Understanding Your Breast Reconstruction Options: Autologous Tissue

TAMPA, FL, April 14, 2011 (Press-News.org) If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer that requires surgery, the time to consider reconstruction options is now, even before you schedule your mastectomy or lumpectomy. Because the type of mastectomy procedure you receive can have a significant impact on your reconstruction options, failing to consider your options early can limit them later.

Getting breast reconstruction is optional, it is not required, and some women find that life without breasts is freeing. However, if you would prefer to maintain your feminine appearance, breast reconstruction is a far superior option to wearing a prosthetic. Not only do reconstructed breasts look better than prosthetics, generally, it is more comfortable than wearing a prosthetic. With reconstructed breasts you will not have to surrender your femininity at home, in private, in front of your spouse, family, or other intimate companion.

If you are considering breast reconstruction, the first option to consider is breast reconstruction with your own tissue, called autologous tissue construction.

Types of Breast Reconstruction with Autologous Tissue

In most cases, breast reconstruction with your own tissue means the use of a flap taken from a donor region. The most common types of flaps used are:

- Latissimus dorsi (taken from the back in the region of the bra line)
- TRAM (taken from the abdomen)
- DIEP (taken from the abdomen, but tunneled underneath

In addition, fat may be taken from donor areas using liposuction, then injected into the breast to finish contouring the breast. Some surgeons are now offering reconstruction using an external tissue expander, the BRAVA Breast Enhancement and Shaping System and using only injected fat to supply the volume of the breast. Although this procedure is still a relatively new procedure, initial studies show considerable success in creating a breast that looks and feels very natural without flap surgery.

Advantages of Autologous Tissue Breast Reconstruction
Autologous tissue reconstruction has a number of advantages over reconstruction with breast implants, including:

- Uses no prosthetic
- May have a lower rate of infection
- May give more natural-looking and -feeling results
- Donor flaps from the abdomen allow for abdominal contouring (tummy tuck)
- Often can be performed at the time of mastectomy

Disadvantages of Autologous Tissue Breast Reconstruction

However, there are also a number of potential drawbacks to autologous tissue breast reconstruction:

- Flap procedures may lead to additional healing time and may lead to increased risk of complications
- Some flaps may still require implants to create adequately-sized breasts

Which procedure is right for you depends on the exact circumstances of your breast cancer surgery. To learn more about your breast reconstruction options in the Tampa, Florida region, including St. Petersburg and Clearwater, please visit the website of board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Antonio J. Gayoso at http://gayosoplasticsurgery.com.