Posts Tagged ‘surgery’
Friday, January 20th, 2012
Make no mistake about it, prostate cancer is a life-threatening illness. Not just that, but it will kill all men that it touches unless they do something to stop it. The number of deaths per annum is falling, but it still stands at a little under 30,000 men a year in the USA alone.
Successful therapy relies a lot on the early diagnosis of the disease and when caught early, the success rate of survival is as high as almost 90%. Prostate cancer can afflict men of all ages, but the older the man, the more chance he has of acquiring it. The age when the risk starts to rise is 50 years of age.
The occurrence of prostate cancer before 50 years of age is quite to very rare and is considered to be linked to DNA or hereditary factors. Therefore, if there is a history of prostate problems among the men in your family, start planning frequent check-ups when you are 40 or even 35, just to make certain.
Many people believe that there is a strong link between cancer and smoking, because they contend that smoking can deform the DNA allowing cancers to grow more freely. If you accept this, then it makes sense to stop smoking or never start.
Diet is a means to maintaining a healthy body and an effective immune system. The standard advice is to eat a balanced, low-fat diet which is rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, low in fat and high in fibre. To this you can add high in lycopene and quercetin, both of which occur naturally in fruit and vegetables.
Lycopene is the red dye seen in many fruits such as tomatoes, dragon fruit, red cabbage, carrots, water melons, peanuts and many others and quercetin is discovered in numerous leaves that are used to make tea, both green and black teas. Some have higher quantities than others.
Drinking water and exercising is an easy means of massaging the internal organs and flushing out the excess toxins that your body creates merely by being alive. Exercise is also said to boost the immune system and will help you tackle not merely prostate cancer but other illnesses as well.
Frequent testing for (prostate) cancer remains the best procedure for the prevention of a life-threatening situation. A PSA test will reveal the amount of antigens that the prostate is releasing into the blood.
This is one of the first symptoms that there may be a difficulty on the horizon. Regular testing will supply a benchmark to see whether the amount is rising, which it might do due to no other reason than your increasing age.
As with all cancers, it is crucial to diagnose prostate cancer early. Once your medical doctor is certain that there is a malignant growth there are quite a few methods of tackling it. Which course of action is chosen relies on you and the condition your body is in.
You can prepare for the eventuality by keeping your body in passable shape; doing some research and being conscious of the options, which you will need to discuss with your medical doctor.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is currently involved with proton prostate cancer treatment. If you want to kcurrently more go to What is the Treatment for Prostate Cancer?
Tags: cancer, disease, elderly care, family, fitness, health, illness, medicine, men's issues, other, prostate cancer, surgery, therapy, unclassified
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Thursday, January 19th, 2012
As men become older they run more and more danger of developing prostate cancer. Some doctors recommend regular check-ups after the age of 50 or even 60, but others suggest that you ought to begin checking at 40.
It seems wiser to begin checking as early as you are able and definitely at 40 or 50 years of age, because the earlier it is noticed, the more chance you have of surviving it. The difficulty with prostate cancer is that it spreads more quickly than most cancers.
In this article, we will try to give answers to a couple of basic questions that you may have concerning this male illness. However, there is only room here for the basics, so please take serious questions to your doctor.
What is the prostate gland and where is it? The prostate is around the size of a walnut, but is conical in shape. It is part of the male reproductive system and is linked to the penis because it is wrapped around the urethra right up near to the bladder.
This puts the prostate somewhere between the anus and the penis. Because of its location, it is not easy to get at and so most examinations are rectal ie from the colon. Many men find this embarrassing, which is why a lot of men put of a check-up until it is too late.
What are the chances of having prostate cancer? White American males over the age of 50 have a one-in-six risk of getting some malignancy.
Hispanics and Blacks have a one-in-four risk. However, all these figures increase if there is a history of prostate cancer in the family.
What are the indications of prostate cancer? This question is not simple to answer, because the symptoms can look like other concerns and everyone knows that ‘all old men’ have bladder concerns
The prostate swells as it grows older anyway, so this could be the cause of urination concerns. This is characterized by urinating a little at a time, but having to urinate often. Sometimes there are drips as well after you have put it away.
The indications of prostate cancer are comparable but may include blood in the urine and lower back pain. If you have anything like these problems, you need to have a check-up as soon as possible.
Can prostate cancer be diagnosed early enough to save life? Luckily, the answer to this is yes. There are two forms of examination: 1] the DRE – digital rectal exam (or ‘finger up the bum’) and 2] the PSA blood test (prostate specific antigen), although this test is frequently only carried out if the DRE raises suspicions.
