Breast Reconstruction Options
Breast reconstruction, plastic surgeons claim is one of the most rewarding surgeries that any plastic surgeon performs. Even if the surgery saves your life, the loss of your breasts during the battle is devastating. Mastectomies cannot be considered the same as breast reduction surgeries, because the woman is left with a deformed chest wall and substantial scarring.
Taking control of the reconstruction of her breasts can give a woman a sense of power and control over her body and her future that has been missing during the fight with cancer. It is important to take a grasp of the decisions required by breast reconstruction to be sure that the reconstruction of your body is another triumph.
When you start the breast reconstruction process you will be faced a number of choices. The first is deciding whether to undergo a substantial undertaking such as a flap procedure to rebuild the breast with your own tissue harvested from another section of your body or to use saline or silicone breast implants in order to recreate the look and feel of your natural breasts. Several types of flap procedures are currently in use, but you must decide with the help of your plastic surgeon which one will be the best for you.
Some types of breast reconstruction is actually performed at the same time as the mastectomy (immediate) , while other kinds wait until the mastectomy surgery is healed (delayed).
If you have chosen to have breast implants inserted to reshape your breasts, there are several choices of implants available: saline filled implants, silicone filled implants and a special kind of silicone implant called a gummy bear implant. Another choice is the size of your new breasts as well as placement, size of nipple, and the amount of cleavage after your breast reconstruction is completed.
Breast reconstruction surgery is covered by your health insurance carrier as mandated by law. Furthermore balancing breast augmentation or breast lift of the opposite uninvolved breast is also covered by your health insurance. All dually trained and board certified plastic surgeons are experienced breast reconstruction surgeons and will accept most health insurance plans.
The number of decisions to be made before your breast reconstruction may seem overwhelming at a time when your energy has already been depleted, but choose a caring plastic surgeon who will walk you through your options and help you decide the best ones for your individual situation.
