Soap operas often bring up real and important issues that are discussed or re-discussed by the general population. In Rede Globo's Love to Life (2013), the drama of the character Sílvia, lived by Carol Castro, who discovered that she has breast cancer and will have to undergo total mastectomy within the breast, has caught the attention of many women who care about your health.
When we talk about total mastectomy, another issue comes to mind immediately: the possibility of reconstructing the affected breast through surgery.
Today, most people know this is possible, but there are still many questions surrounding the issue. Is breast reconstruction surgery indicated for all women who remove part or the breast completely? Is it a risky surgery? When should it be done?
Below, doctor Pedro Alexandre, a specialist in plastic surgery, answers these and other questions.
How is breast reconstruction surgery done?
Does the specialist explain that reconstruction varies according to breast conditions after cancer treatment surgery? which includes the removal of only a small portion of the breast affected by the tumor or the total removal of the same, including or not the areola and nipple extraction.
"For example, in cases of small tumors where the surgeon removes little breast tissue, one can perform a plastic surgery on both breasts to symmetrize both in shape and volume," explains the expert Pedro Alexandre.
• If the entire breast has to be removed, an expander (which is a kind of silicone balloon, which is filled with serum for about 60 days postoperatively with weekly injections) can be placed in the same surgery. of a valve that has) to gradually distend the skin and prepare it to, in another surgery, put the definitive silicone prosthesis ?, continues the surgeon.
Another alternative is to place the prosthesis directly on the same occasion of breast removal. "This is done if there are conditions, that is, if the patient's skin is sufficiently elastic so that it does not need to be previously expanded," explains Pedro Alexandre.
The specialist also says that when it is necessary, due to the size or severity of the tumor, to remove a lot of tissue (skin, muscle) or radiotherapy, it is necessary to use tissues from another place of the body, such as the abdomen or back, for example for reconstruction. "These are more complex reconstruction techniques with larger resulting scars, but with the potential for optimal results," he adds.
The surgeon also points out that, in cases of cancer, "the priority should always be the best and safest treatment of the disease, even if it results in a more" mutilating "surgery. and consequently more difficult reconstruction or a more limited cosmetic result?
Why is reconstruction important?
For expert Pedro Alexandre, the importance of breast reconstruction surgery is very important. One could say: fundamental! Several studies show that the improvement of self-esteem obtained by breast reconstruction not only provides a better quality of life for the patient, but also positively influences the evolution of the disease, that is, helps in cancer treatment ?, he says.
Is reconstructive surgery indicated for all women who have had their breast removed?
The expert Pedro Alexandre responds that, at first, breast reconstruction surgery is indicated for all women who have removed all or part of the breast due to cancer. "Unless the patient does not want to perform it or her case requires a reconstruction technique whose risk is too high for her health conditions," he adds.
Is reconstructive surgery safe?
The doctor explains that, as with all surgery, there are risks. "But these are very dependent on the case itself, the patient's health, the severity of the tumor, and the need for more elaborate techniques, such as myocutaneous flaps (tissues from another region of the body that contain skin and muscle)." , says.
In some cases, adds the expert, "to minimize the risks, opts for a late or not immediate reconstruction, that is, performed in another surgery and not in the same one in which the diseased breast was removed."
How long does the surgery last?
According to Pedro Alexandre, the surgery can last, on average, from two to five hours."It is very variable, always depending on the size of the tumor and the individual conditions of each patient," he adds.
Is there an age limit for reconstruction surgery?
There is no age limit (minimum or maximum) for breast reconstruction surgery to be performed. "But in the case of elderly patients, what counts are their health conditions, which influence the surgical and anesthetic risk, and may be a limiting or even excluding factor in some situations," adds the expert Pedro Alexandre.
What is the recovery period like?
"The recovery period requires weekly medical follow-up, medications (painkillers, antibiotics), arm rest and no physical exertion for about 30 to 60 days," explains the surgeon.
Does surgery have costs for the patient?
? The guarantee of access to breast reconstruction in case of cancer, including or not prostheses, is an obligation of the Unified Health System and the right of the Brazilian citizen, according to federal law about it ?, concludes the expert Pedro Alexandre.
Breast cancer is a very unpleasant disease and of course no one expects to have it in the family. But, unfortunately, it is a reality to which we are all subject. Thus, it is important that we always be aware of information about it: how to prevent, when seeking help, as well as know the solutions we can use? in case the reconstruction? after or parallel to breast removal surgery.
Reconstructive Surgery (March 2024)
- Cancer, Prevention and Treatment
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