Alternative Cancer Treatment - Breast Cancer & Reconstruction

In the tragic cases where a full mastectomy is necessary to treat breast cancer, reconstruction is usually a welcome option. Modern technologies allow for the restoration of your breasts to an appearance that looks natural. These surgeries are conducted by specialized plastic surgeons and are now considered normal for patients undergoing a mastectomy.

There are many different approaches and each case is unique and different. Consultation with a physician is necessary in order to choose the technique that is right for you.

Breast implants are one option that is typically chosen. Today implants are typically saline filled bags encased in silicone. They are placed in front of the chest wall muscles under the skin that covers the breast area.

In the past silicon filled implants were more typical. There was a huge concern that the silicon could possibly leak out into the body thus causing problems for the immune system. The FDA recently announced after years of study that there isn't much basis for worry and silicon breast implants are now legal again. Some individuals prefer silicon implants because they behave differently.

In many instances reconstruction is done simultaneously with the mastectomy. In other cases physicians recommend that you wait for a period of time to allow the body to heal prior to performing any further surgery. Each case is different and can only be decided based upon its own circumstances.

In most instances, two-stage delayed reconstruction is performed if the skin and chest wall tissues are flat. An implant, called a tissue expander that functions much like a balloon under the tissue is placed between the muscles. The surgeon then injects saline in stages over time so that the sac is gradually filled. In many cases, the expander itself becomes the implant. In other cases, the expander may be removed in a later procedure and replaced with a permanent implant.

Tissue flap procedures are another category of breast surgery. These use skin from the stomach, the thighs or other area as part of the total process.

TRAM (transverse rectus abdominis muscle flap) is one of the most common types, which uses tissue from the lower abdominal wall. A pedicle flap leaves the tissue attached to the original blood supply and stretches the tissue up the breast area. A free flap procedure removes the tissue entirely, along with muscles, fat, and blood vessels and reattaches them to blood vessels under the chest.

Another common tissue flap procedure that is equally as common as a TRAM uses tissue from the upper back. A flap is moved in front of an individual's chest wall to create a pocket. Following that a breast implant is inserted into the pocket. There are other procedures in addition to this one; there is even one that uses gluteal muscle tissue.

In each case, nipple and/or areola reconstruction may or may not be part of the total surgery. It may be done later or not at all. Rarely is the nipple from the original breast used as a replacement out of concern that it may regenerate the cancer.

Reconstructive surgery is not entirely without risks, of course.

All of the normal surgical complications such as infection or scarring, and capsular contracture (scar tissue forming around the implant) can occur. Additionally breast implants might not last a lifetime, and depending upon each individual's circumstances including age. Replacing your implants might require an additional surgery at a later time period in life. The end result might or might not be what the patient wanted or expected. Only a consultation with a physician specializing in reconstruction will provide the patient with realistic outcomes to expect.

By: www.thealternativecancertreatment.com

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