Bilateral mastectomy is a common procedure to treat breast cancer. Occasionally, if a patient has breast cancer in one breast, they may opt to undergo a prophylactic mastectomy on the other breast. In a patient who has breast ptosis or a droopy breast, it may be difficult to try to spare the nipple areola complex. In patient with ptotic breasts,…
It is important for patients with breast cancer to be patient when tissue expanders are in place. Tissue expanders are temporary and will be exchanged when implants are placed. Tissue expanders have a firmer silicone elastomer shell and are filled with saline during the expansion process. Tissue expanders help fill the dead space after a mastectomy and can help control…
Breast cancer can be treated with mastectomy. Often when a woman has breast cancer, she would like to proceed with a bilateral mastectomy, which is the removal of both breasts. Bilateral mastectomy can be done if cancer is in both breasts, or, if the patient would like to remove the other breast prophylactically. In a patient with ptotic breast, it…
One of the more common questions that comes up during a mastectomy reconstruction– “Should I save my nipple or should I have it removed during the mastectomy”. There are oncologic, anatomic, aesthetic, and psychological reasons to remove the nipple areola complex. It is important to understand that after a mastectomy the nipple will not have sensation and will not function…
Breast augmentation has become a prevalent phenomenon in modern American society, reflecting evolving beauty standards and individual choices. The desire for enhanced physical appearance has led many individuals to opt for mammary implants, contributing to the complex and multifaceted world of breast art. This article delves into the content of breast art and its relationship with contemporary American culture, subsequently…
There are several ways to reconstruct the breast after mastectomy. In patients who do not require radiation there are several options available for breast reconstruction. One of the more common methods of breast reconstruction is to place a tissue expander at the time of the mastectomy and have the skin heal appropriately. Once the skin has healed without any additional…
Breast reconstruction is a challenging specialty in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Not only does the patient and reconstructive surgeon have to contend with a foreign object of the mammary prosthesis, but also chemotherapy and radiation which can make the reconstructive process more challenging. The photograph demonstrates before and after implant reconstruction of bilateral mastectomy defects with bilateral mammary prosthesis. The…
There are many patients who choose to undergo bilateral mastectomy for breast cancer or prophylactically to prevent cancer when patients have a genetic predisposition. In patients who are not going to receive radiation the breast is amenable to reconstruction with tissue expanders and implants. The tissue expander is placed at the time of the mastectomy and only a small amount…
Bilateral mastectomy breast reconstruction is common in patients who have BRCA gene positivity. Bilateral mastectomy is also common in patients who choose to undergo mastectomy and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy. When the breast is ptotic, defined by a nipple areola complex that descends below the level of the inframammary fold, the nipple areola complex cannot maintain a blood supply sufficient to…
Breast cancer is common among women with approximately 1 in 9 women developing invasive breast cancer in the United States. When a patient chooses to undergo mastectomy, the patient may also choose to undergo mastectomy on the contralateral or opposite side of the breast that has breast cancer. This choice can be made because of a genetic predisposition to breast…
