“Breast reconstruction surgery helps enhance body image and self-confidence by restoring youthful contour firmness, enhancing the volume, and helping patients recovering from body-changing surgeries, i.e., breast removal”
- One may wonder how breast reconstruction surgery helps breast cancer patients recovering from breast removal, either a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.
- Breast reconstruction surgery is vital for building a woman’s body after mastectomy or lumpectomy because a patient needs her normal form after breast removal surgery.
- Breast reconstruction surgery is a key aspect of the breast rejuvenation procedure that helps achieve total breast profile rejuvenation by enhancing volume, addressing sagging breasts, and restoring firmness.
One must wait about three months before wearing underwire bras, avoid lifting weights over 25 pounds, and avoid strenuous activities for about 4-6 weeks after breast reconstruction surgery.
What is Breast Reconstruction Surgery?
Breast reconstruction surgery or rejuvenation procedure implies enhancing the breast profile after breast removal or when someone looks for total rejuvenation for their breast appearance. In other words, breast reconstruction is a cosmetic surgery to recreate breasts for women who have had breast cancer treatment. In addition, for many women, it is a process of complete breast profile rejuvenation, as the procedure not only enhances volume by augmentation job but also improves saggy and asymmetrical breasts via breast lift surgery. Therefore, breast reconstruction means involvement of both implant augmentation and autologous fat transfer to breasts using liposuction and breast lift to raise sagging breasts by changing or altering the size, contour, and elevation of the breasts.
Note:
(I)Breast reconstruction can be performed right after mastectomy, lumpectomy, or much later. Dr. Karishma Kagodu can recommend multiple surgeries that are performed over several stages.
(II) Mastectomy: The term implies surgical removal of the whole breast for patients with a breast cancer diagnosis.
(III) Lumpectomy: Surgical removal of a portion of the breast for breast cancer patients. The decision to have a mastectomy or lumpectomy is wholly based on the breast cancer diagnosis and your surgeon’s recommendation.
Dr. Karishma Kagodu (MS, MCh) shared her thoughts about breast reconstruction surgery performed at her surgical suite, Dr. Karishma Aesthetics, Bangalore. Dr. Karishma noted that not only do patients recover from breast cancer after lumpectomy or mastectomy, but a large share of women clients want whole breast profile rejuvenation. Therefore, breast rejuvenation surgery, either using autologous tissue, prosthesis implants, or a combination of both, is performed to meet the goal of youthful-looking breasts.
Dr. Karishma Kagodu, a board-certified, celebrity surgeon specializing in breast surgeries, answers frequently asked questions about this procedure and how it helps women restore their self-confidence and enhance body image.
Q. #1 What is the goal of breast reconstruction surgery?
Breast reconstruction surgery is vital to rebuilding a woman’s body who has had a mastectomy or lumpectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Long ago, breast reconstruction was limited to cosmetic surgery to enhance the breast profile for women unhappy with their breasts’ appearance, shape, volume, or size. But now, breast surgery has a significant role in improving one’s confidence and self-esteem who have had breast removal surgery due to medical reasons, i.e., breast cancer. In addition, women who are not happy with the contour, shape, position, or symmetry of their breasts, meaning they have both volume and sagging concerns, can choose the paired breast augmentation procedure with a breast lift, called breast reconstruction. Thus, breast reconstruction surgery aims to offer a woman a rejuvenated breast profile with an aesthetic shape, size, symmetry, and volume to harmonize the overall body image.
Q. #2 What are the available options for breast reconstruction if a patient has a mastectomy?
The available options for breast reconstruction surgery can be divided into three categories:
- Implants only: It can be either silicone or saline based on the patient’s anatomy and physiological status, the surgeon’s preference, and the desired surgical goals. Patients who are very thin or have little breast tissue are often suitable candidates for silicone gel implants. On the other hand, FDA-approved saline implants are recommended for women over 18, which involves affordable cost, adjustability, and an excellent safety profile. Based in Indiranagar, Bangalore, our clinic, Kaesthetics, carries a selection of high-quality implants of both kinds.
- Autologous fat transfer using liposuction: Fat transfer breast enhancement can be suggested when a patient has enough body fat to fulfill the augmentation goal. The patient’s own body fat is used for the augmentation. Thus, there is no risk of side effects. Typically, a plastic surgeon extracts fat from the lower abdomen, thighs, back, or buttocks. To recreate the breasts, a plastic surgeon removes fat, skin, blood vessels, and muscles from the targeted areas.
- Implant combined with fat transfer: In some specific cases, the paired breast reconstruction procedure, including implants and fat transfer, can be recommended to meet the desired augmentation goals.
Note:All reconstructive options require multiple surgeries over several stages to achieve optimal outcomes.
Q. #3 How to decide what breast reconstruction technique would be the best?
The appropriate technique of breast reconstruction surgery can be decided by several factors that influence the case, such as:
- The age of the patient
- The kind of mastectomy or lumpectomy a patient had and the remaining tissues
- Whether additional treatments are required for breast cancer patients (chemotherapy or radiation)
- The history of surgery a patient has undergone, such as abdominal surgery, is relevant because taking a flap from the abdomen would be difficult or impossible if the patient had undergone tummy surgery previously.
- The desired surgical goals.
Q. #4 What are the advantages of breast reconstruction surgery?
Breast reconstruction surgery significantly improves the shape, appearance, contour, size, and volume of the breasts if someone is not satisfied with their present breast profile or has had a mastectomy or lumpectomy to treat breast cancer. However, breast reconstruction, either performed with breast augmentation or a paired procedure of breast implants and breast lift, can be recommended based on one’s problem status, physiological and anatomical status, and the desired surgical goals. After breast reconstruction, many women feel better and more confident about how their clothes fit. However, choosing breast reconstruction after mastectomy or lumpectomy is very personal and may vary from patient to patient.
Contact us, and let us discuss all the queries and doubts a patient may have. We invite patients to schedule one-on-one discussions with our plastic surgeon to experience the highest-quality cosmetic care.
