Deciding on post-mastectomy reconstruction can be confusing and overwhelming. Dr. Azra Ashraf takes great care to help restore her patients’ well-being.

Background

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:

• No additional medical conditions that may impair healing.
• Understanding that the new breast(s) may not look exactly like the patient’s old breast(s). Breasts will have a new shape and appearance.
• Understanding that breast sensations cannot be restored.

Process

Breast reconstruction is an inpatient procedure categorized into two types: implant-based and flap-based surgery.

Implant-Based

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-Based

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.

Recovery

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.

Resources

We love patients who do their homework! Here are a few trustworthy resources on breast reconstruction:

• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is an excellent resource. Click here for more information on breast reconstruction.

• Plastic surgeon, Dr. Regina Nouhan, hosts a bi-monthly podcast, Plastic Surgery Decoded, to educate patients about procedures. Episode 70 is about implant-based surgery, and Episode 71 is about flap-based surgery.