The disfigurement resulting from the removal of a breast due to breast cancer or other diseases creates a psychologically challenging situation for every woman to overcome.
The loss of one of a woman’s most important aesthetic and functional organs causes deep psychological wounds. Enabling the patient to recover from the psychological problems caused by this serious trauma is one of the primary duties of all aesthetic surgeons. Aesthetic surgery has strived for years to develop different techniques to address this situation, and today, surgical operations promising high success are now being performed. The new breast created with surgical methods appears natural and resembles the other breast.
Breast reconstruction is preferably performed concurrently with the breast removal operation, but it can also be done later. Operations performed simultaneously can help the patient avoid the severe psychological effects of breast loss. These surgical operations can be performed using different techniques, but the choice of technique is a decision made by the surgeon. Therefore, it is advisable to make an appointment with our clinic’s specialist physicians to learn which surgical technique is suitable for you.
Suitable Candidates
As with any surgical intervention, breast reconstruction involves certain complications. Fluid accumulation and bleeding in the breast and tissue removal area are the most common of these complications. Additionally, smoking, which negatively affects blood circulation, increases the likelihood of poor wound healing and can lead to prominent scar marks and tissue necrosis.
In some complications, a second intervention may be necessary. Breast reconstruction surgeries do not cause cancer recurrence and are not an obstacle to cancer treatment. It is recommended that the healthy breast opposite the reconstructed breast be regularly monitored with mammography. In some cases, close monitoring of the breast with magnetic resonance may also be requested.
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Planning the Surgery
You can consult your aesthetic surgeon for breast reconstruction surgery immediately after a breast cancer diagnosis. For better results, it will be beneficial for the aesthetic surgeon and general surgeon to work together. After a general evaluation, the appropriate technique is decided based on age, health status, and tissue structure, and information is provided accordingly. You must convey your expectations regarding the surgery to your doctor. This surgery changes the appearance of the breast but does not promise perfection.
You can consult your aesthetic surgeon for breast reconstruction surgery immediately after a breast cancer diagnosis. For better results, it will be beneficial for the aesthetic surgeon and general surgeon to work together. After a general evaluation, the appropriate technique is decided based on age, health status, and tissue structure, and information is provided accordingly. You must convey your expectations regarding the surgery to your doctor. This surgery changes the appearance of the breast but does not promise perfection.
Preparation
The aesthetic surgeon and oncologist will provide recommendations regarding food, beverages, smoking, medications, and vitamins, and specify important considerations before surgery.
Surgical Methods
Tissue Expansion
In tissue expansion, where the skin in the breast area is inflated with a balloon (expander), approximately 6-8 weeks are waited for the second session to remove the expander. In the second session, a prosthesis is placed in lieu of the removed expander. Another session is then applied for the creation of the nipple and the dark-colored area around the nipple. In patients with both skin and tissue deficiency, the likelihood of successful results with the skin expansion method is low. It would be more beneficial for these patients to opt for procedures involving tissue transplantation.
Flap Reconstruction
In this method, the breast is created using tissues transplanted from areas such as the back, abdomen, waist, or buttocks. There are two different techniques for the transplantation of tissues required for reconstruction:
Tissue is lifted while remaining attached to its vascular pedicle to maintain its blood supply and is then transferred to its new location in the chest area through a tunnel. Abdominal tissue is typically used for transplantation. If back tissues are used, a prosthesis may also need to be added to the patient due to their inadequacy. This technique of reconstruction does not cause muscle weakness.
Reconstruction is performed by connecting tissues, taken with their vessels from the same areas using microsurgical methods, to the chest wall. This technique, requiring experience, is more complex than others. In addition to the area from which the tissues are taken, a scar also forms in the chest area, and healing takes longer. However, the results obtained provide a more natural appearance. If abdominal tissue is used, it can lead to weakening of the abdominal wall.
Post-operative Follow-up
In breast reconstruction, which is a multi-session procedure, the first session is the most important. 2 or 3 additional sessions may be required. You should regularly use the medications recommended by your doctor. Under normal circumstances, a drain is placed in the patient, who is discharged a few days after surgery, to prevent fluid and blood accumulation. Drains are removed within a week. The patient’s recovery period varies depending on the surgical method used. Most scars and the loss of sensation in the reconstructed breast may begin to subside partially. 6. Activities can be resumed from this week onwards. Breast reconstruction, when performed by experienced surgeons, offers a high potential for satisfaction with successful outcomes.