If the cancer is caught early enough through regular screening, the chances of living more than five years are over 90%. Continued success depends on several causes, but the cancer can also be totally eradicated never to return.
It can not be stressed too much, that, as with some female-specific cancers, success fighting this cancer depends on catching it early.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the proton prostate cancer treatment. If you want to know more go to What is the Treatment for Prostate Cancer?
Tags: cancer, disease, elderly care, family, fitness, health, illness, medicine, men's issues, other, prostate cancer, surgery, therapy, unclassified
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Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
The prostate is an organ only existing in the male body – women do not have one. It is located deep within the under part of the body and surrounds the neck of the bladder and the first section of the urethra. It is quite small being about three by four centimetres and is most easily accessed from the back passage.
A few things can go wrong with the prostate and it is very probable that one of them will affect every man in later life to some degree or another. Some of the most common concerns are:
prostatitis which is the swelling of the prostate due to bacterial disease
the benign enlargement of the prostate which is a common part of the aging process, affecting numerous men over 50 years of age
prostate cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer in men
The growth of prostate cancer seems to be definitely linked to the presence of the male hormone androgen. Castration has a noticeable positive effect on the growth of prostate cancer.
The prostate is conical in form, but has five distinct lobes. Cancer nearly always develops in the rear-most lobe, whereas benign growths appear to prefer the other lobes.
All concerns with the prostate have the effect of making urination a problem. This is why older men tend to go to the toilet often. Prostate cancer also grows faster than most other variations of cancer.
Because of this, older men should have tests for prostate cancer fairly often. Not only does prostate cancer grow rapidly, but it also spreads rapidly. The medical term for this spreading is ‘metastasis’.
If this kind of cancer is not caught early, it will spread rapidly through the diverse internal organs, the lymph nodes and the blood. Death may happen soon after diagnosis, unless it is caught at a very early point.
Self diagnosis is almost impossible because it is a small internal organ buried between the penis and the anus. One of the first symptoms is a difficulty with urination, but by then it can already be too late to prevent metastasis.
If the cancer spreads to the bladder and urethra, urination will get painful and there might be blood in the urine as well. If the cancer is advanced, urination may be impossible and kidney issues will follow soon. Kidney failure or kidney disease is a frequent side-effect of prostate cancer.
If the metastasis is well advanced, there could be back pain in the lumbar area or in the hips. Shortage of breath would indicate a further progression of the cancer to the lungs. A general feeling of weakness might be the next symptom.
if caught early enough, prostate cancer can be treated quite successfully. Often a catheter is needed, but it could also mean dialysis if the kidneys have been badly affected.
Part of the prostate can be removed, but it is also possible to remove it completely, although not without consequences. Other solutions include hormones and chemotherapy.
Some individuals believe that prevention can be procured by homeopathic treatments or a healthy diet, but the jury is out on that one officially.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now involved with the proton prostate cancer treatment. If you want to know more go to What is the Treatment for Prostate Cancer?
Tags: cancer, diet, disease, elderly care, family, health, illness, medicine, men's issues, other, prostate cancer, surgery, therapy, unclassified
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Monday, August 29th, 2011
Surgery is generally the highly 1st line of assault against breast cancer. This portion makes clear the different sorts of surgery.
As a woman with early-stage breast cancer (DCIS or Stage I, IIA, IIB, or IIIA) you could have the ability to make a decision which sort of breast surgery to have. Frequently, your choice is in in between breast-sparing surgery (surgery that removes the cancer and leaves most of the breast) plus a mastectomy (surgery that gets rid using the entire breast). Examination demonstrates that ladies with early-stage breast cancer who have breast-sparing surgery together with radiation therapy live so long as people who have a mastectomy. The majority females utilizing the illness will lead lengthy, wholesome lives subsequent to therapy.
Therapy for breast cancer frequently starts some weeks following diagnosis. In these weeks, you ought to meet having a surgeon, understand the particulars with regards to your surgery solutions, and contemplate what’s substantial to you. Afterward determine which type of surgery to have.
Females with breast cancer have numerous therapy choices. These consist of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapy. These alternatives are explained below. But lots of females accept extra than one type of treatment.
Cancer therapy is either nearby therapy or systemic therapy:
- Local therapy: Surgery and radiation therapy are nearby treatments. They take out or obliterate cancer inside the breast. When breast cancer has extended to other locations with the body, nearby therapy might be utilized to manage the disease in those particular parts.
- Systemic therapy: Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapy are systemic remedies. They come into the bloodstream and obliterate or manage cancer all via the body. Numerous females with breast cancer have systemic therapy to shrink the tumor prior to surgery or radiation. Other people have systemic therapy following surgery and/or radiation to put off the cancer from returning. Systemic remedies are employed for cancer that has extended too.
