This week, Dr. Richard Kline of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your questions.
Q: I had a double mastectomy last August with immediate expander reconstruction. My expanders were replaced in January with silicone implants and needless to say I’m not thrilled with them. They are hard, cold and I now have ripples across them. My surgeon is going to remove more excess skin in hopes to alleviate the “wrinkling” effect, but I’m honestly not sure if I even want to have this done. I originally wanted to have a tissue transfer (abdominal) but was advised to try the implant route first.
I know that I don’t have a lot of abdominal fat and would probably end up with very small breasts if I went this route instead. I don’t mind the smallness but am concerned on the dangers of having a tissue transfer and wonder if this would be a better, more natural breast for me. I’m not getting the feeling that my surgeon is comfortable with this type of surgery and would like more information on your facility. I feel like I have so many questions that no one can seem to answer. Is there someone that I can reach out to?
A: We would be very happy to discuss your situation with you. It is very rare for someone not to have enough stomach or buttock tissue, especially with subsequent fat grafting, to provide an acceptable breast size. Flap surgery can be a little intimidating, but our success rate over the last ten years is 98.4%. We have helped many women who have started out with implant reconstruction, only to decide that it was not the right choice for them.
Our nurse Chris or P.A. Kim can call to discuss your situation further, if you wish.
Thank you for your question.
Dr. Richard M. Kline
Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction
Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical care you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask us!
