Breast Reconstruction Surgery in Dallas, TX
What Is Breast Reconstruction Surgery?
Breast reconstruction surgery is a highly individualized procedure performed to restore one or both of a patient’s breasts, most commonly after a mastectomy.
Breast reconstruction is both physically and emotionally rewarding. It may help lessen some of the distress after losing a breast to cancer.
Schedule a ConsultationWhy Choose Breast Reconstruction?
Restore Your Breast Contours
After a mastectomy, you may be unhappy with your new breast contours. Breast reconstruction can rebuild the breast mound and adjust your breast contours to meet your desires.
A reconstructed breast may not match your pre-mastectomy breast, but Dr. Morales can provide you with new satisfactory breast contours.
Wear Comfortable Clothing Again
It can be difficult to find clothing that feels comfortable when your body is imbalanced. Finding comfortable and stylish shirts is hard enough, let alone bras and dresses. Some women may feel awkward or uncomfortable wearing clothes that emphasize their lack of breast tissue or cleavage.
Breast reconstruction can help you feel more comfortable wearing regular clothing again.
Reclaim Your Sense of Femininity
Many women struggle with feeling completely feminine and whole after losing one or more breasts.
Breast reconstruction can help you reclaim your feminine appearance and feel more comfortable in your own skin.
How Is Breast Reconstruction Performed?
Consultation
There is not usually enough tissue on the chest to hold a breast implant after a mastectomy. Several mastectomy reconstruction techniques can reconstruct a breast mound or provide sufficient tissue to support an implant.
Dr. Morales will evaluate your needs and desires during your consultation to determine which type of breast reconstruction will be best for you.
For this technique, a tissue expander is surgically placed beneath the breast tissue and over the muscle. The expander is gradually filled with a saline solution through an internal valve over four to six months.
As the expander gets larger, it stretches the breast tissue until there is enough to support an implant. A second surgery is then performed to replace the expander with a permanent breast implant.
Tissue Flap
Techniques
Flap reconstruction techniques use the patient’s own tissue to recreate a breast mound or breast tissue coverage for an implant. Muscle, fat, and/or skin are taken from a donor site on the patient’s back, abdomen, or buttock and attached to the chest wall.
Some flap reconstruction techniques may also require tissue expanders and implants, but the abdominal flap techniques generally do not.
The various tissue flap techniques include:
- Transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) flap
- Latissimus dorsi (LD) flap
- Deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap
- Superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA) flap
- Gluteal free flap
If only one breast needs reconstruction, a breast lift surgery, breast reduction surgery, or breast augmentation surgery may be performed on the opposite breast to improve breast symmetry.
What to Expect After Breast Reconstruction
Recovery
What Is Recovery Like After Breast Reconstruction?
After the procedure, your incisions will be wrapped with gauze or bandages. You will need to wear a compression garment to minimize swelling and support your reconstructed breasts.
Dallas breast reconstruction patients should limit their upper body and chest movement for at least one week to reduce any strain on the operated area. They should also avoid strenuous activities and exercises for a minimum of four weeks. Swelling will resolve over six to eight weeks as the new breasts heal.
Breast reconstruction patients should sleep on their back for at least two to four weeks after their operation. This is to prevent their new breasts from deforming due to implant malposition or tissue damage.
Dr. Morales will provide you with specific instructions based on your circumstances to ensure a safe and effective recovery.
Results
When Will I See My New Breast Contours?
Initial results will usually be visible within six to eight weeks as the swelling resolves and your breast tissue and breast implant (if one was used) settle into place.
Your breast contours may continue to change over the next year or two as you resume normal activities.
Appearance
Will My Breasts Look Natural After Breast Reconstruction?
A skilled plastic surgeon like Dr. Morales can make your reconstructed breasts look very close to a natural breast. The biggest challenge is ensuring that your breasts match after your reconstruction. There will always be subtle differences between a natural and reconstructed breast (as there are also subtle differences between natural breasts), but these are usually not noticeable.
The biggest differences between natural and reconstructed breasts usually appear on the areola, nipple, and breast crease.
If you would like more information about cost and how to maintain your breasts after surgery. Please contact Dr. Morales or call our office in Dallas, TX.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Breast Reconstruction
The reconstruction process can be started at the same time as the mastectomy. However, some patients may need to delay their reconstruction until they recover from their mastectomy or other cancer treatments.
Even immediate reconstructions often require more than one surgery to complete the process.
Breast reconstruction is a surgical procedure, so you should prepare for it similarly to how you would for other operations.
These preparations include:
- Consulting your surgeon regarding the medications you take
- Stop taking blood-thinning vitamins and herbal supplements several weeks before surgery
- Prepare your recovery area and make a recovery plan ahead of time
- Do not smoke or drink alcohol for two to four weeks before your surgery
