Breast Rec – Teleconsultation

Breast reconstruction.

Hello, I am Dr. Fernando Amato, Plastic Surgeon.

Today I will talk about breast reconstruction.

Breasts represent much more than the organ for breastfeeding; they are a symbol of a woman's sensuality and play a fundamental role in the aesthetics of the female body.

Breast cancer treatment can be mutilating. In addition to breast deformities, it causes a significant emotional impact.

In Brazil, it is a woman's right, both in the SUS (Unified Health System) and through health plans, to undergo breast reconstruction during cancer treatment.

Reconstruction can be immediate, meaning at the same time as cancer removal, or it can be delayed, after cancer treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy has been completed.

The best time for surgery is chosen according to each patient and will depend    on the patient's wishes, as well as various factors….. including clinical conditions, which is why immediate surgery is not always possible.

Reconstruction will depend  mainly on the characteristics of the breast… whether in size… volume… and  shape…. especially on the  surgical proposal of the mastologist.

What will be done? ………..

Quadrantectomy? which is the removal of a portion of the breast

or

Mastectomy? which is the removal of the entire breast?

With this information, for example, reconstruction can be done using only the remaining breast tissues, and depending on the location, it can result in an outcome similar to a breast reduction.

Additionally, it can be done with the

use of silicone implants  and expanders

An expander is a small balloon that can be expanded with saline in the office to gain skin… and when the ideal volume is reached, it is replaced by an implant.

When there isn't enough skin, a flap can be used, which involves moving tissues from other areas.

An example is the latissimus dorsi flap, which comes from the back to the front with an island of skin, and the muscle can also cover an implant to give more volume to the breast.

Another option is the TRAM flap, where tissue from the abdomen is moved, with a result similar to an abdominoplasty.

There are many other techniques, even with autologous flap transplantation, taking flaps from various parts of the body to reconstruct the breast.

After the breast is reconstructed, it is possible to create the areola and nipple, which can be done with the patient's own tissue using grafts and flaps, and now micropigmentation is often performed as a less invasive option.

Furthermore, it is worth remembering that the patient also has the right to undergo plastic surgery on the other breast to make it more similar, that is, symmetrical.

Well, that's what I had to say about breast reconstruction.

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