What To Do Post Mastectomy?

Losing a breast or both due to a mastectomy can be a brave and devastating experience. Women who have gone through it are glad to extend their life, but with losing one or both breasts, it can make them feel like “less of a woman.” Luckily, there are options of regaining the shape of one’s breasts. One article for Eyewitness News mentioned a technique that a New Orleans plastic surgeon is known for in his New Orleans practice:

“Here in New Orleans, Medical Watch as been there for 20 years as major breakthroughs in breast reconstruction were first used. Dr. Robert Allen pioneered removing a breast and making the new one from abdomen fat and skin, giving the woman a tummy tuck but leaving her abdominal muscles intact.

We also followed him when the first and second pair of identical twins in the world had breast surgery. Abdomen fat and skin were taken from the well twin who had had babies. She got a tummy tuck, while the identical twin with cancer, who was not a mother and had no extra fat or skin from pregnancy, got a new breast.”

Most Women Are Not Fully Aware of Breast Reconstruction

The article continued with how the process works on how they “create breasts out of your own fat from the hip, or a combination of the abdomen, hip and buttocks fat, or from a complete body lift. He was also on the forefront of being able to save the original breast skin, nipple and areola as Angelina Jolie did.”

While the option is there, most women are not fully aware of it. The article went on to say:

“The doctors say it is best to have the reconstruction at the same time as the mastectomy, whether you have cancer or not. But still, 70 percent of patients are not fully informed about reconstruction.”

Dr. Seify Has Another Breast Reconstruction Option

While that is one way to have breast reconstruction, there is another option available such as Dr. H. M. Seify’s tissue expander and implant technique. The expander is placed on the chest wall deep down temporarily to create space that helps maintain a permanent implant. The expansion process takes place from 1 to 3 weeks or several months. After the expander procedure is done, that would ready the patient for surgical permanent implants. The surgical implant procedure takes about 2 hours. For a more in-depth read about the process, click here. The end result is natural looking breasts that complement your body shape. If you think this procedure is for you, call to schedule a consultation with Dr. Seify.