Ask the Doctor – What Are the Pros & Cons of Reconstructive Breast Surgery?

yellow flowers

This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question:  What are the pros & cons of reconstructive breast surgery?

Answer: Thanks for your question. Ultimately the pros for breast reconstruction include restoration of a woman’s body following surgical removal of part or all of her breast/breasts. Surgery to remove the breast is performed to prevent or treat breast cancer. The ultimate goal of reconstruction is to restore physical well being and quality of life. Breast reconstruction using your own natural tissue provides the opportunity to achieve the most natural results. Even restoring breast sensation is possible (not guaranteed and not necessarily complete) using your own natural tissue. The cons of natural tissue are that the patient must donate the natural tissue from another part of the body. That means scars and healing in more than one area of the body. Surgery always requires down time, recovery and time away from working etc.. Also reconstruction almost always requires more than one surgery.

Breast reconstruction using implants is generally less natural than using natural fatty tissue that contains healthy blood vessels and nerves. The advantage of implant reconstruction is that surgery is not required in another area of the body and there are fewer scars in areas of the body other than the breast. Long-term, reconstructions with implants require more revisions due to implant problems and are generally less permanent than using your own tissue.

There are always individual factors and expectations that may change the pros and cons. Hopefully, this brief synopsis has answered your question. Please let me know if you would like more information.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

Ask the Doctor – How Long Should You Have a Breast Expander In?

pink and white flowers

This week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.

Question: How long should you have a breast expander in?

Answer: There is no “one size fits all” answer to your question.

In many cases, expansion can be achieved, and the permanent implant placed, in 2-3 months (more commonly 3).

In other cases, expansion may take longer, or sometimes other factors such as radiation may cause delays in removing the expander and placing the permanent implant. Whenever possible, however, expansion should be completed before the beginning of radiation, because the expansion of radiated skin ranges from difficult to impossible.

I do not think that having expanders in for long periods is likely to cause any lasting problem, although the chance of them deflating goes up. I met a patient recently who, for various reasons, had had an expander placed by another surgeon in place for 15 years. She appeared none the worse for it, we placed a permanent implant, and she is doing well.

Hope this helps, I’d be happy to chat with you if you wish.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

Ask the Doctor – Exams Of My Implants Have Shown Nothing Wrong But Increasing Symptoms Have Me Very Worried. Is There Anything I Can Do?

Daisies

This week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.

Question: I have pain on the side of my breast where an implant was attached at reconstruction surgery in 1987. It has always hurt but recently has become much worse. Inflammation increases with sinus and allergy problems.

The implants are still soft so my recent visit to a plastic surgeon was uneventful. As I am 75 years old, they would not remove them. MRIs have shown they are not leaking. The pain keeps me on edge thinking something is very wrong. What are my options?

Answer:  I’m sorry you are having problems so long after your surgery.

I don’t think you necessarily have to just accept your situation. You can have very bad, and painful scarring internally, especially with old implants, even if they are not ruptured. Additionally, if you are otherwise healthy, there is no reason you couldn’t have them removed, even at 75. I’m not saying that this would solve your problems (although it may), but don’t discount the option just because of your age. For what it’s worth, we have actually done DIEP flaps successfully on patients your age, and that is a much larger procedure than removing implants.

I would be happy to speak with you and discuss your situation further if you wish.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

Ask the Doctor – Could Odd Pains In My Body Be The Consequence Of an Old Abdominal Flap Surgery Following A Halstead Radical Mastectomy?

Poppy in a feild

This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question:  In 1987, I had abdominal flap surgery following a Halstead radical mastectomy. I keep wondering what is NOW going on in my body! When I feel odd pains I wonder if it could be repercussions of that surgery so long ago.

Answer:  Thank you for your question. If you had your surgery in 1987 and you had reconstruction using your abdominal tissue then I will assume that you had a Tram procedure. That surgery relies on partially removing the muscle from the abdominal wall. Not having the muscle in place can cause problems later in life. People can have pain or bulging of the tummy and even hernias. Of course not all patients have those problems. If your problems are in the tummy area then that is a possibility. If your problems are in the area of your breast or mastectomy then you should consider seeing a breast surgeon that specializes in doing mastectomies to make sure all is well with regard to your breast area. You could also see the doctor who follows you regarding your breast cancer history. Scaring from a “Halstead” mastectomy especially after radiation could cause aches and pains later in life. Regardless of what it might be you should definitely be seen by your doctor so they could do a complete evaluation of your symptoms. After an evaluation they could make more specific recommendations. I hope his information helps. Let me know if you have further questions.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

 

Ask the Doctor – Can I Have Large, Under Muscle Implants Replaced With Smaller Ones? Will This Make Them More Comfortable?

