Breast Procedures

Breast Reconstruction Bryan – College Station Texas

If you’re considering breast reconstruction in Bryan or College Station Texas
Reconstruction of a breast that has been removed due to cancer or other disease is one of the most rewarding surgical procedures available today. New medical techniques and devices have made it possible for surgeons to create a breast that can come close in form and appearance to matching a natural breast. Frequently, reconstruction is possible immediately following breast removal (mastectomy), so the patient wakes up with a breast mound already in place, having been spared the experience of seeing herself with no breast at all.

But bear in mind, post-mastectomy breast reconstruction is not a simple procedure. There are often many options to consider as you and your doctor explore what’s best for you.

This information will give you a basic understanding of the procedure — when it’s appropriate, how it’s done, and what results you can expect. It can’t answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Please be sure to ask your surgeon if there is anything you don’t understand about the procedure.

View more Breast Reconstruction before and after photos

The Best Candidates for Breast Reconstruction

Most mastectomy patients are medically appropriate for reconstruction, many at the same time that the breast is removed. The best candidates, however, are women whose cancer, as far as can be determined, seems to have been eliminated by mastectomy.

Still, there are legitimate reasons to wait. Many women aren’t comfortable weighing all the options while they’re struggling to cope with a diagnosis of cancer. Others simply don’t want to have any more surgery than is absolutely necessary. Some patients may be advised by their surgeons to wait, particularly if the breast is being rebuilt in a more complicated procedure using flaps of skin and underlying tissue. Women with other health conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure, or smoking, may also be advised to wait.

In any case, being informed of your reconstruction options before surgery can help you prepare for a mastectomy with a more positive outlook for the future.

A tissue expander is inserted following the mastectomy to prepare for reconstruction.

The expander is gradually filled with saline through an integrated or separate tube to stretch the skin enough to accept an implant beneath the chest muscle.

After surgery, the breast mound is restored. Scars are permanent, but will fade with time. The nipple and areola are reconstructed at a later date.

With flap surgery, tissue is taken from the back and tunneled to the front of the chest wall to support the reconstructed breast.

The transported tissue forms a flap for a breast implant, or it may provide enough bulk to form the breast mound without an implant.

Tissue may be taken from the abdomen and tunneled to the breast or surgically transplanted to form a new breast mound.

After surgery, the breast mound, nipple, and areola are restored.

Scars at the breast, nipple, and abdomen will fade substantially with time, but may never disappear entirely.