Regain Your Life With Breast Reconstruction After Cancer in Sydney

Breast cancer is becoming common. Affecting one in 10 women, there is a good chance someone you know personally has been diagnosed with breast cancer. To restore confidence in these women who have already gone through so much, A/Prof Damian Marucci offers breast reconstruction after cancer treatment in Sydney.

What is breast reconstruction?

Breast reconstruction is a surgical process to restore the breast following a mastectomy after a breast cancer diagnosis. While measures like chemotherapy and radiology may eradicate the disease, some women are faced with the difficult decision of surgery. A mastectomy can be a life-altering decision. While it means the patient may be free of cancer, it also can lead to a host of self-confidence issues. Sometimes, this procedure can even make a woman feel like less of a woman simply because her breast or breasts are no longer there. Breast reconstruction can restore a patient’s confidenc, allowing them to appear no different from other women. Patient’s who have had mastectomies often have difficulties finding clothes that fit due to the chest asymmetry.

Am I a good candidate for breast reconstruction?

If you have undergone a mastectomy and are experiencing a lack of confidence following your surgical procedure, you may be a good candidate for breast reconstruction.

What options are available to me?

Breast reconstruction can be performed in a number of ways: with breast implants, the patient’s own skin tissue, or a combination of the two procedures.

Breast implants are a popular method of breast reconstruction. The implant is placed underneath the skin and muscle of the chest wall. The implants are permanent and only need to be changed if there is a problem. Often, the skin of the chest wall needs to be stretched up beforehand – a process known as expansion. Tissue expanders are like empty breast implants which are slowly filled with fluid over a period of weeks to months. The expander is then exchanged for an implant under a second general anaesthetic.

Patients with excess skin around the abdomen, may elect to have a “free flap” procedure in which excess tissue from the abdomen is removed and repositioned to the breast. Tissue that would normally be thrown away as part of a tummy is instead used to reconstruct one or both breasts without the need for any foreign material (such as a breast implant). This involves taking the tummy tissue out of the body and rejoining the blood supply to vessels in the chest using microsurgery.

Another option is to use a combination of your own tissue, such as skin, fat and muscle from your back, and swinging that around to the chest to cover a breast implant. This is for patients who are too slim for a tummy tuck, but whose tissues may be too thin or not suitable for an implant alone.

During your consultation, Dr. Marucci will discuss which options are best for your individual needs.

What should I expect during the procedure?

The process for your procedure will depend on the method that is chosen by Dr. Marucci to deliver the best results. Some procedures (such as those involving implants) only need a day or two in hospital, whereas free flap surgery may require a longer hospital stay.
Incisions will be made in conjunction with the chosen method. If a flap is required, tissue will be removed from the abdomen or back to achieve the desired results. Patients who wish to avoid any scarring in other parts of the body may elect for an implant-only procedure. The flap or implant is positioned and any incisions are closed with dissolving sutures.

What is the recovery process like?

Recovery depends on the type of reconstruction performed. Implant based reconstructions have a faster recovery. Patients can’t shower until the drains are removed and may need to wear a sports bra with no underwire for a few weeks. Free flap reconstruction with an abdominal flap means no heavy lifting for a few weeks and wearing a binder.

Although some swelling and bruising is expected, this will diminish along with the appearance of the incision lines. Dr. Marucci can prescribe medication if necessary Most patients are able to return to work after a few weeks following the surgery.

You can see some of Dr Marucci’s before and after breast reconstruction results here.

A/Prof Damian Marucci is proud to offer his patients the opportunity for restored confidence. If you or a loved one is interested in breast reconstruction after cancer in Sydney, contact the office of Dr. Marucci at 02 9588 6374. His friendly staff can answer questions and schedule your consultation today.