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Breast Cancer

Learn more about Atlanta breast surgery from Board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Franklyn Elliott with Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C.

Breast Symmetry after a Single Breast Reconstruction

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Breast Symmetry after a Single Breast ReconstructionAs a board-certified plastic surgeon, I have a passion for many types of cosmetic surgery, but breast reconstruction holds a special place in my heart, and I’m honored to help breast cancer survivors restore an appearance they’re more confident in. There are a lot of questions to ask before breast reconstruction, and a particularly common one I hear from women is, “will my breasts be symmetrical after surgery?” This is especially a concern for patients who only required a unilateral mastectomy (removal of one breast but not the other) and will be having one breast reconstructed. While symmetry can be a challenge in this case, there are several ways I can give your breasts a more balanced look and feel:

  • Opting for autologous breast reconstruction.  There are generally two ways to reconstruct a breast: using a breast implant or using the patient’s own tissue, usually by transferring fat, muscle, and skin from the abdominal area to the chest. Using your own tissue (called autologous breast reconstruction) is often the preferred method for patients who are having only one breast reconstructed, because this reconstructed breast is likely to have a closer shape, size, and feel to your natural breast than an implant is, especially as your body ages.
  • Making changes to your natural breast at the same time.  If your reconstructed breast does appear to be a very different shape or size than your natural breast, you may want to have surgery on your natural breast in order to improve the symmetry. Depending on the differences you’re trying to overcome, this could take the form of breast augmentation, breast reduction, or a breast lift.
  • Including fat transfer.  If you prefer an implant reconstruction, one way to give the results a slightly more natural touch is to also use a procedure called fat transfer. In this case, fat is removed from your abdomen, thighs, or other area and purified before being injected into the breasts. While this won’t produce enough volume to fully reconstruct a breast, it can give a slightly more natural shape and feel to breasts with implants. Fat transfer can also be successful for women who have had a lumpectomy. Removing the cancer often results in a loss of volume or a noticeable indent in one breast, and fat transfer can restore better symmetry with a particularly natural result.

If you’re concerned about breast symmetry after your breast reconstruction, remember this as well: nearly all women have some degree of breast asymmetry, so exact symmetry isn’t required for a natural, comfortable appearance. But keep in mind that, especially in the case of autologous reconstruction, your results are highly dependent on the skill of your surgeon, so be sure to look for a highly qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction, like me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. To start discussing your options, schedule a breast reconstruction consultation. Or, for more helpful tips and information, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Ask Dr. Elliott: Should I Choose a TRAM Flap for My Breast Reconstruction?

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A breast cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming to say the least, let alone when you factor in all the decisions which need to be made in its wake. As a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction, one of my goals is to make life a little easier for current breast cancer patients and survivors alike who are considering reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy or lumpectomy. One of the ways I’m happy to help is by offering accurate and straightforward information you can use to decide which method of reconstruction is best for you. There are more possibilities than most patients initially realize, from breast implants to your own natural tissue to a combination of both. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the TRAM flap – a type of breast reconstruction which uses a “flap” of muscle, fat, and sometimes skin from your abdominal area and “re-routes” it to the chest in order to form a new breast. So how do you know if the TRAM flap is the right choice for you?

breast reconstruction tram flap information atlanta gaA TRAM flap breast reconstruction may be ideal for patients who…

  • Would benefit from a tummy tuck-like result in their abdomen.
  • Want to use their own natural tissue (as opposed to a breast implant) without the increased risk and operating time of the DIEP flap. The DIEP flap is another reconstruction procedure which uses abdominal fat, skin, and blood vessels to re-create the breast. But instead of using muscle as the blood supply to nourish the fat cells, a DIEP flap uses specific blood vessels instead, so it requires microsurgery to connect these vessels. As a result, the surgery often takes around five hours or even longer depending on the surgeon’s experience (compared to a three-hour TRAM flap), which can mean a higher risk of complications.
  • Want a more natural-looking result compared to breast implants.
  • Do not have enough healthy tissue remaining on their chest after a mastectomy to accommodate an implant.
  • Have had a unilateral mastectomy (only one breast removed) and are concerned about their reconstructed breast looking symmetrical to their natural one.
  • Want their results to remain natural-looking over time. TRAM flap reconstructed breasts will age in a similar way to natural breasts, while implants tend to retain more of their original shape.

