Unfortunately, many women lack information when it comes to breast reconstruction. FOX News explores this in a recent article titled “After mastectomy, women may lack facts on breast reconstruction.”
The author of the article writes, “Women deciding whether to get breast reconstruction after a mastectomy may not have all the facts needed to make an informed decision, a small U.S. study suggests. Researchers analyzed survey responses from 126 women undergoing mastectomies and found most of them reported discussing reconstruction with their doctors, but only 58 percent recalled specific conversations about the benefits of this option and just 28 percent remembered talking about the risks. ‘If patients don’t fully understand their options, they may make a choice that is not truly what they will be happy with,’ said lead study author Dr. Clara Nan-hi Lee of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill. The main risks women should consider are complications such as delayed healing or infections, the potential for repeat surgery and the longer recovery period, Lee said by email. The biggest benefits can be improved satisfaction with post-mastectomy body image and eliminating the need to wear a prosthesis, Lee added. Most women with breast cancer have some type of surgery – either a lumpectomy that removes malignant tissue while sparing the rest of the breast or a mastectomy that removes the entire breast. After surgery, many of them also receive chemotherapy to destroy any remaining abnormal cells and reduce the risk of cancer coming back. Many women who get a mastectomy don’t immediately get breast reconstruction, however, sometimes due to a mistaken belief that this might delay detection of cancer recurrence in the future. To assess how well women understood the pros and cons of reconstruction, Lee and colleagues reviewed survey data from women who had mastectomies at the North Carolina Cancer Hospital, which is affiliated with UNC. The women answered multiple-choice questions about their knowledge of reconstruction. Overall, the average score on the questions was about 59 percent. Seven out of 10 women provided correct responses to at least half the questions.”
When it comes to breast reconstruction, you need a surgeon you can trust. Rex E. Moulton Barrett, M.D. is internationally known and acknowledged. He is board certified with The American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and The American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Dr. Moulton-Barrett offers a number of breast reconstruction options, including immediate and delayed reconstruction. For more information, contact us for a consultation.