Judgments in relation to surgery rely on several elements. You and your physician will settle on the sort of surgery that is most suitable for you based on the stage with the cancer, the “personality” with the cancer, and what’s satisfactory to you on the subject of your long-term peace of mind.
Nonetheless, you’ll locate some sorts of breast surgery. Your physician could give particulars the advantages and risks of every single sort, besides to answering some questions or concerns you may have just just before surgery.
Please visit our articles about The Types and Options of Breast Cancer Surgery and Valve Surgery-The Perfect Option For the Perfect Heart
Tags: breast, breast surgery, cancer, doctor, health, health equipment, health plans, hospital, medical, medicine, nurse, plastic surgery, surgery, surgery equipment
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Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
As women, especially American women, much of our femininity is centered on our breasts. No matter where individuals look, there are pictures, billboards, commercials, television shows, and movies of women with ample cleavage and these beautiful breasts. The contimplationthought of losing one or both breasts, to breast cancer, can be devastating for many of us. Sure, there’s reconstruction, but will it ever really appear the same again? Even if you have reconstruction, you’ll never have feeling there again and, for many of us, that definitely affects our sexuality.
A close friend of mine went through two separate mastectomies, for my breast cancer, regardless of the fact that she wanted them both done at the same time. Two different surgeons told her that wasn’t necessary. They found out, later, that it was, as she had thought, the same breast cancer in both breasts. Through these surgeries, she learned a few things about what to expect, and how to get up and running again, after a mastectomy for breast cancer.
The first thing she realized is that, apart from the emotional aspect of such an operation, this is a straightforward surgery. The breast is made up of, mostly, of fatty tissue and, of course, milk ducts and lobes. The removal of this breast tissue is much easier than operating on an organ, but carries much more emotionalimpact for most of us. Most surgeons will get as much of the breast tissue out as they can to help lessen the chance of a recurrence of your breast cancer. You will usually wind up with a horizontal scar about four inches long. The scar may be red for quite a while but, eventually, should fade to where you can hardly see it anymore.
Since you won’t be able to raise your arms over your head for a while, you will want to be sure to take loose-fitting, button-down shirts with you to the hospital,. You will also need a sports bra. It’s highly recommend one that fastens in the front. They will put that on you after your surgery. Typically, you should be able to stay in the hospital for one night. If you’re going to have lymph nodes removed, a small pillow, to slip under that arm, will help make you more comfortable. Check with your local American Cancer Society. They may have small pillows for you. An extra pillow to hold to your chest, if you need to cough, sneeze, or laugh, can help keep your incision from hurting.
When you wake up, you will have a couple of drain tubes for each side you have done. These tubes are important as they allow the excess fluid, which your body will produce, to drain out. If you didn’t have them, the fluid would have to be removed with a needle. These drains will have to be emptied a couple of times a day. One will have to write down how much fluid you drain so the doctor will know when you’ve slowed down enough to remove them. You may not know where to put these drains under your clothing. She pinned hers up to the sports bra and that way so they didn’t pull when she moved.
Plan on having someone there to help you for the first few days after you get home. You won’t be allowed to reach into your cabinets and definitely won’t be able to clean house or pick up your little children. You’ll be sent home with pain meds and definitely take them when you need them. Studies show that you will heal faster if you keep yourself out of pain, so don’t be afraid to take them as prescribed.
You’ll need to sleep in a partial sitting position. If you have a recliner, you may consider moving it into the bedroom as you won’t be able to lie flat for a while. If you don’t have one, or don’t have space for it in your bedroom, lots of pillows will work, too. Just be sure you have enough pillows to keep yourself comfortably propped up.
If you would like someone who’s been there before you to visit with, be sure to call your local American Cancer Society. There is an American Cancer Society program where they attempt to match you with one of their volunteers who have a similar experience as you. This woman will come visit you and will bring you all kinds of brochures and information on conventional treatment. She will also bring a list of exercises to start doing to regain your mobility and range of motion.
This is VERY important. It hurts to stretch your arm up, after surgery, but if you haven’t had reconstruction, and you don’t start soon, you will lose that range of motion. I would recommend starting to gently, slowly reach your arm up … let your body be your guide … the day after your surgery. This is ONLY if you have not had reconstruction. If you have, let your plastic surgeon tell you when to start stretching. Push to where it hurts just a little, but do not push too far past that. Little by little, you’ll find yourself able to stretch a little farther every couple of days.
