Breast Reconstruction in Columbus, Ohio

What is Breast Reconstruction Surgery?
Breast Reconstruction is the reconstruction of a breast that has been removed due to cancer or other disease. New medical techniques and devises have made it possible for surgeons to create a breast that can come close in form and appearance to matching a natural breast. Reconstruction is possible immediately following mastectomy (breast removal) or on a delayed basis after the mastectomy.  

Am I a good candidate for breast reconstruction surgery?
Most mastectomy patients are good candidates for reconstruction. However, the best candidates are women whose cancer, as far as can be determined, seems to have been eliminated by the mastectomy. It should be noted that there are many legitimate reasons for waiting to reconstruct a breast. Many women aren't comfortable weighing all of the options while they're struggling to cope with a diagnosis of cancer. Others simply do not want to have any more surgery than is absolutely necessary. Some patients may be advised by their surgeon to wait, particularly if the breast is being reconstructed in a more complicated manner using flaps of skin and underlying tissue. Women with other health conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, or smoking may also be advised to wait.

Post-mastectomy breast reconstruction is not a simple decision. There are often many options to consider, and you and your surgeon will explore what is best for you. During your consultation, your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon will discuss your individual circumstance, answer all of your questions, discuss the surgical risks and help you to devise a treatment plan that you are comfortable with.  

How is Breast reconstructive surgery performed?
Many options are available in post-mastectomy reconstruction. You and your surgeon will discuss the option that is ultimately best for you. Listed in this section are a few options which may be discussed during your consultation.

Skin Expansion: The most common reconstructive technique combines skin expansion and the eventual insertion of an implant. Following mastectomy, your surgeon will insert a balloon expander beneath your skin and chest muscle. Through a tiny valve mechanism buried beneath the skin, your surgeon will periodically inject salt-water solution to gradually fill the expander over several weeks or months.  After the skin in the breast area has stretched enough, the expander may be removed and a second operation using a more permanent implant will be inserted. Some expanders are designed to remain in place as the final implant and not require a separate operation. The nipple and areola are reconstructed in a subsequent procedure.

Some patients do not require preliminary tissue expansion before receiving an implant. For these women, the surgeon will proceed with inserting an implant as the first step.

 Flap Reconstruction: An alternative approach to implant reconstruction involves the creation of a skin flap using tissue taken from other parts of the body, such as the back, abdomen, or buttocks. Flap surgery consists of the tissue remaining attached to it's original site retaining it's blood supply. The flap, consisting of skin, fat and muscle with it's blood supply are tunneled beneath the skin to the chest. This creates a pocket for an implant or, in some cases, creating the breast mount itself without the need for an implant.  Another flap reconstruction technique uses tissue that is surgically removed from other parts of the body and then transplanted to the chest by reconnecting the blood vessels to new ones in that region. This procedure requires the skills of a plastic surgeon who is experienced in microvascular surgery as well. The flap procedures are more complex than the expander technique. Scars will be left at both the tissue donor site and the reconstructed site.

How will I feel following my surgery?
You are most likely to be tired and sore for a few weeks after reconstruction. Most discomfort can be controlled by prescription medications.  It may take up to six weeks to recover from a combined mastectomy and flap reconstruction alone. If implants are used without flaps and reconstruction is done apart from the mastectomy, your recovery time may be less. Reconstruction cannot restore normal sensation to your breast, but in time, some feeling may return. Most scars will fade over time but they will never completely disappear. Follow your surgeon's advice on when to begin normal activities. As a general rule, you will want to refrain from any overhead lifting, strenuous sports, and sexual activity for three to six weeks following reconstruction. 

How will my new breast look?
Chances are your reconstructed breast may feel firmer and look rounder or flatter than your natural breast. It may not have the same contour as your breast before mastectomy, nor will it exactly match your opposite breast.  But these differences will be apparent only to you. For most mastectomy patients, breast reconstruction dramatically improves appearance and quality of life following the surgery.

Will my insurance company cover the cost of Breast Reconstruction?
In 1998 President Clinton signed into law the "Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act" which ensures that a women's health plan which covers mastectomy surgery, must cover all stages of reconstruction to both the breast with cancer, and the breast without cancer.