Breast Reconstruction
What is mastectomy?
Breast cancer is the first in importance for women. It`s treatment needs that a breast portion (cuadrantectomy or lumpectomy) or the whole gland (mastectomy) must be retired to treat the disease.
What is breast reconstruction?
Is the procedure that correct the deformities at the chest after a mastectomy. The aim is to replace the gland`s volum employing abdomen or back skin.
In which moment the reconstruction must be done ?
The reconstruction could be done immediately after the mastectomy or in a differ way.
BREAST RECONSTRUCTION WITH THE ABDOMEN SKIN
What is a TRAM flap?
The skin that loose in the abdomen, beneath the umbilicus, can be used to replace the volume at the thorax. To guaranteed the skin`s health, it must be atached to one of the two rectus muscles. By a 180 degres turn, is to the thorax.
How long is this procedure?
Between three and five hours.
Is it a good procedure for me?
The situations that que pueden impedir that this procedure be sucesfull are: smoke habitus, mild obesity or previus abdominal surgeries.
Do I have sequelaes?
You will not have a problem, almost an abdominal muscle is retired. The abdominal wall is repaired with a polipropilen mesh, that is a strong material to resistir tension but soft enoght to allow abdominal movements.
The nipple and areola?
To complete the reconstruction procedure, six months after the TRAM flap, a skin island with star shape could be raise to reshape the nipple. With a skin graft the areola could be recosntructed.
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