What Is The Difference Between Breast Reconstruction and Cosmetic Breast Surgery???
Posted by admin | Aug 12, 2010
Nia D. Banks, M.D., PhD
The difference between breast reconstruction and cosmetic breast surgery can be confusing. Both are performed by a plastic surgeon. Both use similar techniques. Both are meant to improve a woman’s self esteem and build a positive body image.
Here are the differences:
COST
The cost of breast reconstruction is generally covered by insurance. In fact, it is a federal mandate that breast reconstruction to restore the appearance of women who have undergone treatment for cancer is covered by insurance. That is true whether the breast reconstruction happens at the time of mastectomy or lumpectomy or years later.
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The cost of cosmetic breast surgery is not covered by insurance. Although breast reconstruction is not considered cosmetic surgery, the outcome of the surgery should certainly be aesthetically appealing and help restore a woman’s self-esteem and positive body image.
YOUR APPEARANCE
Breast reconstruction restores the appearance of a woman after surgery for breast cancer, accidents, or improves the appearance of breasts that did not develop normally. Breast reconstruction is a recognized and important part of restoring a woman’s health after surgery for breast cancer. It can be performed after a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Immediate reconstruction at the same time as mastectomy or lumpectomy is possible and often gives the best cosmetic result. Delayed reconstruction is always a possibility, no matter how long it has been since your breast surgery. Breast reconstruction for women with breast cancer is an important part of breast cancer treatment.
Cosmetic breast surgery enhances the appearance of the existing breasts that are essentially normal. The most common procedures to cosmetically enhance the appearance of the breasts are breast augmentation with implants and breast lift (mastopexy).
TYPES OF RECONSTRUCTION
There are two types of breast reconstruction: implant based and flap based reconstruction. In implant-based reconstruction, a tissue expander is generally placed at the time of mastectomy and inflated slowly at office visits in order to stretch the skin. When there is enough skin, another surgery is needed to remove the tissue expander, place a breast implant, and make a nipple. After the nipple is healed, the skin around the nipple is tattooed to recreate the areola. This is an office procedure.
In flap-based reconstruction, skin and fat is taken from the lower abdomen (tummy-tuck or transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap (TRAM flap)) or from the back (latissimus flap) to make a new breast mound. The most common donor site for flap-based breast reconstruction is the lower abdomen. A TRAM flap takes the skin and fat of the lower abdomen based on blood supply from one of the abdominal wall muscles and rotates that tissue into the position of the breast. A free TRAM flap or Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator flap (DIEP flap) are similar flaps that use microsurgery to provide blood supply to the flap. Each provides a soft breast made of the woman’s own tissue and provides a tummy-tuck at the same time. The recovery from flap-based reconstruction is generally longer than that of expander/implant based reconstruction because the surgery is longer, requires a longer hospital stay, and requires an additional incision. After the flap has healed, another surgery is needed to make a nipple. After the nipple is healed, the areola is tattooed in the office.
Reconstructive breast surgery is generally done in a hospital setting; the patient stays in the hospital overnight or for several days depending on the extent of surgery. Cosmetic breast surgery is generally an outpatient procedure and the patient goes home the same day.
Many women who are having a breast reconstructed after mastectomy or lumpectomy will need to have the opposite breast altered to match the reconstructed breast. This is called a symmetry procedure. This may be a breast lift, breast reduction, or breast augmentation and will also be covered by insurance because it is considered part of the woman’s reconstruction.
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thanks!!!
ANGELA – My MOM’s Life With Breast Cancer
Posted by ashley | Aug 10, 2010
My mother is a breast cancer survivor. It has been several years, but she still fights with other health issues. When my mom was diagnosed I was in shock! My first thought was, I am going to lose my mother, my best friend, the women that I look up to. She has one mastectomy only to then again go through another surgery because some of her lymph nodes needed to be removed. She went through chemo treatment and then radiation, and NEVER complained. We would call to see how she was doing or stop by to visit with her and she would be so sick yet so happy that she is here and fighting. She couldn’t eat a thing, she was always nauseated, and pain yet she managed to stay so strong and gave me strength that I never thought I had. My mother is such an inspiration to me!! I do my best to attend all the walks supporting breast cancer awareness and I also got a beautiful pink ribbon with my mothers name Yvonne through it on the inside of my forearm. To be the women that my mother is is what it is all about for me!!
Thank you for showing your continued support!!!
Carla’s Fight!
Posted by ashley |
CARLA’S STORY- Her Fight For LIFE…
Okay its the beginning of April so my little sister and I are shopping for bathing suits for Jamaica and we are in the dressing trying them on, when I noticed my breast was really red and warm to the touch… NOT AGAIN I said! We left right away and I called my doctor who was out of town, great! could my luck be any worse I thought?! So they gave me the doctor that takes her patients when she is away, I called and he had me come in right away. I pulled up in front of the new doctors office and Michael was waiting for me in the parking lot, we walked in and my heart was beating so fast I was so scared.
The doctor told me that things didn’t look promising and that he wanted me to go to the hospital. He told me I had time to go home and get packed and go have dinner, but I was going to be in there for awhile. The doctor called ahead to the hospital and they had a room waiting for me as soon as I got there. The put me on antibiotics via- IV and I met with the infectious diseases doctor the next day when she came to room. She said things did not look promising and if the infection didn’t clear up with the IV they had to remove the tissue expander. After 4 days on IV it was still red, I had no choice! there was NO WAY I was going to Jamaica with an infection hoping it would clear up, and if things got worse there, I would end up in a Jamaican hospital (which was out of the question). Okay…Okay… I’ll just end this quick by saying YES! I was a uni-boob bride!
