Breast Implants Better Over Reconstruction For Breast Cancer Patients
Are Breast Implants Better Over Reconstruction for Breast Cancer Patients?
Angelina Jolie underwent mastectomy after learning she carries a mutant form of a gene that predisposes her for breast and ovarian cancer.
Breast cancer can create a lot of changes in woman’s life. Aside from the emotional blow, it can also alter your body's image especially when it reaches a point where mastectomy may be necessary.
Mastectomy is a surgical procedure done to remove one or both breasts, completely or just partially
It is mostly performed to treat breast cancer, while some women have it done as a preventive measure particularly in those women who had breast lumps removed, whether benign or malignant.
Recently, award winning actress and a mother, Angelina Jolie, underwent mastectomy after learning she carries a mutant form of a gene that predisposes her for breast and ovarian cancer.
This can create a dent in the confidence of any woman. That is why breast reconstruction procedures and breast implants are done to help restore some degree of normalcy into their lives.
But the question now is, would breast implants be more preferable compared to breast reconstruction measures?
Breast Augmentation an Overview
Breast implant surgery is something that we are all familiar about.
The major reason why it remains to be the leading surgical cosmetic procedure is that it is done mostly for the purpose of improving bust size.
But another group of women also benefits from this in a therapeutic sense, and these are those who undergo mastectomy.
Breast implants which can come either in saline, silicone or gelatine-like substance can give a woman normal-looking breasts.
They can be placed inside the body using a small incision or a wider one that runs below the breast.
Innovations and new techniques make breast augmentation less invasive.
Silicone implants in particular can even be inserted transumbilically (or through the umbilicus) up to the breast area so as to minimize the need for a larger incision.
Breast Reconstruction for Mastectomy
Another approach to recreate those natural-looking breasts is breast reconstruction surgery.Although breast implants may also be included in this treatment method, largely it is known for using autologous tissue in order to fashion a breast.
Breast reconstruction also involves the reformation of the patient’s areola and nipple, to really recreate a natural-looking breast.
Along with that are tissue flap procedures such as:
- TRAM (Transverse Rectus Abdominis Muscle) flap
- DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator) flap
- The Latissimus dorsi flap
- The inner thigh flap
- The gluteal free flap
The procedures that were just mentioned require extensive invasiveness as it involves the removal of not only the skin tissue but muscle tissues as well.
This means that it is a larger surgery and it would take more time required to heal. This also implies that the body is at a greater chance of being exposed to infections.
However, one benefit with this type of procedure is that it is much safer than having foreign material being inserted into your chest.
The major risk of breast augmentation is that the material used is only man made and subject to wear and tear.
But one must also consider that the patients involved here are not the typical female simply looking for enhancements, rather, these are females who are immunocompromised and longing to restore a normal body image.
With that, it can be said that breast augmentation for post-mastectomy patients are more preferable than the much invasive breast flap surgeries.
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