Approximately one-third of breast cancer patients require a mastectomy--the removal of one or both breasts, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. If the patient is interested and has enough healthy skin and tissue left after the mastectomy, the surgeon can reconstruct the breast with an implant or with tissue from the woman's abdomen, back or buttocks. Sometimes the reconstruction is performed immediately after the mastectomy but it can also be done at a later date. Potential complications vary according to the type of surgery performed and must be weighed against the possible benefits to the patients, including improved body image.
Anesthesia Risks
Any surgical procedure involving general anesthesia poses risks. Although uncommon, anesthesia-related complications of breast reconstruction can include a reaction to the medication, pneumonia, heart problems or even death. Patients undergoing a tissue flap procedure are under anesthesia for a prolonged time and, therefore, are at greater risk for developing anesthesia complications, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Poor Wound Healing
Infection, poor wound healing and bleeding can occur with either breast reconstruction procedure, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Potential complications of tissue flaps include tissue death or necrosis, and fluid collection or seroma in the wound. Older tissue flap procedures such as the TRAM--transverse rectus abdominis muscle---flap can cause hernias or muscle weakness because the abdominal muscle has been excised. All tissue flap procedures involve two wounds, and complications related to wound healing can occur at one or both sites. Even under the best of circumstances, full healing can take up to one to two years.
Implant Problems
The most common complication of breast reconstruction with a saline or silicone implant is capsular contracture. Although the body naturally forms a scar or capsule around an implant, sometimes the capsule contracts or tightens and compresses the breast tissue into an unnatural shape, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Implants may also rotate, rupture, deflate, leak or protrude through the skin, requiring a second operation to remove or replace the implant, according to the Mayo Clinic. Patients who undergo radiation therapy for breast cancer are at highest risk for implant problems because their skin and tissues are damaged by the radiation.
Changes in Sensation
Implant and tissue flap procedures cannot restore sensation to the breast tissue. In most cases, the reconstructed breast will be numb or have reduced sensation, according to the Mayo Clinic. Tissue flap patients may also develop numbness in the donor site from which the tissue was removed.
