed by implants are examined physically - by the woman or her physician - and that breasts rebuilt by flap reconstructions are screened by x-ray. In all cases, for adult women of all ages, monthly self-examinations are encouraged.

Breast reconstruction ranks regularly in the list of surgeries needed by women. The Plastic Surgery Channel includes news and resources about this procedure, and the factors that are related.