Breast Reconstruction

Breast Restoration is one of the fundamental aspects of contemporary plastic surgery. Today, a treatment of the breast cancer without a restoration is not understood.

Breast is one of the most distinctive body aspects of women; It has a great meaning in everything related to motherhood, femininity and sexuality.

The breast cancer is the malignant neoplastic disease most common in women who live in developed countries (1 in 8 women will develop a breast cancer throughout her life).

Nowadays, the treatment of breast cancer should focus in a multidisciplinary way, that is to say, including gynecologists or general surgeons, oncologists and surgeons.

Objectives: Why?

This breast restoring surgery aims to recreate a natural-looking breast, areola and nipple. The objective of this intervention is to refill the space remaining in the chest, recreating a natural-looking breast including the nipple and the areola, so restoring body image and at the same time eliminating the need for prosthesis of filling.

Besides an aesthetic improvement, is done to optimize the psychological status of the patient and her quality of life by increasing assurance in herself that will be reflected on the emotional level, such as social and sexually in her life as a couple.

When?

The breast restoring can be done in an independent way, weeks, months or years after the mastectomy (delayed restoring) or in the same surgical procedure of the mastectomy (immediate).

This second option, the IMMEDIATE BREAST RESTORING, has the advantage of avoiding the psychological impact that women suffer through a removal of her breast. It also means a reduction in the number of surgical procedures and anesthesia.

However, in case of having undergone a mastectomy, the woman does NOT have to continue living with this “trauma”. Once she has overcome radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, or even years later, may be rebuilt in case of need.

Methods

• Restoring with autologous tissue (Latissimus dorsi and DIEP)
• Restoring with breast implants (Prosthesis and extender)
• Restoring with fat grafting
• Mixed restoring

In any of the previous cases, breast restoring should be completed by a small procedure, local anesthesia, of 30 minutes for the restoring of the areola and the nipple (CAP).

As well, after assessing the general state of the patient, the oncology situation of her illness (degree, extension), and many other factors we will inform you of the options most appropriate to your age, health, features physical and anatomical, future expectations.

• Restoring with breast implants

There are two alternatives for breast implants and, therefore, two types of reconstructive surgical treatments:

1 – Reconstruction using EXTENDER requires two surgeries under general anesthesia. This surgery involves the introduction of an extender which we will progressively increase in size by injection of normal saline, every 2 weeks, to recover skin that has had removed to receive it you mastectomy. In that way, once the skin has given enough, this extender is replaced by permanent breast prosthesis approximately 3-6 months after the first intervention.

2 – In case of making an immediate restoring, we will make a restoring with a single surgery using PROSTHESIS , that is to say, only with one intervention. The prosthesis used in this kind of reconstruction are cohesive silicone gel with anatomical shape, that is, natural breast, not round-shaped. They also have a greater projection so the aesthetic result will be even more positive.

• Restoring with own tissue (Autologous)

Using tissue of the own organism (skin, fat and muscle) we can get tissue volume, shape, and consistency similar to normal breast. In other words, we transplant one unnecessary part of our body in another.

There are multitude of options, although the more used are the abdominal wall (DIEP or TRAM) and the cutaneous muscle flap of latissimus dorsi’s back.

Depending on the volume it can be precise or not to use, in addition, a mammary prosthesis (mixed technique).

• Restoring with fat grafting

The fat is the breakthrough in breast restoring. This technique allows a studied restoring, that is to say, over multiple sessions without flaps and prosthesis. Through the injection of fat, we get a very natural result in shape and feel. It allows expand the skin in a programmed way avoiding greater morbidity and more complicated surgeries. Its great advantage is also that it is able to regain the quality of the skin of the breast in case of requiring radiotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer. This treatment is currently the best for cases of radiodermatitis, repeated capsular contractures, abnormal scars…

• Mixed restoring

Combined autologous tissue with breast implants if you have not obtained sufficient breast volume.

Results

The result obtained after a breast reconstruction is final and allows making an absolutely normal life.

The breast restoring is an absolute image improvement, providing also a psychological balance when she sees a full body. This entails a more fulfilling social and sexual life.