subject: Breast Reconstruction: Decide Whether To Get Immediate Or Delayed Surgery [print this page] If you are thinking of having breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, you are not alone. Hundreds of thousands of women suffer from breast cancer every year, and many choose to have reconstruction following the removal of one or both breasts. Once you have decided to do the procedure, you will have some other decisions to make, as well. One of the major choices is whether you will select the immediate or delayed surgery.
Immediate breast reconstruction is performed at the time of the mastectomy. This may be done if you already know that you want this procedure before your breasts are even removed. It can cut down on the amount of time you spend in the operating room because it is usually easier to add one type of surgery to another. This will also usually result in less tissue damage overall. If you want this option, you should tell your surgeon ahead of time. You should also be aware that sometimes you will need extra work done after the operation in order to touch up the job, but this is not always the case.
Some women prefer delayed breast reconstruction, which means that they wait until after the mastectomy. While this requires that you go through two separate procedures, this might suit you better if you need radiation therapy directly following the removal of your breasts. Often, having the radiation after the augmentation can result in complications. Additionally, some women need some time to cope with their diagnosis and treatment of cancer, especially if the mastectomy is done shortly after they get the news. This may mean it is best to wait a few months or even years before opting for another surgical procedure.
Just like any other procedure, it is up to you whether you decide to get breast reconstruction at the same time as another major surgery. In addition, your doctor might have some helpful advice for you, so be sure to contact him or her before making a choice. Some women need extra time to heal physically after the first operation, so their doctor might decide that immediate surgery is not a good idea. However, other women have doctors who leave the decision completely up to them since they appear healthy. In either case, you should ask your surgeon how long each type of surgery will take to recover from, which could help you make up your mind.
by: Abigail Aaronson
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