Nearly 30% of Singaporean women have breast cancer. As a treatment, they either have to undergo mastectomy or lumpectomy. Lumpectomy involves lump removal, while mastectomy entails eliminating the entire breast or breasts. As evident, these surgeries disrupt natural female anatomy, making patients conscious and embarrassed about their bodies. They struggle to find proper daily wear for themselves. To mitigate their emotional, aesthetic, and physical challenges to reinstate their faith, plastic surgeons offer breast reconstruction surgery to restore breasts to their original shape and size. Earlier women hesitated to walk this path and focused more on diagnosis. However, this wave has changed with increasing awareness of this procedure and its contribution to their overall life beyond physical appearance.
You can visit https://wcongplasticsurgery.com.sg/breast-reconstruction-surgery/ to learn about this method and find support. Nevertheless, certain aspects of this treatment are still oblivious to people, such as the best time to get this surgery. Only a few patients understand the implications of undergoing this surgery immediately or later following their cancer procedure. Let’s delve into this area quickly to make an informed decision.
- Immediate reconstruction
If you select an immediate breast reconstruction option with your lumpectomy or mastectomy, doctors will perform the two operations together. They can source tissue from the other body parts or use implants for reconstruction. Tissues are usually taken from the stomach. Such immediate surgeries are possible only with early-stage disease patients. The upside of this choice is a patient can get things done in one operation under general anaesthesia. She lives with her breast after coming out of the hospital, which can be psychologically comforting. They can heal faster. Scarring risks are limited on the reconstructed breast, and often, nipples remain untouched.
Again, certain factors play a role. A plastic surgeon will examine a patient’s well-being first. Someone with co-morbidity (obesity or diabetes) or smoking habits may need some precautions to avoid potential complications. Another consideration is around radiation therapy. If the breast is reconstructed before radiation, the risk of skin becoming thin, sizing and appearance issues with the breasts, and the chances of skin shrinking and causing the new breast to become hard can arise. The newly constructed breasts can also prevent radiation from targeting cancer.
- Delayed reconstruction
Whether you are unsure about the choice between implants and flaps or a need for reconstruction, delayed surgery can be the best decision. Some women take time to heal from their cancer surgery and want to decide about anything related to cosmetic purposes later. Typically, delayed reconstruction surgery is also suitable for someone needing to take chemotherapy for various reasons. The skin and the breast get adequate time to heal from this type of cancer treatment. Also, specialists in breast reconstruction, radiation therapy and oncology can discuss the course of action well. A plastic surgeon can advise a patient better. A separate surgery for this can occur after months and years. Some can also opt for it after a few weeks of mastectomy.
A recent study demonstrates that the breast construction surgery rate has been about 25% in the country, with 241 of 993 mastectomy patients choosing either immediate or delayed procedures. You can speak to an expert plastic surgeon for the best knowledge and aid.