This week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.

Question: I’ve had my breast tissues removed and I now have implants. They are under my muscles, too large and very uncomfortable. Is there anything you can do to fix this and make a smaller implant? I am very unhappy with the way my breasts look, This is contributing to already very low self-esteem issues. Can you help me? What are my options?

Answer:  There is an excellent chance that we can help you. The country is currently undergoing a paradigm shift in implant-based breast reconstruction, with more and more surgeons placing the implants in front of the muscle, rather than behind. This allows for numerous potential advantages, and few disadvantages. We have been converting patients with unsatisfactory sub-muscular reconstructions to reconstructions in front of the muscle for a few years, with generally good-to-excellent results.

Another option is to remove your implants and re-build your breasts only with your own natural tissue, usually from tummy or buttocks. This is a larger operation than implant reconstruction but obviously results in an even more natural result.

I would be happy to discuss your situation further with you by phone, if you wish, or see you in my office when convenient.

Thanks for your question.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

Ask the Doctor – Is It Common To Have Breast Reconstruction Done At The Same Time As A Mastectomy?

This week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.

Question: My dear friend has recently been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer – estrogen driven. Cells were found in the ducts but negative in lymph flow.  She has been scheduled for a mastectomy and she has decided to have both removed. She has been informed that she will need to have a hysterectomy soon after. I am an RN having worked in-house bedside with patients for 25 years. She is to be scheduled for surgery later this week and has been told reconstructive surgery for both breasts will be done as the surgery is completed. Is this commonly done? The patients I worked with generally had the reconstruction after chemo and radiation.  What is your professional insight?  She is terribly afraid and she has 11 and 8 yr old sons.

Answer: Yes, it is very common to have reconstruction done at the same time as the mastectomy. While there may be a slight increase in the complication rate doing it this way, most people feel that the advantages of doing them together outweigh any potential disadvantages. The one time that we would NEVER do immediate reconstruction is if the patient wanted natural tissue reconstruction, but we thought there was some chance that she would be radiated, as we NEVER want to radiate the transferred tissue. I do not wish to speak for your friend’s oncologists, but the two most frequent reasons for receiving radiation are 1) one or more positive lymph nodes, or 2) a tumor greater than 5 cm in largest dimension. Even if we know that radiation is to be received postoperatively, however, there is no problem reconstructing with implants or tissue expanders at the same time as mastectomies, and there may, in fact, be some potential advantages, primarily in terms of the quality of the final result.

I certainly understand your concern and your friend’s concern, but there is every reason to think that she will do well. If I can be of any assistance by talking to her or anyone else, please let me know, I would be happy to do so.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

Ask the Doctor – What Options Do I Have When Removing My Breast Implants?

This week, Audrey Rowen, PA-C, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.

Question: I had silicone implants in 1988 under skin, which ruptured. In 2012, had bilateral implant exchange with saline implants under muscle. In 2016, the right saline implant ruptured; it was always hard with capsular contraction. I have been trying to find a plastic surgeon who will do a capsulectomy on Rt & Lt… and ideally tissue transfer from my body. (I read the FDA has 356 MDRs of lymphoma including 9 deaths, with saline implants, mostly textured but also smooth.) So, as long as I have a rupture (the right breast is flattened), I may as well have both saline’s removed. Does the fat transfer go under the skin or muscle? Would this be a good option for me at this point? Is the capsulectomy better than the explant-ation? Of course, it also depends on cost! Thank you.

Answer: Thanks for reaching out! I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had quite a lot of trouble with implants over the years. Were your implants placed for reconstruction or for cosmetic purposes? We do a lot with both implant reconstruction and natural tissue, both of which are almost always placed above the muscle. Our office also mostly prefers to use smooth silicone gel implants instead of saline, and we choose not to use textured implants often for a few reasons, one of them being what you researched about the Anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

The biggest question that determines what your best options would be whether you had a breast cancer diagnosis or other factors that would make your case reconstruction vs. cosmetic. Once we get that information from you, I feel we can better give you an idea of what we might be able to do for you.

I look forward to hearing back from you to see how we can help you!

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

Ask the Doctor – I Have Implants But They Feel Horrible And My Reconstruction Looks Terrible. Is There Any Hope After Reconstruction?

