Reconstructive Breast Plastic Surgery Boston: For women who have undergone a mastectomy, one of the first decisions is whether or not to re-create the appearance of the missing breast(s).
With most — but certainly, not all — women adopting the perspective that it’s best to at least appear as having both breasts, it then becomes a matter of either employing a simple prosthetic breast form (a “falsie” created for women who’ve had mastectomies), or taking a more serious approach by committing to reconstruction of the missing breast(s).
In past decades, of course, the only real choice for a woman was between “stuffing” her bra — which seldom felt or looked natural — or proceeding through life obviously missing a breast. In more recent times, however, the expectations of our evermore idealized society has placed greater stigma on failing to at least appear normal in public–especially in light of all the surgical options made available by the plastic surgery community.
Even so, many still contend that breast reconstruction hasn’t been around long enough to gauge long-term effects, and prosthetics are just too uncomfortable and impractical to bother with. But, for a growing number of women, reconstructive breast plastic surgery offers an opportunity that can’t be achieved by any other method. A chance to feel normal.
Breast reconstruction — the creation of an artificial yet natural-appearing breast by a plastic surgeon Boston– has made an enormous difference in countless women’s lives around the world, both physically and emotionally. However, it is essential for any woman considering this type of surgery to recognize the limitations of this highly complex procedure, and be prepared to set realistic expectations from the start.
The most important thing to understand is that a “constructed” breast is and will never be a real breast. When artfully executed, a constructed breast will look and may even feel real to anyone touching it, but it will never have the full range of sensation that a natural breast does. And even in the best-case scenario, while sensitivity may improve with time, you can never expect it to feel completely “normal” or a substitute for your own natural breast. However, many women do report that since it makes them feel normal, and is perceived by those around them as normal, in time they learn to emotionally connect with their constructed breast(s) much as if it were nature-given.
For breast cancer survivors, breast reconstruction can provide something nothing else can: a way to put their cancer ordeal behind them. True-life accounts from breast cancer survivors speak of looking at their bodies each day, at the concave indentation where their breast had once been, and having to relive the cancer ordeal over and over again. Even brushing their arm across their flat chest becomes a painful reminder of what once was. But after having undergone the reconstruction process, many women are able to perceive themselves as whole and healthy again and ready to proceed with their lives.
Reconstructive plastic surgery of the breast is performed by a number of methods, centered around in two basic approaches: those using artificial substances and those utilizing the patient’s own body.
Central to the first category is the implant, which can be either saline (salt water) or silicone. While there is still much controversy surrounding use of silicone implants in general, and very little information regarding long-term effects regarding their use in reconstructive surgery, when used for breast reconstruction following cancer treatment, there is no concern involving mammography, and no evidence that they interfere with detection of recurrences.
The second category of reconstructive plastic surgery Boston involves the use of a woman’s own tissue, one of the most favored methods being the myocutaneous flap; a flap of skin, muscle, and fat harvested from another part of the body and then incorporated into the chest. Utilized in a number of complicated surgical procedures, this and similar approaches allow for the construction of larger breasts with a more natural droop than possible with implants, while avoiding the potential mismatch (with the natural breast) and possible health concerns surrounding implants.
It should be noted, however, that because of the complexity and newness of this category of procedures, health professionals warn that relatively few surgeons have sufficient experience in this area, and may be difficult to find. For plastic surgeons boston please visit our website.
