Patients may receive a mastectomy for several reasons. Whether the procedure is necessary to fight a cancer diagnosis or breast reduction is needed to fix other health issues, it’s important for you to know that this isn’t the end. You have plenty of reconstruction options after your mastectomy, and it is our goal at the office of Dr. Cain Linville to discuss them with you.
We offer some of the most advanced breast reconstruction in Houston available to help your breast reconstruction dreams come true. Whether you’ve had some or all of your breasts removed, there are ways to rebuild your form into something that brings out your inner beauty – something that will truly satisfy you.
Review some of our most popular reconstructions below and learn about your options after mastectomy.
Rebuilding the Breasts
Your breasts can be rebuilt in a number of ways. At the office of Dr. Linville, we can rebuild breasts using either silicone implants or a saline filling. Alternatively, there is a method of breast reconstruction that involves harvesting tissue from other parts of the body and rebuilding breasts using the body naturally.
One thing that is important to address before getting into the details of these procedures is that you can opt for breast reconstruction at any time after the healing from your mastectomy is complete. In fact, BreastCancer.org found that it is very common to get breast construction months or years after the surgery. As long as you are fully healed from your mastectomy, you should be eligible for reconstructive surgery.
How Breast Implants Work
Implants are the most common form of breast reconstruction across the globe. The way the procedure works quite simply. An implant, whether made of silicone or saline, is positioned into the breast and under the muscle. If you opt for a saline implant, the surgeon may choose to slowly fill the area with saline periodically. Ultimately he replaces it with the permanent implant once your body is ready.
Some implants can be planted in the body with a single procedure. This is true of most implant-based reconstruction involving just the chest. At the office of Dr. Linville, you can choose between implant reconstruction or flap reconstruction, which simply harvests tissues from another part of the body.
How Flap Reconstruction Works
If you opt for the more natural type of reconstruction, you may be going through a slightly different procedure from the typical implant procedure you may expect. Using the tissue from your own body, the surgeon can reconstruct breast material and give you a more natural chest area.
Typically, tissue with fat and blood vessels will be taken from other parts of your body, such as your leg or stomach. This is sometimes known as harvesting. This harvested tissue is then reattached to the breasts area and reconnected to your blood supply, essentially forming new breasts.
This is also known as flap reconstruction, as the surgeon must cut a flap in the skin to complete the procedure. Flaps may be taken from anywhere on the body, including the abdomen or the buttocks.
Taking Care of the Nipples
The nipples and areolae are always two major areas of concern when patients ask about reconstructive surgery results. Making a new breast is one thing, but how does one create a new nipple and areola?
There are plenty of options for this as well. As the reconstructed breast starts to heal, the surgeon can then reconstruct the nipple and areola. He does this by either relocating your original parts or by cutting small parts of the new breast and reshaping it into a nipple. He then places it on a part of the breasts that is aesthetically pleasing.
It is also possible for the surgeon to recreate nipples and areolae using tattoo ink, with the help of skin grafts to restore some nerve sensation in the area.
Explore Your Reconstruction Options Now!
You deserve to feel comfortable and happy in your own body. Going through a mastectomy can take its toll on your physical, mental, and social health. But, there are options after a mastectomy. Reconstructive surgery seeks to help you restore confidence and bring out your inner beauty with a newly-reshaped chest. Explore your reconstruction options with us at the office of Dr. Cain Linville, a top plastic surgeon in Houston, and be treated to some of the best surgical procedures in the world.
