Breast Reconstruction Surgery Overview

Breast Reconstruction Surgery Overview

Breast reconstruction is a major plastic surgery procedure that will usually involve more than one procedure. Depending on the patient’s needs, the procedure may be performed at the same time with mastectomy or later. Flap reconstruction and breast implant surgery are two primary surgical approaches to perform breast reconstruction procedure.

Breast reconstruction is typically more complex than regular breast procedures performed by a cosmetic surgeon. Dr. Wright Jones is a leading plastic surgery expert providing breast reconstruction and various other procedures of the breast, body, and face. Dr. Jones receives patients from Atlanta, Buckhead, Stockbridge, Marietta, GA, and surrounding communities.

Candidacy

The cosmetic surgery specialist will first determine whether the patient is a marvelous candidate for flap reconstruction or breast implant procedure. Candidates for flap techniques should not have any health conditions that could pose risk during the surgery. Flap techniques involve removal of tissue from a healthy area of the body, and the procedure is usually more invasive than implant reconstruction.

Secondly, this technique is more suited for candidates who require only a single breast reconstruction in order to match it accurately with the other breast. Women who are relatively thinner or older or seek a less invasive procedure with shorter recovery may choose breast implant reconstruction. As a leading plastic surgeon, Dr. Jones provides both types of reconstruction to patients in Atlanta, Buckhead, Stockbridge, Marietta, GA, and nearby areas.

DIEP Flap Reconstructive Surgery

Deep Inferior Epigastric Performation (DIEP) breast reconstruction involves surgical removal of fat and skin from the patient’s abdominal area, which is then utilized to create a new breast mound. Unlike another flap technique called TRAM, the DIEP technique does not involve transfer of any muscle from the abdomen.

The surgeon will detach the fat and skin from the abdomen and re-attach it to the targeted area of the breast. Blood vessels in the tissue will then be connected to the blood vessels in the chest to provide proper flow. Abdominal skin will be tightened and closed with sutures. The entire procedure can take about three to five hours.

Breast Implant Reconstructive Surgery

If the woman does not have adequate skin in the breast area following a mastectomy, the surgeon will place a tissue expander in order to stretch the skin and allow space for an implant. Once the expander has sufficiently stretched over a few weeks of injecting with saline solution, the surgeon will replace it with a breast implant. It will take about two months for the expansion of breast tissue before the placement of the final implant.

If the patient has sufficient skin available to cover the implant, the tissue expansion will not be necessary. In such a case, the implant placement can be done at the time of mastectomy or at a later stage. Immediate implant replacement is more convenient because it avoids the multiple visits that will be required for the tissue expansion procedure.

The breast reconstruction procedure will also involve re-creation of the areola and nipple, and an appropriate surgical technique will be used in consultation with the patient.

See all plastic surgery procedures that Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Wright Jones performs of the face, nose, body, and breast in and around Atlanta, Buckhead, Stockbridge, Marietta, GA and surrounding areas.