Breast Reconstruction Methods: Flap and Implant Reconstructive Surgeries
Women who have undergone mastectomies to remove cancerous breast tissue often seek out breast reconstructive surgery to restore the natural look and feel of their breasts.
Reconstructive Methods
Your plastic surgeon will evaluate your specific case to determine which reconstructive technique is best suited for your body type. Reconstructive techniques include:
- Flap reconstructive breast surgery.
- Implant surgery, with or without the use of a tissue expander.
- A combination of flap and implant reconstruction.
Flap Reconstructive Surgery
With flap reconstructive surgery, a flap of skin, tissue, or muscle is removed from the abdomen, upper back, or buttocks. This sample is then used to create replacement breast tissue. Flap reconstructions tend to look and feel more like natural breasts; however, the procedure is more invasive and complex than implant reconstruction. The two most common types of flap surgery include the following.
- The TRAM (transverse rectus abdominis muscle) flap procedure uses tissue and muscle from the lower abdominal wall. Often, this procedure produces enough tissue from the donation site that an implant isn’t needed.
- Latissimus dorsi muscle flap procedures use flaps of tissue and muscle from the upper back.
When flap reconstruction cannot alone provide the desired size, your plastic surgeon may combine this procedure with the use of an implant to achieve ideal fullness.
Implant Reconstructive Surgery
When a surgeon uses implants to attain the desired result, he or she will often utilize a tissue expander. A tissue expander is surgically placed between the skin and chest muscle. Over the course of four to six months, saline solution is added to the expander to slowly stretch the skin to the size of the desired implant. Next, the expander is surgically removed and the implant is inserted. A tissue expander is not always necessary and the implant may be inserted at the time of the mastectomy.
If you have undergone a mastectomy and would like to regain the feminine look and feel of your body, call Dr. David Abramson at (917) 720-4806. Dr. David Abramson serves the Bergen County area with cosmetic surgery procedures, including breast reconstruction and liposuction.
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