how long after treatment should reconstruction be considered for breast cancer?
Just wondering if there is a SAFE period, and what are possible considerations that should be considered?
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1 :
I don't know that there's a 'safe' period; I know women who have had reconstruction at the time of mastectomy (not suitable for a lot of people), women who've had them in the year or two after mastectomy and one woman who had hers about seven years later. I have chosen not to have reconstruction. It is major surgery, lasting several hours - much more major than mastectomy itself and taking much longer to recover from. I decided that after all I'd been through - mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy - I wasn't prepared to go under the knife for something that wasn't strictly necessary. Especially as the results are often far from satisfactory; it is not unusual for women to be disappointed in the results, and some even dislike the results. Also, the surgery isn't always successful; when I was first diagnosed six and a half years ago, the plastic surgeon I discussed reconstruction with told me that one in 20 reconstructions were not successful. I don't know how much that situation has altered.One of my friends had to have yet more surgery when her reconstruction didn't turn out well. I have also seen some fantastically successful reconstructions (women at breast cancer support network get togethers are very uninhibited about whipping up their T shirts to show off their recons!). When I was first faced with the prospect of mastectomy, I assumed I'd have reconstruction at some point - I couldn't imagine living without a breast. I was so horrified by it I undressed with my eyes shut and showered/bathed in a T shirt for many, many months. But I got used to it - and somehow the thought of putting some muscle or fat from elsewhere on your body and calling it a breast has become very unappealing to me. And I never want to go through being ill and recovering from surgery again if I can help it But - it's a very individual decision, and I'm not judging others' choices. And if I had been a younger woman I may have felt differently, who knows. If someone is prepared to face the surgery because they know they'll feel better about themselves if they do, they should do it.
2 :
My niece had hers done when the mastectomy was done. I was considering it until the Plastic surgeon/Oncologist sat down with my husband and I and told us what to expect. He also gave us a rather large book on it. Once the woman is healed, there is a matter of stretching the skin. This involves inserting a balloon type device filled with liquid and every so often, more liquid is inserted to inflate it more. He said it was a painful process. At my age, he discouraged it only because I had so many surgeries prior to this and my age. If it's done at the same time the mastectomy is done, the surgeon takes muscle from the abdomen because they don't use fat otherwise it will sag. This alone is a painful procedure. My niece told me had she known just how painful it was, she would never have done it. You also have to consider the possibility of infection. So it can be done right after the mastectomy but if the woman waits, then the matter of stretching the skin must be taken into consideration. As far as a safe period, with any surgery there' is a risk. After having a bi-latreral mastectomy, there was no way I wanted to go through more surgery that I considered unnecessary ...that is after I spoke to the surgeon. The book he gave me was very explicit showing surgery from the stretching of the skin to the actual reconstruction. No thank you. If I was in my 30 or even 40's I may consider it, but not any more.
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Title : how long after treatment should reconstruction be considered for breast cancer
Description : how long after treatment should reconstruction be considered for breast cancer? Just wondering if there is a SAFE period, and what are po...