Breast cancer treatment sometimes involves partial or complete removal of one or both breasts. This is also known as mastectomy. Patients often opt for breast reconstruction, or oncoplasty, after oncologic breast surgery to restore breast shape and appearance.
Characteristics of the ideal candidate include:
Breast reconstruction is an inpatient procedure categorized into two types: implant-based and flap-based surgery.
Dr. Ashraf uses saline or silicone implants underneath or on the top of the pectoralis, or main chest muscle, in the place of breast tissue. This can be either a single-stage or two-stage procedure, depending on the patient’s anatomy and goals.
Flap surgery is another effective procedure for breast reconstruction. Dr. Ashraf utilizes tissues from one body part to rebuild the breast. She harvests tissue from the abdomen (as well as from other donor areas of the body, such as the back, buttock, or thigh) and reattaches the chest wall to build a breast.
Depending on whether a patient proceeds with implant-based or flap surgery, they may need to spend several days in the surgeon’s hospital post-operatively. It is important to understand that breast reconstruction is a process. Several smaller surgeries and revisions may be required to reconstruct the breast(s).
Implant-based breast reconstruction requires approximately 2-4 weeks of recovery and possibly multiple office visits for expansion. Flap surgery recovery averages 4-6 weeks.
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