Know your Breast Reconstruction Options

How to Prepare for Breast Reconstruction

When preparing for breast reconstruction surgery, your doctor may ask you to:

• Get a medical evaluation or lab testing
• Avoid taking anti-inflammatory drugs, herbal supplements, and aspirin because they can increase your bleeding
• Stop smoking
• Take particular medications or adjust your current medications

Types of Breast Reconstruction Procedures

A typical breast reconstruction surgery is done in a hospital setting and may include a short hospital stay. Often, your doctor will administer general anesthesia before the surgery. You may also undergo follow-up procedures done on an outpatient basis, and local anesthesia with sedation may be applied. Your doctor will make these decisions depending on the requirements of your particular method and also considering your preferences and the doctor’s best judgment.

Autologous Reconstruction

The autologous, also known as flap reconstruction, uses your body tissues to reconstruct your breast after mastectomy. This reconstruction appears more natural than implant reconstruction. It is a more durable treatment and, therefore, possibly avoids additional operations.

• Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap: Your surgeon only removes your skin and fat and leaves the abdominal wall muscles, and this results in less abdominal muscle weakness and shorter recovery duration. With the appropriate anatomy, your doctor may perform this procedure and avoid the TRAM flap procedure.
• Transverse Rectus Abdominus Myocutaneous (TRAM) flap: Your doctor will move a flap of skin, blood vessels, muscle, and fat from your abdomen to your breast area. The surgeon can also do this procedure as a free flap whereby he or she reconnects blood vessels in the chest.
• Other microvascular reconstructive techniques include modifications of these flap procedures: Reuben, TUG, SIEA, and SGAP.