This week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.

Question:  I have implants. Do not like them they feel horrible and my reconstruction looks terrible. Is there any hope after reconstruction. I have appointment 2/23/2018.

Answer:  Fortunately, your previous unfortunate experiences with implants in all probability do not affect our ability to get you a satisfactory reconstruction using only your own tissue.

I look forward to meeting with you!

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

Ask the Doctor – Do You Have Experience Replacing Silicone Implants When a Patient is Having a Reaction to Them?

This week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.

Question: Do you have experience replacing silicone implants when a patient is having a reaction to them?

Answer:  Thank you for your question.

We have extensive experience replacing implants when patients find them uncomfortable. Most of our experience is with patients who have had mastectomies and reconstruction, but the experience translates to patients who have had cosmetic breast augmentation, as well.

There are many reasons for patients to have problems with implants, some of which we understand, and some of which we probably don’t (yet).

Sometimes the problem can be as simple as the implants have ruptured, and replacing them may solve the problem. While this is very common with older implants (> 25 years old), rupture is much less common with modern gel implants, although it can happen.

Until very recently, breast implants for augmentation were placed exclusively under the pectoralis muscle. We abandoned this approach and started placing implants in front of the muscle (a more anatomically correct location) about three years ago. This is made possible by completely wrapping the implants in Alloderm, which provides strength and padding. Advantages of pre-pectoral (in front of the muscle) placement include less pain, no animation deformity, and a more natural appearance. The primary disadvantage is an increased likelihood of seeing “rippling” in some case. Fat grafting also sometimes necessary to maximize the final appearance. Encouraged by patient acceptance in these cases, we recently starting converting patients with previously placed submuscular implants to pre-pectoral implants. The results thus far, though early, have been very good, with most patients telling us “they feel more like breasts now.”

Of course, not all problems with implants are simply due to submuscular placement. Some people get painful hardening (capsular contracture) regardless of implant position, although the complete Alloderm wrap minimizes the chance of this occurring. Some people just don’t react well to having large foreign objects in them, without being able to narrow down the precise cause further, and these people may not tolerate implants at all. In these situations, if the implants were placed for reconstruction, we have the option of completely removing the implants and replacing them with your own natural tissue taken from your abdomen, buttocks, thighs, etc. This is obviously much more involved than just replacing implants, but the quality of the result is much more natural than an implant reconstruction, and problems after completion of reconstruction are extremely rare..

Any of these techniques could potentially be used for problems after cosmetic breast augmentation, but would involve significant out-of-pocket costs, as insurance will generally not usually cover procedures to correct problems from cosmetic surgery.

I hope this helps some. I would be happy to discuss your situation further with you by phone (1-866-374-2627), or see you in the office whenever convenient.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

Ask The Doctor – Is it Prudent to Remove the Expanders?

This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I had bilateral nipple sparing mastectomies on 2/9/16 and developed a large necrotic area on the lower pole of my left breast. Air expanders and Alloderm were placed during the surgery and I have also developed redness over the area where the Alloderm is on my right breast. I have been on Keflex 250 mg qid since surgery and Levaquin was added yesterday, 2/26. My surgeon plans to debride the necrosis and perform a skin flap on Friday 3/4. Of course there is no staging of the area under the necrosis at this point. (It turned dusky the day after surgery.)

But I am keen to avoid two surgeries. My questions are these: In your opinion, is it prudent to remove the expanders, allow time for healing and then consider latissimus flap on the left? Under that circumstance, what options are there for healing the wound after debridement? Would closing good skin to good skin be best (I understand distortion is a given) and then flap it later? I will have to be referred for flap surgery and am trying to do diligence on who best to request for this. I am grateful for any advice you might be willing to offer.

Answer:  I’m sorry to hear that you are having a difficult time. From what I can gather from your question it sounds like you have had a difficult time with both breasts. On your left side the healing would be less complicated if you had the expander removed. On the right side if you have an infection then it is possible that the implant may have to be removed.

If the implants are removed then when you have healed you may consider using your own skin and fatty tissue instead of trying another expander. We specialize in breast reconstruction using your own fatty tissue without using implants and without sacrificing your important muscles. That includes the latissimus muscle. I suggest you ask your surgeons if you can consider that route as an option.

I’m sorry I can’t be more specific without more information from you about your situation, previous surgeries and medical history. If you would like more information I could have my office contact you for specifics. Just let me know. Thank you for your question.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!