Breast
Reconstruction
after
Mastectomy

This page gives detailed information
about breast reconstruction after mastectomy

Richard V. Dowden, M.D., C.M., F.A.C.S.

Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery, Inc.
6770 Mayfield Road, Suite 410
(Mayfield Heights) Cleveland, Ohio 44124
(440) 449-7470

Breast reconstruction after mastectomy

Background information about Dr. Dowden and breast reconstruction:

Since 1978 Dr. Dowden has had a special interest in breast reconstruction following mastectomy, with extensive training in the techniques of reconstruction from 1978 to 1979, with particular emphasis upon immediate reconstruction performed at the same time as the mastectomy. He was the primary author of the AMA Journal article that exposed the inadequate coverage of reconstruction by insurance companies, paving the way for the federal legislation requiring such coverage for women. Shortly after joining the Cleveland Clinic in 1979 he was named Head of the Section of Breast Surgery in the Plastic Surgery Department. A few years later he was given the honor of being named the Medical Advisor to RENU, the American Cancer Society's Breast Reconstruction Unit for the state of Ohio. He has published numerous articles in the medical journals about breast reconstruction after mastectomy. He and Dr. Melvin Dinner performed the first Abdominal Flap reconstruction in Ohio. While at the Cleveland Clinic he wrote a breast reconstruction information pamphlet entitled "A Woman's Decision" which was widely distributed. He has continued to perform breast reconstruction, often performing revision of reconstructions for women who had reconstructions done elsewhere with less than optimal results.

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General information about breast reconstruction:

For many years it has been known that reconstructing the breast after mastectomy not only makes daily life physically easier for most women, but equally important it has a tremendous positive psychological effect for the woman, providing an extremely positive event in the midst of a difficult time. It was long ago proven that reconstructing the breast after mastectomy is not in any way harmful to the patient's outlook or prognosis.

Some reconstructions are performed the same day as the mastectomy, and others are done months or even years afterward. Some are accomplished using breast implants (if there is enough healthy tissue to permit that) and others are done using tissues transferred to the area from other parts of the body, most often from the abdomen, but sometimes from the back or buttocks. Usually more than one operation is needed to obtain the best result for the patient. Most often, the reconstruction of the nipple is performed as a separate step. In some cases, the opposite breast undergoes some type of surgical modification.

Every procedure has positive aspects and negative aspects. There are advantages and disadvantages of breast reconstruction, which will be reviewed with each patient after her situation has been evaluated, and which must be considered when deciding whether the procedure is appropriate. In addition, every operation has potential complications, which can occur in a small percentage of patients even in the best of hands, and it is therefore possible to have complications after breast reconstruction, of which patients will always be made aware at consultation with Dr. Dowden, but which are discussed in general below.

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Possible complications

Complications are very unlikely after breast reconstruction, but can occur in a very small percentage of patients, even in the hands of a highly skilled and qualified plastic surgeon. Any operation carries the possibility of anesthetic risks, bleeding, infection, suboptimal scarring, and poor healing. Rarely there can be numbness, skin irregularity, poor circulation, and discoloration after breast reconstruction. Complications are less likely if the patient has never had radiation therapy to the surgical area, is a non-smoker, is not overweight, and avoids medicines that promote bleeding, such as aspirin and related drugs. To state that the other way, the chance of complications is greatly increased by radiation, excessive body weight, or nicotine, all of which will be discussed at the consultation with Dr. Dowden.
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Recovery time

It is usually necessary to stay overnight after the first stage of breast reconstruction, but the later stages are often done as outpatient surgery. Recovery time varies from one person to another, and depends upon the person's age, body weight, body area treated, and the nature of their work and activities, and of course upon which procedure has been done.
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Before & After Thumbnail Photos:

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Finding a Plastic Surgeon Near You:

If you are interested in breast reconstruction and want to find a board-certified Plastic Surgeon in your area who is qualified to do it, call the referral service of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at (800)-635-0635, or check http://www.plasticsurgery.org.To find out if a surgeon whose name you have been given is truly a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, put the name into the search engine at http://www.abms.org to find out.

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Images Copyright © R.V. Dowden, MD, 1993.
This page Copyright © R.V. Dowden, MD, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.
This information may not be reproduced or distributed electronically or in print without permission from Dr. Dowden.

Note that while the information given by Dr. Dowden during a consultation is completely current and up-to-date, the information of this website is only as current as the date of last update, and therefore may become out-of-date.

6770 Mayfield Road, Suite 410
Mayfield Heights, Ohio 44124
(440) 449-7470
Note: To ensure privacy for our patients, all of our outgoing phone lines have their caller ID permanently blocked; if your phone does not accept blocked ID calls you will not be able to receive any calls back from our office.

Last Update: 7:03 PM on 07/30/2007

URL of this page: http://dr-dowden.com/main/brrecons.html
URL of Dr. Dowden's home page: http://dr-dowden.com/index.html