In all circumstances, make sure you first and foremost follow all your physicians’ directions. You should feel free to contact them at any point post surgery and during your recovery. Keeping them informed of your concerns will allow them to address them immediately and will speed your recovery right along.
CJ Hammons is a experienced educator and entrepreneur. For Your Health and Wellness Needs, Visit Her Site
Tags: breast cancer, cancer, family, fitness, health, medical, medicine, surgery, wellness, women, Womens health
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Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
When we encounter a headache, we usually think that it is just a headache nothing more nothing less. Some pain in the head that can always be taken out by aspirin. But, what you do not know is that there might be an underlying cause to your pain. Here are signs that you should never ignore when it comes to pain.
Any type of pain should be addressed immediately whether it is just a minor headache. But when it suddenly involves pain in the chest area with some difficulty breathing, you might want a doctor to check up on you that instant. It might be a sign that you have an underlying heart problem and you do not know it.
You should be aware that headaches with sudden onsets that go on for several hours without any warning signs or external factors affecting can be dangerous. You need to check it out with your doctor as it may be a sign of brain aneurysm.
Toothaches can be really annoying but when the enamel has eroded away and your tooth is infected, the first sign you feel is going to be pain. Pain with infection is a serious danger to your health. If it goes to your bloodstream, you are in real danger. Make sure you have it removed and replaced.
Pain on the lower right portion of your body especially after touching and pressing it might be a sign that you have appendicitis. Rebound pain is the main sign of an infection on your appendix alongside fever and nausea. For some women, a cyst in the ovary might be the cause and only your doctor can diagnose it.
If you feel pain on your abdomen and you feel as if you are to pass gas and bloated most of the time that you are able to eat a whole layer of cake and now you cannot even swallow a slice, it might be time for you to talk to your doctor about it. It can be ovarian cancer.
Pain can easily be triggered and relieved but if it is accompanied by other symptoms there is an off chance that there is some underlying factor to it. The same thing happens if one of your disc has pressed on some spinal nerves. Back pain with sensations on your toes are usually the signs.
Deep vein thrombosis or DVT or simply called a blood clot can happen especially if you feel that your legs are tender and swollen. Try not to do something about it especially if it is red and warm. Blood clots can travel around the body and can block your airway or your blood supply to your brain.
Check out more of this writer’s articles about subjects like commercial refrigerator and commercial refrigeration.
Tags: advice, cancer, elderly care, exercise, fitness, happiness, health, illness, internet, management, medicine, pain, surgery, women
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Sunday, February 13th, 2011
Treatments of lung cancer depends upon a number of factors, such as the kind of lung cancer ( small or non-small cell lung cancer), the size, area, and degree of the tumor, and the overall health of the individual. Treatments of lung cancer depends on a number of factors, such as the kind of lung cancer ( small or non-small cell lung cancer), the size, area, as well as extent of the tumor, and also the health and wellness of the affected individual. Several treatment options as well as mixtures of cures may be used to minimize severe signs and symptoms to further improve quality of life and also to manage lung cancer.
Surgery Options for Lung Cancer
Segmental or wedge resection: Surgery to eliminate a small part or wedge of the affected lung.
Lobectomy: The medical expert takes away a whole lobe of that seriously affected lung.
Pneumonectomy: The surgeon removes the whole lung.
A number of patients cannot go through surgical treatment for some other physical health factors plus some tumors are usually inoperable ( can not be taken away by medical operation) due to the size or even location. For now, surgical procedure could be the only treatment that has a supreme cure. On the other hand, just 50 percent of patients with cancer of the lung are usually strong enough to become regarded as surgical candidates.
Medications Useful For Lung Cancer
Chemotherapy: A good anticancer medication that is used in order to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy are useful to manage cancer growth or even to alleviate signs or symptoms. Should it be employed only to manage signs and symptoms, it is a palliative treatment method. Despite if the cancer has been eliminated from the lung, the cells of cancer might still be present in nearby tissue or somewhere else inside the body.
Radiation or Radiotherapy Treatment: High-energy light to exterminate the cells of cancer to a limited region and simply affect cancer tissues inside that area. Radiation therapy could also be used prior to undergoing medical procedures to reduce the tumor, or even just after surgery in order to wipe out any kind of cancer tissue staying inside the medicated spot.
Radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy is frequently utilised as the primary or first treatment method rather than surgery. Radiation treatment method could also be used to alleviate other symptoms such as shortness of breath or discomfort.
Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation (PCI): This treatment is offered to help prevent secondary tumors from forming inside the human brain. Some patients may have this radiation treatment method to the brain although cancer may possibly not have yet been found.
