BREAST RECONSTRUCTION & CORRECTIVE SURGERY

RECONSTRUCTION
When cancer is discovered in a woman's breast, the most common form of treatment is a mastectomy. This involves the removal of breast tissue. The amount of tissue removed during a mastectomy procedure varies depending on the size and stage of the cancer.

Most women who undergo a mastectomy are good candidates for breast reconstruction. There are several options for breast reconstruction using a variety of methods which can be discussed with Dr. Diaco during a consultation.

CAPSULAR CONTRACTURE
Sometimes after breast augmentation, the breast can become firm, secondary to scar tissue formation. This scar tissue occurrence is not as common as it used to be, and is even less common with the implant placed under the muscle. The scar tissue is attached to the breast tissue and the implant, and as the scaring gets worse, the breast can become firm and distorted. In the most severe cases, it can even cause pain.

Removing the scar tissue and replacing the implants with new ones can have a dramatic effect of the feel and appearance to the breast. This operation will usually require drainage tubes to be left in the breast; these will be removed a few days after surgery. Repositioning the implants under the muscle can yield a markedly improved breast shape and is sometimes 'just what the doctor ordered'.

IMPLANT EXCHANGE
Aside from the occasional patient who also presents some breast shape irregularities, the breast implant exchange surgery is one of the more straightforward operations. Despite this, it is often performed too cavalierly, without the 'attention to detail' it deserves to not only create a larger breast, but also a more aesthetically pleasing breast shape. Depending on how much bigger a woman wants to be, dictates how the operation goes and how quickly the patient will recover. Surprisingly, a woman may experience pain with a breast exchange as in comparison to her first operation.