Breast Reconstruction Advances Fix Distortions Left by LumpectomyApril 24, 2008ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Lumpectomy or breast conservation surgery is the most common type of breast cancer surgery currently performed. A benefit of the surgery is that only part of the breast is removed, but a drawback can be the resulting physical appearance of the breast, which may be disfigured, dented or uneven. A report in April's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® adobe acrobat file, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), examines advances plastic surgeons have made in breast reconstruction to repair the damage left when cancer is removed. "Although breast conversation therapies are a huge advance in the treatment of breast cancer, women are still concerned about how their breast will look after surgery," said Sumner Slavin, MD, ASPS Member and report co-author. "Breast conservation surgery or lumpectomy can mean many things; a biopsy, partial mastectomy, wedge resection, or having a quarter of the breast taken. Women are often left with portions of their breasts removed and there are currently no implants that can address this unique cosmetic issue." After lumpectomy or breast conservation surgery, plastic surgeons are now approaching the challenge of misshapen breasts by immediately remodeling the breast with remaining breast tissue or tissue taken from another area of the body. The result is a more natural looking breast that is more symmetrical with the unaffected breast.
Three additional advances the report examines are nipple-sparing mastectomy, deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps and acellular dermis graft slings. These are options for women who require a full mastectomy and young women who opt for preventative mastectomy due to a strong family history of breast cancer. In nipple-sparing surgery, cancerous tissue and the duct system of the breast are removed, but a pocket of skin, the nipple and areola are saved. Plastic surgeons insert either an implant or the patient's own tissue into the pocket to recreate the breast. The result looks very similar to the patient's original breast because the original nipple and areola are used. Nipple-sparing surgery is still somewhat controversial, but if the origin of the tumor is away from the nipple and areola, it is considered safe, according to the report. DIEP flap surgery involves using skin and fat from the lower abdomen to recreate the breast. The muscle is left intact, eliminating potential muscle weakness in the donor area, according to the report. For patients undergoing a mastectomy, DIEP flap surgery may allow them to better resume normal activities since they have not loss muscle function in their abdomen. Finally, the use of acellular dermis (connective tissue layer of the skin) derived from cadaver tissue allows plastic surgeons to create a new breast pocket, in patients undergoing a mastectomy, without using a tissue expander. An implant may then be inserted, creating an aesthetically pleasing breast. "Many women don't know the full scope of their reconstructive options or are intimidated to ask," said Dr. Slavin. "For breast cancer patients, even though they are living through the anguish of cancer, there are reconstructive procedures that will improve their quality of life and reduce the negative long-term impact of the disease and its treatment." In the United States today, there are nearly 2.5 million breast cancer survivors - the largest group of cancer survivors in the country, according to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. More than 56,000 breast reconstructions were performed in 2007, according to the ASPS. Visit plasticsurgery.org for referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons and to learn more about cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Breast Reconstruction Current Events and Breast Reconstruction News Articles Fat injections can improve breast reconstruction -- jury's out on augmentation Injecting fat after breast reconstruction to correct implant wrinkling or dimpling may be safe and effective to improve breast shape. 98 percent of elective mastectomy patients would have reconstruction again, says ASPS study Women who have breast reconstruction after an elective mastectomy are satisfied with their decision, have low complication rates and 98 percent would do it again. Mastectomies on the rise and MRI use may explain part of the trend, say Mayo researchers The number of women undergoing mastectomy (total breast removal) for early-stage breast cancer has increased in the last three years at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The increase follows a steady decline during the prior seven years. Lack of patient-provider discussion contributes to disparities in use of breast reconstruction In a new study examining disparities in postmastectomy breast reconstruction, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, Mass., concluded that lack of patient-provider discussion may contribute to socioeconomic, age and race-related inconsistencies in the use of breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Surgical site infections more common than expected following breast procedures Infections at the incision site occurred in more than 5 percent of patients following breast surgery and cost them more than $4,000 each in hospital-related expenses, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. More Women Are Choosing Double Mastectomy Even When Breast Cancer Is Confined to a Single Breast Researchers are reporting a 150 percent increase between 1998 and 2003 in American women opting to have both breasts removed when cancer has been found in only one breast-a procedure called contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM). Fat stem cells being studied as option for breast reconstruction Breast cancer survivors might one day avoid the prospect of invasive breast reconstruction surgery, opting instead for an approach that would involve using stem cells derived from their own fat. Breast reconstruction not as safe for obese patients Significantly obese women may wish to consider delaying breast reconstruction following mastectomy until they achieve a healthier body weight. One-third of breast cancer patients unhappy with cosmetic outcome of lumpectomy Women with breast cancer often undergo a lumpectomy and radiation to save their breasts and avoid the need for additional reconstructive surgery. Study finds new type of silicone implant offers more natural looking breasts, low complication rate A new type of silicone breast implant, currently available to women who agree to be part of a clinical study, offers breast augmentation and reconstruction patients more natural looking breasts with a low complication rate. More Breast Reconstruction Current Events and Breast Reconstruction News Articles |
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