October is breast cancer awareness month. Women who unfortunately have been diagnosed with breast cancer will need to face many surgical options to remove the cancer. There are tissue saving procedures where a lumpectomy can be recommended, a tissue saving mastectomy or a full mastectomy removing the entire breast, skin and nipple. After much testing and evaluation, your breast surgeon should guide you as to your most optimal procedure that gives the healthiest and best outcome. There is also a lot of consideration for women to consider when choosing which breast cancer reconstruction options are available to them today.
Full Mastectomy with Breast Implant Reconstruction
A full mastectomy is a procedure that is done to remove either one or both of a woman’s breasts completely; the breast tissue, skin and nipple are completely removed. In addition to removing a woman’s breasts, a mastectomy may also remove lymph nodes near the armpits to determine if there is anything-abnormal going on. Breast Reconstruction for the full mastectomy patient becomes more of a long term process to replace the lost volume of breast tissue with implants, skin and nipples. At the time of mastectomy surgery, the plastic surgeon places the expander implants in the empty pocket and just mildly fills it with saline fluid to begin the expansion process of the very tight breast skin tissues. After 6 weeks, the woman returns to her plastic surgeon’s office and begins the process of filling the breast expander with saline, until she reaches the size breast that she desires in her future. So a woman who may have been an A or B cup and desires to be a C or D cup can choose any size she would like to now be. But this process of expanding the skin tissues can take many many months. Once the woman reaches the desired size, she is then taken back to surgery to replace the expander implants with the silicone gel or saline implants she will now have for her future breasts. The final process of reconstruction is the creation of the nipples for her breasts. Most plastic surgeons use the skin at the breast mound to recreate a nipple. Once healed, the nipple can be tattooed to the appropriate nipple color to match her ethnic skin color. The entire process can take up to 6 to 12 months.
Tissue Saving Mastectomy with Implant Reconstruction
In the tissue saving mastectomy, the breast tissue of either one or both of the breasts are removed, but the skin and nipple are kept intact. During this procedure, cancerous cells are removed from the breast and they leave behind a small pocket that an implant can easily be inserted into. Compared to a traditional mastectomy, a tissue saving mastectomy reduces the amount of scarring on the breast considerably.
At the time the breast tissue is removed, implants are immediately placed in the breast to replace the volume lost by the removal of the breast tissue. Women truly appreciate waking up from surgery and having an immediate breast reconstruction with breast implants saving them the sadness and grief of losing their breasts.
Lumpectomy with Implant or Fat Transfer Reconstruction
A lumpectomy is just as its name, the surgeon is strictly removing the cancer cells out of the breast, but leaving the rest of the breast tissue, skin and nipple intact. Sometimes depending on the size of the breast lump removed, the breast can have a sunken appearance. In this case, there are 2 options to return the breast back to a fuller size. A small implant can be used to replace the volume or if a woman has sufficient body fat, a liposuction fat transfer from one part of the body into the breast can also be achieved. Women love the lipo-fat transfer as they are getting a two for one procedure: reduce the body fat in one area and then re-use it to plump up their breasts to a nice full size. Since it is a woman’s own fat tissue, it is very natural and soft feeling like your own natural breasts.
Dr. Dean Kane in Baltimore, Maryland is well experienced in all three types of breast reconstructions. In his over 25 years of practice, he has provided women with the most up to date breast reconstruction options to fulfill their desired breast appearance and helping women feel whole again.
About Dr. Dean Kane & the Center for Cosmetic Surgery & Medi-Spa
Dr. Dean Kane is a board certified Plastic Surgeon well known expert in Baltimore, Annapolis, D.C. and the surrounding communities ofMaryland, Delaware, upper Virginia and the Eastern Shore. In practice for over 25 years at his Maryland Center for Cosmetic Surgery and Medi-Spa, he has been identified with unique abilities and creative surgical and non-surgical modifications necessary to achieve those differences between his male patients and his female patients.
Dr. Dean Kane is a board certified Plastic Surgeon well known expert in Baltimore, Annapolis, D.C. and the surrounding communities ofMaryland, Delaware, upper Virginia and the Eastern Shore. In practice for over 25 years at his Maryland Center for Cosmetic Surgery and Medi-Spa, he has been identified with unique abilities and creative surgical and non-surgical modifications necessary to achieve those differences between his male patients and his female patients.
Dr. Kane's extensive experiences and his strong plastic surgery education has made him the ideal cosmetic surgeon for men and women in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area.
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