Angelina Jolie’s decision to get a double mastectomy underscores the options women have in breast reconstruction, according to physicians in Austin at Synergy Plastic Surgery.
Austin, Texas (May 2013) – A celebrity’s decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy spotlights the difficult decisions many women make on a daily basis around the world, and right here in Austin. At Synergy Plastic Surgery, Dr. Mahlon Kerr points out that several breast reconstruction options exist for his Austin patients, including procedures using the patient’s own tissue.
The plastic surgeon says Angelina Jolie’s choice to have breast reconstruction performed in phases, using tissue expanders to make room for implants, is only one option. What’s most important about Jolie’s announcement is that women know they have choices and that advances in breast reconstruction surgery can provide more natural-looking results than ever before.
“Although most of the attention on Ms. Jolie’s announcement understandably focused on her decision to undergo preventive mastectomy, women around the world make choices about breast reconstruction on a daily basis,” says Dr. Kerr.
Jolie’s surgical approach actually involved three separate surgeries performed during a three-month period, says Dr. Kerr.
The first surgery involved excising a small amount of tissue from directly behind Jolie’s nipple to make sure there were no cancerous cells there. This procedure is sometimes done when a patient wants her nipple spared during the mastectomy. The double mastectomy occurred about 10 days later, with Jolie’s plastic surgeon present to insert tissue expanders before closing the incisions.
Expanders stretch the skin, as more and more saline solution is injected over the course of several weeks. Finally, about 10 weeks after Jolie’s mastectomy, long-term breast implants were placed in the pockets created by the expanders.
That kind of phased approach, however, is not always preferred, Dr. Kerr says.
“A number of women want their recovery to begin when they awaken after their mastectomy, both for aesthetic and emotional reasons,” he said. In those cases, long-term implants are placed during the mastectomy in a procedure called direct-to-implant reconstruction. He adds that this option is not always an option for women at the time of mastectomy.
For many of our breast cancer patients in Austin, the idea of additional surgery after undergoing a single or double mastectomy is too stressful,” Dr. Kerr says. “We work with each patient to tailor their specific surgery to meet their goals and with their individual anatomy.”
If you or someone you know is facing a decision about breast reconstruction, request a consultation online with one of our physicians, or call our office at (512) 244-1439 to schedule an appointment.
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