Breast Reconstruction
Breast reconstruction (or breast reconstruction surgery) is a procedure to form a new breast(s) for women who have had them removed due to cancer or other reasons. A successfully reconstructed breast may look and feel quite natural, but it will never be exactly as it was before removal. For optimal results, it is advisable to consult with a plastic surgeon about breast reconstruction even before the breast removal, as in some cases, immediate breast reconstruction during the removal is possible.
Surgery Process
During this surgery, an attempt is made to form a new breast, thereby restoring the patient’s self-confidence, alleviating emotional distress, and aiming for a better quality of life. The new breast can be formed using the patient’s own fat cells or synthetic implants.
Breast reconstruction is a highly individual procedure that depends not only on the patient’s physique, anatomical features, expectations, and the extent of breast removal, but also on the stage of the disease, anticipated further treatment, and various risk factors. In brief, breast reconstruction can involve forming a new breast using the patient’s own tissues or synthetic implants.
Breast Reconstruction Methods
One of the most commonly used methods for breast reconstruction with one’s own tissues is the subcutaneous skin flap with nourishing pedicles. For example, the transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) flap. The essence of this procedure is to form a new breast from the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the anterior abdominal wall, with blood supply entering through the rotated rectus abdominis muscle. This procedure has gained popularity due to its relatively good aesthetic results, as the volume of the anterior abdominal wall’s subcutaneous tissue is quite large, making it easier to form a new breast, and an abdominoplasty is also performed during the surgery.
Currently, the use of the patient’s own fat cells for breast reconstruction is gaining popularity and achieving increasingly better results. Fat is harvested with a special curette using negative pressure. The fat cells are then carefully prepared for transplantation: washed and separated from tissue fluid. The prepared tissue is injected into the breast using syringes, distributing and evenly spreading the cells in the patient’s subcutaneous tissue. Typically, 100-300 ml of fat tissue is injected into the breast at one time. It is important to note that transplanting a larger amount of fat tissue has a lower chance of complete integration. Nevertheless, fat transplantation is more suitable as an auxiliary procedure for correcting breast shape after reconstruction by another method, or when only part of the breast tissue has been removed.
Breast reconstruction with implants is also possible. In this case, an implant is individually selected to restore the desired volume and shape. If it is not possible to insert an implant due to lack of tissue, a tissue expander is placed before the final implant. The expander is gradually filled with a special solution until a tissue “pocket” of the required volume is formed, and the expander is replaced with an implant. The entire breast reconstruction process takes about 4-6 months or even longer, but the procedures are generally well tolerated.
It is important to know that regardless of the chosen breast reconstruction methodology, one procedure is usually not enough. Often, additional corrections of the breast shape, areola and nipple reconstruction, reduction or lifting of the healthy breast are necessary until a satisfactory result is achieved for the patient.
Important to Know
Regardless of the chosen breast reconstruction methodology, one procedure is usually not enough. Often, additional corrections of the breast shape, areola and nipple reconstruction, reduction or lifting of the healthy breast are necessary until a satisfactory result is achieved for the patient.
The surgery price
Includes
surgery
General Anesthesia
Night After Surgery at Our Clinic
Postoperative care
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Price
| Breast Reconstruction (due to congenital deformities or after oncological surgeries) | from 4000 EUR |
The exact surgery price will be determined during the consultation when the surgeon assesses the complexity of the surgery.