A patient may want to consider other breast reconstruction options if…

  • They don’t have access to a surgeon who is skilled in TRAM flap surgery. The procedure is more dependent on the surgeon’s skill than a breast implant is. I was fortunate enough to work alongside Dr. Carl Hartrampf, the surgeon who developed the TRAM flap breast reconstruction method, and have been performing and perfecting the surgery since 1983. However, if you don’t have access to a surgeon who is highly experienced in the TRAM flap, you may want to consider other options.
  • They have a medical condition which makes it unsafe for them to be under anesthesia for the few hours a TRAM flap (or any reconstruction using your own tissue) requires.
  • They want their surgery and the recovery period to be shorter, which is typically the case with breast implants.
  • They’re concerned about having an additional scar in the lower abdomen where the tissue is taken from to re-create the breast.
  • They have a history of smoking or circulatory problems. This makes certain complications more likely in TRAM flap reconstruction (and any other type of reconstruction using your own tissue).

While using information like this to educate yourself about your options is a great start, every patient is unique, and selecting a breast reconstruction procedure is a complex decision. That’s why it’s so important to visit a board-certified plastic surgeon for a personal consultation. During this appointment, I’ll be able to perform an initial exam, discuss your medical history, and begin working with you to design a surgical plan that’s best for you and your needs. If you’re ready to take this step, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, for more helpful information about breast reconstruction and other plastic surgeries, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

Myths & Facts about Breast Reconstruction

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Breast cancer is unfortunately a common health risk for any woman, and understandably, the idea of losing one or both breasts because of a battle with or high risk for cancer can be more than distressing. We’ve come a long way with breast reconstruction surgery, which allows breast cancer survivors to rebuild their form and regain the confidence so many of them have lost. One of the first steps in this process is educating yourself about your surgery and about the decisions you’ll be making, so as a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, I’ve compiled and dispelled some of the most common myths about the procedure.

Myths & Facts about Breast ReconstructionMyth: Breast reconstruction is only for mastectomy patients.

For patients whose breast cancer treatment only required a lumpectomy (removing only the cancerous tissue instead of removing the whole breast), their surgery may leave them with breasts that are different sizes or shapes, and breast reconstruction is often an option which can help these women restore a more natural-looking appearance. Depending on their unique needs, this may involve fat transfer (using purified fat from another area like the abdomen), breast implants, breast reduction, or another strategy.

Myth: You need to have time to heal between your mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

This depends on the patient. Some women are candidates for immediate breast reconstruction, which actually takes place during the same surgery as the cancer removal. In other cases, depending on the stage of the cancer, the anticipated treatment plan, and other factors, delayed reconstruction may be a better option. In this situation, the reconstruction could take place anywhere from weeks to years after the mastectomy.

Myth: Breast reconstruction requires a breast implant.

While some women are very happy with using breast implants for reconstruction, this is only one potential option. You may also be a candidate for autologous breast reconstruction, which uses your body’s own natural tissue (like muscle, fat, and/or skin from the abdomen or back) to reshape your breast. In some cases, both an implant and your own tissue are used together to achieve the best possible result. Your options will depend on your unique anatomy and your specific circumstances, all of which we can discuss during a consultation.

Myth: Many women aren’t candidates for breast reconstruction.

In fact, because of the wide variety of options available, most breast cancer survivors do have the option of breast reconstruction. Your reconstructive surgery will be tailored to your specific needs and may combine a variety of different methods so that you can experience the safest and most successful possible results.

Myth: Breast reconstruction can make breast cancer recurrence more likely to happen and more difficult to detect.

It’s understandable that a breast cancer survivor or someone who is genetically predisposed to breast cancer would be concerned about recurrence. The good news is that studies have shown no increase in breast cancer risk after reconstruction, nor have they found that reconstructive surgery makes detecting or treating breast cancer more difficult in the future.

Choosing the timing, method, and other details about your breast reconstruction surgery shouldn’t be taken lightly, but the good news is that you aren’t in it alone. Beyond your own emotional support system, I’m happy to use my knowledge and experience to guide you throughout the process. To start discussing your option, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, for more plastic surgery information and helpful tips, join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

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