Breast Reconstruction is a very personal decision that a woman may consider during the time of a breast cancer diagnosis. With all of the information currently available regarding\u00a0breast cancer and its treatment, we would like to present a timeline of the potential process involved with reconstruction.<\/p>\n
1. Patient receives a diagnosis of breast cancer following a breast biopsy.<\/p>\n
2. Patient would then be referred to a general surgeon and to an oncologist for further discussion. The patient may either be referred to a plastic surgeon by the general surgeon or she can request a consultation at this time with the plastic surgeon of her choice. Patients should look for a board certified plastic surgeon with a history or background in reconstructive surgery.<\/p>\n
3. The plastic surgeon and the general surgeon would then coordinate with the patient for surgery.<\/p>\n
4. During surgery, after removal of the breast(s), the plastic surgeon would place a temporary tissue expander under the chest muscle to begin creating a breast mound. The expander is filled at this time and several subsequent weekly fills start approximately 3-4 weeks after the initial mastectomy surgery.<\/p>\n
5. Following surgery, the patient would then continue to be followed by the plastic surgeon and the oncologist as she may require chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. A radiation oncologist may also be necessary at this time depending on the final surgical pathology results.<\/p>\n
6. The plastic surgeon would then determine the timing of the second stage of the reconstructive surgery that will follow once the oncologic treatments have been completed. This may be 6 months to 1 year following chemotherapy and\/or radiation treatment. Nipple reconstruction is a possibility for many women and can be discussed, if desired, as a\u00a0third stage of reconstruction.<\/p>\n
7. In most cases the patient will continue to be followed on an annual basis by the plastic surgeon and the oncologist.<\/p>\n
8. If reconstruction is not started at the initial surgery, a patient may consult with a plastic surgeon once she is healed and has finished her oncologic treatments. Reconstructive options can be discussed at that time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Breast Reconstruction is a very personal decision that a woman may consider during the time of a breast cancer diagnosis. With all of the information currently available regarding\u00a0breast cancer and its treatment, we would like to present a timeline of the potential process involved with reconstruction. 1. Patient receives a diagnosis of breast cancer following […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-procedure"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n