The loss of her breast due to cancer resection is a very traumatizing event for every woman, impairing her quality of life enormously.
There are different surgical approaches to breast cancer, which can vary from limited tissue resection (lumpectomy) via skin preserving techniques (subcutaneous mastectomy) to complete resection of breast and skin (complete mastectomy).
Our team masters all current breast reconstruction techniques and works together with a formal tumor conference in Hospital Quiron Malaga, in which all breast cancer cases are discussed by an interdisciplinary team of general surgery, gynecology, oncology, pathology, and radiation therapy.
Reconstruction of the breast by simply inserting a silicone implant is not always possible after irradiation, and the aesthetic result in many cases less than desirable.
Implants are foreign bodies and whilst their use in cosmetic surgery for breast enlargement is safe, post irradiation cancer effects are prone to suffer significant problems.
We do vary rarely use such implants for breast reconstruction but prefer the patient’s own tissue wherever possible.
In many cases women are much happier with the feel of their own body tissue for reconstruction of her breast.
This can be achieved with various tissue transfers-so called “flaps” for instance as a free tissue-transfer from the lower abdomen, when a block of skin and fat with or without a piece of the abdominal muscle is harvested together with corresponding blood vessels which are than connected to blood vessels in the axilla using microsurgical techniques.
This procedure includes the benefit of aesthetic reshaping of the abdominal wall like in an abdominoplasty (TRAM flap, DIEP flap) or in other words,a tummy tuck.
Further possibilities applied in the department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery of Hospital Quiron include tissue harvest from the buttocks or thighs(S-GAP,I-GAP, Gracilis flaps).
In selected cases it is also a possibility to reconstruct breast volume with fat grafts (fat transfer).
Our department is geared with a Body jet fat transfer system which is the most advanced technology in fat grafting and provides the most predictable results.
Fat gratfs have already replaced the use of silicone implants in modern Plastic surgery practice.
Nipple-areola reconstruction as well as adjusting breast reconstruction procedures on the contralateral side are sometimes necessary, mostly as secondary procedures.
Should you require some more extensive information on this procedure, either in the Department of Plastic Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery at Hospital Quiron Malaga or in Cirumed Clinic Marbella please contact us.
