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Breast
Reconstruction to Help You Move Forward
Over 180,000 women in the US each year are diagnosed with breast cancer. You are
not alone. Like you, many women have the option of Breast Reconstruction after
their mastectomy. There is a growing acceptance and popularity for breast
reconstructive surgery among mastectomy patients and in the medical community.
Be sure to ask your breast surgeon or general surgeon about your Breast
Reconstruction options early on in your treatment plan.
While not everyone chooses to have Breast Reconstruction,
women with Breast Reconstruction have reported an increase in self-confidence,
gained emotional well-being, renewed body image and an increased sense of
femininity and sexuality.
While you're considering your treatment options, empower
yourself and make an informed decision about Breast Reconstruction. This is a
personal choice that your breast surgeon (or general surgeon) and plastic
surgeon are ready to discuss with you, and plan for, right at the
onset of your treatment for breast cancer.
Fully exploring your options will help you make the best
choice for your body and your life after cancer. And research has shown that the
more informed you are about Breast Reconstruction upfront, the better your plan
will be. This look at Breast Reconstruction provides insight for a knowledgeable
decision.
While Breast Reconstruction can be performed at the time
of your mastectomy or delayed months or even years, knowing your options now can
reduce your fear and strengthen your decision. Once
you have read this information, be sure to consult with your breast or general
surgeon and plastic surgeon to determine what option is right for you. |
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“I didn't want to be a ‘cancer victim,’ and getting my breasts back helped me to feel attractive and empowered. The truth is that after I was diagnosed with cancer, I felt that my body had let me down. Breast Reconstruction helped me become friends with my body again.”
Alex, age 49, underwent breast implant surgery following a double mastectomy
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You Have Options
There are different types of Breast Reconstruction
surgeries available. Although the options your plastic surgeon can offer you
will not look or
feel exactly like your natural breasts, the field of Breast Reconstruction has
made great strides in recent years to create a more aesthetic breast
shape that looks and feels more like real breasts. |
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The
Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) requires group health plans
and health insurers that provide medical benefits covering mastectomy to also
cover the cost of breast reconstructive surgery for women who have undergone
mastectomy. Coverage must also include all stages of reconstructive surgery of
the diseased breast, procedure to restore and achieve symmetry on the opposite
breast, and the cost of prostheses and complications of mastectomy. For more
detailed information about WHCRA, please refer to the Department of Labor's
"Your Rights After Mastectomy" website at
www.dol.gov/ebsa/Publications/whcra.html. |
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A Look at the Most Commonly
Performed Breast Reconstruction Procedures
Your plastic surgeon may offer the following
Breast Reconstruction procedures. At the end of the overview
you will find a summary chart for these surgical options.
Two-Stage Reconstruction
with Breast Implants |
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Two-Stage Breast Reconstruction
procedures use tissue expanders to create pockets for the placement of breast
implants. |
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This process creates a new
breast shaped pocket in preparation for your next stage of reconstruction:
placement of the implant. |
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Stage One - A
tissue expander is a silicone shell that is filled slowly over time with
saltwater to stretch the skin and make room for your implant.
The expander is placed under your chest skin at the site of your planned
reconstructed breast. A small needle is used to fill the expander with
sterile saline. The needle is inserted through the skin to a "fill port" located
inside the expander. Gradually over time, the overlying tissues
expand, much like a woman's abdomen during pregnancy. |
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Stage Two - The placement of your breast implant is the second part of
the Two-Stage Breast Reconstruction process. After your tissue
expander has reached an ideal pocket size, your plastic surgeon will perform
surgery to remove the tissue expander and place your saline or
silicone gel-filled breast implant. This is a routine procedure that usually takes 1 to 2
hours and may require a brief hospital stay or be done on an outpatient basis. It is possible to fully recover
from the procedure in 2 to 3 weeks and be able to resume your normal
activities. |
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Before nipple-sparing
mastectomy |
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Stage1 with Natrelle®
Tissue Expander |
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Stage 2 with
Natrelle®
Style 20 500cc gel-filled
Breast Implant |
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Before total
mastectomy |
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Stage1 with Natrelle®
Tissue Expander |
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Stage 2 with Natrelle® Style 20 400cc gel-filled Breast Implant, and
Nipple Reconsruction |
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BACK TO TOP
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Your Breast Reconstruction Choices with
Breast Implants |
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Volume Options:
The Natrelle® Collection features a full variety of widths and volumes. The size and volume that's right for you is based on existing breast tissue, your body type and frame. The question of size is NOT just about picking a specific volume of breast implant. Your plastic surgeon will help you pick a diameter and projection of implant that fits your needs. For example, Natrelle® gel-filled breast implants come in four different profiles, or projections: Moderate, Moderate-Plus, High, and Extra-High. Only Natrelle® breast implants are available with an Extra-High profile option. The Natrelle® Style 20 implant is the most common implant used in Breast Reconstruction because usually some or all of the breast tissue has been removed. The profile of the implant is an important factor in how far out your breasts will “project” after your reconstruction. And each choice has a different volume. See the Natrelle® gel-filled breast implant examples below and notice how each one can deliver a distinctly different profile:
