Breast Reconstruction Health Video

Video Transcript

DR. CAMERON CRAVEN: Hi. I'm Dr. Cameron Craven from Westlake Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery, and I'm going to talk a little bit about breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction can be performed for a number of reasons including after traumatic amputation of the breast or after a cancer operation which involves removal of the breast with or without removal of lymph nodes as well as the possibility of radiation therapy. Your indication for breast reconstruction surgery should be discussed with your plastic and reconstructive surgeon prior to determining the type of reconstruction that is optimal for you. Cancer and traumatic breast reconstructions generally involve one of several approaches. The first approach is to do nothing at all, not all patients require or will benefit for reconstruction and you should seriously consider whether or not a reconstruction would be best for you. Once it is determined that you would prefer to have a reconstruction, you should discuss all your options thoroughly with your plastic surgeon. One option would involve placement of a breast implant or a tissue expander. Occasionally, tissue expanders are used to create the adequate soft-tissue coverage necessary to place an implant at a later time. This is a staged operation and will be discussed in detail with your cosmetic surgeon. Other options include using autologous tissue which is tissue from your own body to perform the reconstruction. Finally, combination approaches are used which involve using your own tissue in addition to an implant to provide optimum cosmetic results. To decide which option is best for you, you should consult with your plastic and reconstructive surgeon.