Orange County Breast Reconstruction Surgery
If you have suffered from a disease or a deformity, the good news is that there are surgical reconstruction procedures that will correct and enhance your body and self-image. Breast reconstruction surgery usually follows a mastectomy. As a stand-alone procedure, it is one of the most rewarding. Not only will it restore your physical profile, but in many women, self-confidence and self-esteem as well. You will feel emotionally charged and physically attractive. You will feel like a whole woman again.
We’ve collected questions that patients ask most often about the procedures we offer. Breast reconstruction is among the most in demand. Contact us if you have other questions.
What is breast reconstructive surgery?
If you have suffered from a disease or a deformity, the good news is that there are surgical reconstruction procedures that will correct and enhance your body and self-image. The loss of a breast to cancer is as much an emotional loss as it is a traumatic physical loss. Women fear the disfiguring surgery; they feel that they are less attractive, less feminine and less than a whole person. Breast reconstructive surgery is one way that a woman can regain her physical appearance of being a woman.
Are there any other reasons for breast reconstructive surgery?
Breast reconstruction procedures can also be used to correct severely asymmetrical breasts, such as a very large breast on one side and an undeveloped breast on the opposite side. The undeveloped breast may have a missing or undeveloped breast muscle.
How is breast reconstructive surgery done?
With today’s reconstructive surgery procedures, surgeons can rebuild a breast so that it will match in both appearance and natural shape. The surgery can be as simple as creating a pocket and placing a breast implant, or more complex involving muscle and tissue flaps to create a breast mound. The type of surgery you will need depends on your individual circumstances and the extent of your mastectomy. Two or more surgeries are usually required to reconstruct the breast.
What is the first stage for this surgery?
The first stage of breast reconstruction involves creating the breast mound. Follow-up surgery will reconstruct the nipple and areola (the dark skin around the nipple). When there is adequate skin, surgery can be as simple as creating a pocket under the remaining muscle and placing a breast implant beneath it. Another common surgical technique combines the use of a tissue expander and implants. A tissue expander is a balloon-like device, placed under the skin and filled with saline (salt water) solution over a period of weeks. The expander stretches the skin enough to allow the implant to be placed under the chest muscle.
Alternative surgical procedures involve using a skin flap with tissues taken from the back or abdomen. The skin flap, consisting of fat, skin, and muscle with blood supply is tunneled beneath the adjacent skin and moved into position to create a new breast mound. Sometimes these tissues are detached and then transplanted to the chest to form a breast mound. If there is sufficient tissue in the flap, a breast implant may not be needed.
What is the second stage surgery?
Breast reconstructive surgery requires a follow-up procedure that reconstructs the nipple and areola. Tattooing is often used to create the natural dark color of the areola. Many surgeons may recommend additional surgery to lift, enlarge, or reduce the opposite natural breast to match the reconstructed breast.
What can I expect to experience after surgery?
You will need to take it easy for a few days after each surgery. Soreness is normal for a week or two, and you may not feel like your old self for several weeks. Any discomfort can be controlled with pain medication prescribed by your surgeon.
Will there be any physical symptoms after breast reconstructive surgery?
Some feeling may return to the reconstructed breast, but normal sensation in the breast cannot be restored. Scars will fade over time, and every effort is made to make them as inconspicuous as possible. You may be sore for a few days after your surgery. You should plan to take it easy for a couple of weeks and avoid lifting anything heavy for a month.
Will I have to wear a bra or other special garments after surgery?
Many patients may need to wear a bra, ace bandage or other garment to help place the implants correctly immediately after surgery. A good support bra should be worn at all times while your incisions heal. Your surgeon will advise you as to when you can resume wearing your regular bra.
What are the lasting effects of breast reconstructive surgery?
It may take a while for you to adjust to your reconstructed breast. Many patients say that they gain renewed self-confidence and even joy after the procedure as emotional discomforts fade.
Are there any warranties for breast reconstructive surgery?
Our patients soon find out that that they are getting more than just a surgical provider: they’re gaining a partner interested in aesthetics, care and their absolute satisfaction. AesthetiCare places a high value on personal attention every step of the way – from initial consultation to recovery. And we back it up with a limited lifetime warranty that takes care problems like deflation or rupture of implants or other medical complications. AesthetiCare is one of the few cosmetic surgery providers to offer such a warranty.
Details about our limited lifetime warranty can be found HERE.