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Natrelle® Style 10
Moderate Profile
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Diameter
(cm)
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Projection
(cm)
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Volume
(cc)
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12.2
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3.3
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270
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Natrelle® Style 15
Moderate-Plus Profile
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Diameter
(cm)
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Projection
(cm)
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Volume
(cc)
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11.9
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4.0
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304
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Natrelle® Style 20
High Profile
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Diameter
(cm)
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Projection
(cm)
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Volume
(cc)
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12.0
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5.2
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425
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Natrelle® Style 45
Extra-High Profile
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Diameter
(cm)
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Projection
(cm)
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Volume
(cc)
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11.9
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5.7
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500
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Shell
Options: There are two shell options available, textured or smooth. Your plastic surgeon can determine which option is best for you based on their technique and the shape of the breast implant that best fits your personal profile goal. |
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Filler Options:
Women in the United States currently have two distinct filler options approved
by the FDA. The FDA has approved both
saline and silicone gel-filled breast implants after determining that
each are safe and effective options for women undergoing breast aesthetic
surgery, breast reconstructive surgery or revision surgery. Ultimately, it is up
to you, along with your plastic surgeon, to decide what breast implant option will
provide the look and outcome you desire from surgery.
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BACK TO TOP
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Silicone Gel vs. Saline |
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| Silicone - Gel Breast Implants |
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Natrelle® silicone gel-filled breast implants have experienced acceptance for more than 25 years in over 60 countries.
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They were approved by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for use in the US in November 2006.
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A Gel-filled breast implant has an elastic silicone
rubber shell and is filled with cohesive silicone gel.
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The safety of Natrelle® silicone gel-filled breast implants meet one of the most rigorous standards of
all medical devices.
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| Saline Breast Implants |
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Saline-filled breast
implants were approved by the FDA in May 2000.
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A Saline-filled breast implant has an elastic silicone
rubber shell and is filled with sterile saline (saltwater).
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During the breast implant stage of your reconstruction,
empty implants are placed in the newly formed pockets under your breast tissue
and then filled with saline fluid to the size you and your plastic surgeon
agreed upon.
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A further look at the Safety of
Silicone Gel-Filled Implants
Like many other medical devices on the market today, silicone gel-filled breast
implants have evolved substantially over the
last two decades. Today's Natrelle® silicone gel-filled breast implants have an advanced technology and enhanced
safety profile
thanks to several refinements in product design and manufacturing. The most
significant advancements available today include a
more cohesive silicone gel and a thicker, yet supple shell with an additional
barrier layer that is distinct from earlier breast
implant devices. |
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Low long-term
rupture rates: To assess the long-term safety of Natrelle® breast implants, Allergan conducted extensive clinical studies
both in the United States and in Europe. These studies show that silicone
gel-filled implants have low long-term rupture rates. In fact, the results of
the European research found that after 11 years, 92 percent of implants were
still intact.*
*Data on file
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“The reason was simple: my breasts had been with me for the first 50 years of my life and I wanted them there, in place, for the next 50 years as well. It was my way of dealing with the trauma I, along with many other women, had suffered and prevent my disease from leaving a permanent imprint on my body.”
Dr. Christine Rodgers, cancer survivor and plastic surgeon |
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Rigorous testing:
Today's breast implants in the Natrelle® Collection undergo thorough testing and meet the very high standards of Allergan
quality. They are backed by an unsurpassed warranty that reflects the Allergan
commitment to quality.
