Breast Reconstruction: The Options That Are Available To You

Breast reconstruction is necessary in cases when the breast or some part of the entirety is taken out due to disease, injury or trauma

. Most, if not all, cases usually concern women who may have had cancer at this particular area a certain point in their life or have had an operation with which part of it or all of it has been removed. There are two basic approaches to this problem and these include flaps and implants.

Implants: These have long been used to augment this part of a woman's anatomy for aesthetic purposes. In reconstructing the chest, these are also used to fill in all or part of what is missing. Although this option is probably the least expensive and easier to do for many surgeons, there are risks that com with it.

One of the risks is the introduction of a foreign material to the body. This means that the body might reject it or that the foreign material might not work well in the body. This form of breast reconstruction can also hinder or complicate some forms of therapy used to treat the patient as well as hide growths that may be present in the chest. The patient may also need to be operated on twice, first to stretch the skin and then to put the implant.

Flaps: The development of tissue flaps to reconstruct a woman's chest creates a natural feel in the area and has less chances of being rejected by the body since it is not foreign and was develop din the body itself. Common places to develop flaps are the abdomen and the back. Getting from the abdomen may render the patient with a flatter stomach, which could be a plus for many women.

On the other hand, getting from the back tissues may render the patient with weak arms since the back muscles may be affected. This form of breast reconstruction will leave the person with two very large scars, one from the site where the flap is taken from and the other where the flap will be placed.

Women with abdominal scars from previous surgeries may not have the flap develop in this area. The tissue developed for transplanting might not be enough to fill in which could mean that implants may be necessary to create matching breasts. The combination of the two methods is a third option for those looking to reconstruct their chest.

by: Abigail Aaronson

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