Breast Reconstruction Surgery
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the partial or total removal of the breast is disheartening for the patient. As part of modern breast cancer treatment, breast reconstruction is recognized as a process that is offered to patients.
Breast reconstruction is surgery to reconstruct the breast. There are various methods of reconstruction including implants, latissimus dorsi flaps and TRAM flaps. Partial reconstruction can be performed using fat grafting. The surgery will result in a reconstructed breast which is closely matched to the remaining breast. For best results and better healing, this is preferably done at the same time as the removal of the tumour. For patients who have already had their mastectomies with no reconstruction, delayed breast reconstruction can be performed.
The duration of surgery, downtime and recovery vary from 5 days for simpler reconstructions to 21 days for the more complex types of flap reconstruction.