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Ongoing research:
Through ongoing research Allergan is constantly assessing the impressive
long-term safety record of our full line of elegant silicone gel-filled breast
implants. |
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Natrelle® silicone gel-filled breast implants are one of the most studied
FDA approved medical devices in existence.* There have been hundreds of
peer-reviewed studies and published reports involving silicone gel-filled breast
implants, including robust epidemiological studies supporting their use. The
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM), concluded in its landmark
report (IOM, 1999) that "a review of the toxicology studies of silicones and
other substances known to be in breast implants does not provide a basis for
health concerns." More information about the safety of silicone gel-filled
implants can be found in the IOM report at
www.iom.edu/CMS/3793/5638.aspx.
For safety data on implants go to
www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastimplants and please
read the complete patient information at
www.natrelle.com/safety_info.aspx. |
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Tissue Flap Breast Reconstruction Options
Breasts can also be reconstructed by surgically moving a section of skin, fat
and muscle from one area of your body to your chest, this is referred to as an
Autologous Reconstruction.
In Autologous Reconstruction, tissue is taken from your
abdomen, upper back, upper hip or buttocks. Depending on your plastic surgeon's
surgical plan, the tissue flap may be left
attached to the blood supply and moved to the breast area through a tunnel under
the skin
called a Pedicle Flap, or it can be removed completely and reattached to the
breast area by
a microsurgical technique called a Free Flap.
The advantage of flap surgery is the replacement of chest
area tissue. This is an important consideration if: |
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“A plastic surgeon specializing in Breast Reconstruction, worked in tandem with my surgical team so that I came out of the mastectomy with ‘expanders’ where my breasts had been, which would make room for my permanent silicone implants. I chose
Natrelle® silicone gel-filled breast implants because I felt that they were the most natural appearing option.”
Alex, age 49, Denver, CO,
underwent breast implant surgery
following her double mastectomy
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Your chest tissue has been damaged and is not suitable
for tissue expansion |
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Extra tissue is needed to recreate a large breast without
a breast implant
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Extra tissue coverage is needed over a breast implant |
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Unlike Two-Stage Breast Reconstruction
with breast implants, Flap Reconstruction is a major surgery. It requires a
hospital stay and longer recovery time.
Flap surgery also creates scars at the site where your flap was taken and
additional scars are possible at the site of your reconstructed breast.
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It is important to reinforce that tissue
flap surgery, particularly the TRAM and DIEP flaps, are major surgeries, more
extensive than your mastectomy. They require good general health and strong
emotional motivation.
If you are very overweight, smoke, have had previous surgery in the area the flap
would be taken, or have any circulatory problems, you may
not be a good candidate for a tissue flap procedure. If you are very thin, you
may not have enough tissue in your abdomen or back to create a breast using this
method. |
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Questions Your
Plastic Surgeon Can Answer
If you are considering Breast Reconstruction, a
plastic surgeon can provide you with information that fully explains the risks
and complications associated with breast implants, tissue flaps and with Breast
Reconstruction surgery itself. You can find a board certified plastic surgeon in your area by
using
the Find a
Surgeon directory on Natrelle.com.
It is recommended that you read all of the information
provided before scheduling your surgery, so that you have plenty of time to ask
questions
and evaluate all of your options. |
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“My breast cancer diagnosis was traumatic enough, and just when I felt at my lowest, suddenly there were so many decisions to make. I was grateful for the many treatment options, but when faced with a life-threatening illness, the information can be really overwhelming. Finding a doctor that took the time to answer all of my questions made all the difference.”
Bliss, age 58, Long Beach, CA. Cancer survivor and Two-Stage Breast Reconstruction patient |
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What are all my options for Breast Reconstruction? |
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What are the risks and complications of each type of
Breast Reconstruction
surgery and how common are they? |
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What if my cancer recurs or occurs in my other breast? |
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Will reconstruction interfere with my cancer treatment? |
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How many steps are there in each procedure, and what are
they? |
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How long will it take to complete my reconstruction? |
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How much experience do you have with each procedure? |
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Do you have before and after photos I can look at for
each procedure? |
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What results are reasonable for me? |
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What will my scars look like? |
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What kind of changes in my reconstructed breast can I
expect over time? |
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Can I talk with other patients about their experiences? |
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What is the estimated total cost of each procedure? How
much is my
insurance expected to cover? |
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How much pain or discomfort will I feel, and for how
long? |
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How long will I be in the hospital? |
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Will I need blood transfusions, and can I donate my own
blood? |
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When will I be able to resume normal activity (or sexual
activity or
athletic activity)? |
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Where can I get more information? |
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Is there a warranty that covers my
implant(s)? |
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BACK TO TOP
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