PROF. DR. ONUR EROL HAS GIVEN NUMEROUS PRESENTATIONS ON BREAST RECONSTRUCTION AT INTERNATIONAL CONGRESSES.
ISAPS Course, China. September 23-26, 2010
He gave lectures on Breast Aesthetic Surgery at the Training Congress organized by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) in XI’AN, CHINA. All his lectures were followed with great interest by 625 Chinese aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.
A 30-minute lecture on “Scarless correction of breast ptosis with the Onur Erol method in aesthetic surgery”
A 30-minute lecture on “Aesthetic breast reconstruction for patients who have undergone mastectomy after cancer”
XXXV. National Turkish Medical Congress. Istanbul, Turkey November 23-25, 2000.
He presented on “Breast reconstruction after mastectomy”.
XI. International Symposium on Plastic Aesthetic Breast Surgery, Nice, France, April 4-5, 1998.
He presented on “Breast reconstruction after mastectomy”.
Recent developments in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, June 4-5, 1996, Istanbul, Turkey
He gave a panel discussion on “Recent approaches in breast reconstruction”.
X. IPRS Congress, Madrid, Spain, June 28 – July 4, 1992
He presented on breast reconstruction with omentum skin flap.
I. European Association of Plastic Surgeons Meeting, (EURAPS) Strasbourg, France, June 8-9, 1990.
He presented on breast reconstruction with omentum skin flap.
V. IPRS Asia – Pacific Section Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, September 7-10, 1989
He presented on breast reconstruction with omentum skin flap.
ASPRS/PSEF/ASMS Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada, October 2-7, 1988
He presented on breast reconstruction with omentum skin flap.
Hellenic-Turkish Joint Meeting of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery & XI. Biennial Congress of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons Athens, Greece, September 22-24, 1988
He presented on the spectrum of latissimus dorsi muscle flap usage.
Mediterranean Surgical Meeting ’87, Istanbul, Turkey June 13-17, 1987.
He presented on reconstruction with latissimus dorsi muscle flap in Poland syndrome.
IX. International Congress of IPRS, New Delhi, India, March 1-6, 1987
He presented on reconstruction with latissimus dorsi muscle flap in Poland syndrome.
X. Biennial Congress of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons – Izmir, Turkey, October 1-4, 1986
He presented on reconstruction with latissimus dorsi muscle flap in Poland syndrome.
X. Biennial Congress of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons – Izmir, Turkey, October 1-4, 1986
He presented on “Comparison of two methods in breast reconstruction”.
National Surgical Congress, Ankara, Turkey, May 1-3, 1986
He gave a scientific presentation on “Comparison of two methods used in breast reconstruction after radical mastectomy”.
National Surgical Congress, Ankara, Turkey, May 1-3, 1986
He gave a scientific presentation on “Modified radical mastectomy and breast reconstruction in the same stage.”
National Surgical Congress, Ankara, Turkey, May 1-3, 1986
He presented on “The use of latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap in the repair of defects in various regions”.
V. Congress of the IPRS European Section, Stockholm, Switzerland, 1985
He gave a scientific presentation on the reconstruction of burn-related breast deformities with the areola transposition technique.
VIII. Biennial Congress of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons Adana, Turkey, May 19-21, 1982
He presented his work on leg reconstruction with latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap.
VIII. Biennial Congress of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons Adana, Turkey, May 19-21, 1982
He presented his paper titled “A new method in total breast reconstruction”.
V. Biennial Congress of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons Istanbul, Turkey, June 1976
He gave a scientific presentation on “Breast deformities due to burns with the areola transposition technique”.
V. Biennial Congress of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons Istanbul, Turkey, June 1976
He presented on reduction mammoplasty with modified Strombeck technique.
IV. Biennial Congress of the Turkish Society of Plastic Surgeons İzmir, Turkey, October 1974
Reduction mammoplasty with modified Strombeck technique.
