There has been a marked increase in the number of women having breast reconstruction surgery immediately following a mastectomy. In the 1980s, about 10 percent of women who had a mastectomy had immediate breast reconstruction. Today, that figure has increased many folds among the 50,000 women a year who undergo mastectomy.

One clear and immediate benefit is psychological. The woman wakes up after surgery and has not lost her breast. This has a positive effect on her recovery and improves the woman's ability to successfully complete the remaining breast cancer therapy.

There are major physical benefits as well. The surgeon who removes the breast can do a skin-sparing mastectomy, removing less skin than usual. This technique creates a better and more natural reconstruction. Also, immediate reconstruction does not interfere with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, if necessary.

The woman who chooses immediate reconstruction is spared the risk and inconvenience of being hospitalized a second time. A federal law was passed in 1998, which requires insurance companies to cover breast reconstruction, including any procedures that are required on the opposite breast to obtain maximal symmetry. A growing number of medical institutions now offer immediate reconstructive surgery for mastectomy patients.

The breast to be reconstructed can be made from a woman's own tissues, most often taken from the abdomen or back, or from an artificial implant. The decision for which procedure is best for you will be a combination of your desires and your plastic surgeon's recommendation based on a comprehensive examination and medical background review. Usually 6 months after the initial reconstruction any procedure required on the opposite breast is performed as well as the nipple/areola reconstruction.

In choosing a surgeon, you should search for a board certified plastic surgeon in your area. They can provide you with more detailed information and recommend a breast reconstruction procedure that best matches your desires and needs.

Learn more about Dr. Ghaderi.
Reprinted with kind permission by Dr. Bahram Ghaderi, a board certified plastic surgeon located at 2900 Foxfield Road, Suite 201, St. Charles, Illinois 60174.
Copyright 2003 St. Charles Plastic Surgery.