Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County, Virginia Breast Reconstruction - Implants and Other Treatments

For patients in Fairfax County, Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area, our practice offers several breast reconstruction techniques involving breast implants and other options to help patients who have undergone mastectomy.

In 2004, it is estimated that 216,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Rates of the disease continue to increase at about 1 percent a year. In the face of this deadly disease, more and more women are confronted with the choice of undergoing mastectomy surgery to remove one or both breasts. Oftentimes, the choice can be difficult, as women consider the affects of mastectomy on their appearance. The idea of having no breasts and being perceived as unfeminine can lead women to question a decision that should be based on health alone. When preventative mastectomy is advisable, the decision can be even more difficult.

However, with current advances and procedures in the field of plastic surgery available at our offices serving the Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County, Virginia area, breast reconstruction using breast implants, the TRAM flap technique, or the latissimus technique are viable treatment options for the majority of mastectomy patients. This surgery gives women who have suffered from cancer or who have undergone preventative mastectomy the feminine curves that they have missed.

If you have undergone, or are considering undergoing, mastectomy in Washington, D.C. or Fairfax County, Virginia, we encourage you to take a closer look at breast reconstruction surgery, breast implants, and other reconstruction techniques. Understanding that you can maintain your feminine figure after mastectomy is an important part of choosing to undergo that surgery to protect yourself.

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The Breast Reconstruction Procedure

At our Fairfax County, Virginia and Washington, D.C. area practice, we offer several types of breast reconstruction surgery, including tissue expansion, TRAM flap reconstruction, and latissimus flap reconstruction.

Tissue Expansion and Breast Implants

The tissue expansion procedure at our Virginia offices requires that saline breast implant s be placed underneath the skin and muscle in the breast area once the breast has been removed. Over the next several months, the skin is stretched as the surgeon injects a saline solution, filling the implant and forming the breast mound. This breast expander may be replaced after the skin has been adequately stretched, though some of these breast implants are designed to be permanent.

For some women who have smaller breasts or who have more skin available following mastectomy, skin stretching may not be necessary. If this is the case, the plastic surgeon places the breast implants, and no further injections or implant replacements are necessary.

TRAM Flap and Latissimus Flap Breast Reconstruction

Another treatment option our Virginia and Washington, D.C. area offices offer for breast reconstruction involves flap reconstruction. These types of procedures utilize a piece of tissue or skin from the back or abdomen that is then moved to the breast. We offer both latissimus and TRAM flap breast reconstruction techniques. Patients undergoing latissimus flap reconstruction will have muscle and skin from the back moved to the breast area. In TRAM flap reconstruction, tissue from the abdomen is used to reconstruct the breast.

In both of these breast reconstruction procedures, tissue is tunneled from the back or abdomen to the chest where it forms the breast mound. The flap reconstruction procedures require greater surgical precision and more healing time.

Once the implant or flap has been placed and the breast mound is fully formed, the surgeon will perform a second procedure, during which she recreates the nipple and areola in the center of the breast. Our Washington, D.C. and Virginia area offices will explain the risks and benefits of each type of procedure during your consultation.

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After Breast Reconstruction Surgery

As in any surgery, there are certain risks associated with breast reconstruction, including infection, reaction to anesthesia, and other complications. Following the surgery, pain and discomfort can be expected. Healing and recovery can take as long as six weeks. We will discuss any other post-surgical concerns you may have when you visit our Virginia and Washington, D.C. area practice for a breast reconstruction consultation.

Though we do use the most advanced technology and proven, effective techniques, the new breasts will not be identical to old breasts. There will be some scarring around the new breast. If the patient chooses flap reconstruction, there will be scarring in the site of the flap removal. Also, texture or feeling of the new breast will be different, and there will be some difference in size and shape. While this difference will most likely only be noticeable to patients, it can be troubling, especially in the first few months following the breast reconstruction procedure. In spite of this, the majority of mastectomy patients experience a drastic improvement in the quality of life after undergoing the breast reconstruction procedure.

To schedule a consultation at our Fairfax County, Virginia and Washington, D.C. area offices to discuss breast reconstruction and breast implants, contact Dr. Roberta Gartside today.

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