Immediate Breast Reconstruction: The Push Towards Dual Surgeries
Dealing with the diagnosis of cancer and a doctor's recommendation for a mastectomy
can lead to one of the most difficult periods, emotionally and physically, that any woman can be forced to deal with. No one can pretend to put concerns over an aesthetically pleasing physique above those of health, but it is just as impossible to pretend it doesn't matter at all. Few women would choose the aftermath of a mastectomy if all things were equal. Today, they don't have to. Reconstructive surgeries have made it possible to gain back what was lost on the operating table. If you take that opportunity, you'll have the choice to have immediate breast reconstruction or delay it until a later date. Recently, there have been several prominent studies showing that the former choice may be the wisest.
Cause for Delay
There are scenarios in which immediate breast reconstruction is not the best tactic to take. Your own personal risk factors as well as the information your oncologist has obtained from your biopsy will play a role in determining the right course of action. Until they have gone in and removed the entirety of the tumor, it may be difficult to discover how spread out the cancer is. The lymph nodes will need to be evaluated and there may be some signs of a more advanced disease in the time leading up to the surgery. If there are problems, your doctors may recommend going on radiation following your mastectomy and if so, it may be best to delay the aesthetic surgery.
Cause for No Delay
If there are no significant contraindications, however, many doctors have begun to push gently for immediate breast reconstruction. One of the primary reasons for this is the emotional devastation that can follow a full mastectomy. It's easy for an observer to say, "Well, you should be glad for your health." There is no arguing that sentiment, especially against an enemy as insidious and fatal as cancer. But that salve can only go so deep. When a woman stands in front of the mirror and contemplates her new body, it can be too much to bear. By having the aesthetic surgery immediately after the mastectomy, the patient never has to endure this traumatic sight.
Making the Call
In more situations than not, the decision will be left entirely to the patient. It should go without saying that many breast cancer survivors choose not to undergo reconstructive surgery at all, much less have it immediately following their mastectomy. This is as legitimate a decision as any other. If you do decide to go ahead with the procedure, talk with your doctor about the decision to choose immediate breast reconstruction or delay it.
by: Aloysius Aucoin
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