Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Breast Cancer Surgery and Breast Reconstruction

Annually there are about 1.3 million women who are diagnosed with breast cancer all over the world and have to undergo breast cancer surgery. This translates to mean that out of every eight women one of them will suffer this disease or experience its symptoms. Think of eight women that you know, isn’t it a horrible thought that one of them will be diagnosed with breast cancer anytime soon. This means that besides having to undergo a breast cancer surgery she will also have to go through chemotherapy and radiation in an attempt to fight the malignant tumor that is developing in their breasts.

The good news is that most of the breast cancer cases are easily detected earlier. To improve a woman’s chance of catching cancer during its initial stages it is important that they do regular self-examinations at home or even do mammograms screening. The detection of the tumor at an earlier stage will enable its prevention from spreading to other areas. This can save the life of a woman. There are some types of cancer that are malignant whereas some are not. This means that the malignant cancers cannot be stopped regardless of whether they are caught early or not. However, most of the cancers can be eliminated completely by the use of chemotherapy and radiation together.

Regardless of the tumor size unless it has spread to other body organs such as the liver then it can be eliminated by the use of a mastectomy procedure. Mastectomy procedure involves the complete removal of the whole breast together with the tissues around it; it also includes many layers of the muscles underlying them. This surgical procedure will also involve the removal of the lymph nodes usually under the armpit for further examination by the doctors in some cases. The lymph nodes will be checked for any cancerous cells, this is done by pathologists in the lab who later send the reports to the doctor. In this case, a woman who only has a tiny tumor can end up losing both of her breasts or only one of them. The good news for women who find themselves in this situation they can always go for breast reconstruction to regain their original body shape as well as their confidence. It is a great opportunity for such women to regain their self-esteem that is usually lost when their chest walls are destroyed as well as their femininity.

Breast reconstruction is always done immediately after the breast cancer surgery or even months later. Breast reconstruction is a type of cosmetic surgery that is performed following a mastectomy surgery to the breast tissues. Thanks to the technological advancements since today plastic surgeons can construct a breast that looks natural with the right size and shape. This is possible since the surgeons can use the tools and resources that they have to make a breast suitable for the patient. Normally a saline implant is what is done for the patient. This is geared towards increasing the size as well as shaping the breast of the woman. The implant is usually done left up to the woman chests.

Despite there being women who have undergone the mastectomy and don’t do a breast reconstruction, most of the women opt to rebuild and regain their original body image through the help of the plastic surgeon. The body shape of a woman is always different after undergoing a breast cancer surgery. However, the breasts that result from the breast construction do not usually have the same feel as the natural breasts. It is always better to have artificial breasts than none at all.

The main implant in the breast reconstruction is always extracted from a tissue elsewhere from the body of the patient. The best sites for these tissues are the back, belly, and the bottom. In the event that the tissues in these areas aren’t enough then the surgeon may opt for a saline implant. This gives the woman almost the same feel as their natural breasts would on their chests. Breast reconstructions sometimes include the reconstruction of the nipples. Either way, the step of taking a breast reconstruction after a breast cancer surgery is the first step to regaining confidence in a breast cancer patient.

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