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT): Laser treatment involving a specific chemical shot to the blood vessels and absorbed by cells inside the tissues and organs of the body. That chemical quickly disperses from normal cells yet remain a bit longer in the cancer cells. The laser beam is then aimed at the cancer, which inturn activates the chemical in to getting rid of the cancer cells.
Once the cancer cannot be taken off through surgical treatment, photodynamic therapy is likely to be utilized to lessen signs and symptoms of lung cancer that include controlling bleeding or relieving breathing problems due to clogged-up air passages. Photodynamic therapy also can take care of smaller tumors for some of those patients whom typical remedies with regard to lung cancer are not appropriate.
Clinical trials: Evaluations of new methods to cure cancer. Oftentimes trials usually are an option for several lung cancer patients to receive treatment not yet in the accessible market – therapies of lung cancer.
Learn more about Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer facts. To find out more about Lung cancer, visit our website at http://www.mylungcancerguide.com.
Tags: cancer, cancer cure, cancer treatments, surgery
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Sunday, February 6th, 2011
We experience pain in different forms. Some take form in emotional pain while others battle a physical pain everyday in a form of back pain. It is that excruciating pain you feel at the lower back of your body when you stand up after sitting through 8 hours of work. You may want to take a closer look at your back before it is too late.
Always know the cause of your pain. Sleeping position might be the main cause for your back pain. A recent football or activity-related injury can be another but most of the time, it is work-related factor that causes back pain.
Always talk to your doctor if you have plans on taking medicine to treat your back pain which has been on for several weeks now. Talking to your doctor will help you regulate the amount of medicine you drink every day to avoid problems of dependence.
Walking is a great way to relieve yourself of back pains. Walking exercises the muscles at the back, strengthening it making sure it does not falter again. When the back muscles are strengthened it will take a longer time for it to give way to pain.
Never lie down when you have back pain. Most of us think that by resting our backs by lying down is the key to relieving back pain when in fact, it has been known to cause paralysis if left unchecked.
You can prevent your body from experiencing these types of body pain by doing a lot of exercises. Exercise helps strengthen the back muscles and releases feel good hormones that lessen the pain you feel.
Physical therapy might be the best treatment your doctor will recommend for you aside from surgery. Therapy will involve a lot of back muscle exercises that help strengthen it.
But, when physical therapy cannot help solve the problem, the last remaining option you have is to fix it using surgery. You need to talk to your doctor about doing surgery first before you decide and exhaust all options first before heading to surgery.
Besides back pain relief, this author additionally frequently blogs regarding forex megadroid review and earn money online.
Tags: advice, cancer, elderly care, exercise, fitness, happiness, health, illness, internet, management, medicine, pain, surgery, women
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
It is one of the most common reasons why people are sent to the hospital. Lower back pain is very prevalent in people who work in offices all day that have daily routines that do not support their back. There are a lot of causes for back pain but most of them are due to your habits. Here are some of them you might not know.
If you are behind the desk for more than a couple of hours, make sure that you do stretching exercises every now and then. When you do not move the muscles on your back, it slowly weakens causing pain. In order to prevent back pains, try stretching exercises.
People rarely think that by going to the gym, you prevent a lot of pain in the body. And most of it centers on your back. When you have the extra time, try going to the gym and break a sweat. The more you do this, the more you prevent yourself from having back pains.
Yoga is another alternative for those who do not want to go to the gym. Yoga centers on fluid body movements which includes stretches and flexes. By doing so, you promote blood circulation as well as core muscle strengthening which is tied to your back. The more often you do this, the less likely will you have back pains.
Diet is also essential to having a healthy pain free body. Eat healthy foods that do not clog your arteries which results to poor circulation. And if you do not have enough circulation, inflammation happens and the pain cycle starts.
Putting everything on your bag and resting it on your shoulders can do more damage to your spine and your back. When you put something heavy on your shoulders, your body rebalances it by elevating your shoulder more than the other. If this has become your daily routine, you might want to change it to stop back pains.
It is much better that you change your mattress every 5 years or so. choose a mattress that does not put too much pressure on your back and spine. Hard mattresses exert pressure on your spine while you sleep while softer ones tend to squeeze your body which also exerts more pressure to your spine. Choose a semi-soft mattress instead.
Wearing high heeled shoes can cause trouble for your spine. These shoes can put pressure on your body all because the weight is not distributed properly and more are focus on the back. Try to wear flat shoes rather than pump out the pumps.
This writer also frequently contributes articles on subject such as closet shelf and closet maid shelving.
Tags: advice, cancer, elderly care, exercise, fitness, happiness, health, illness, internet, management, medicine, pain, surgery, women
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Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
Breast reconstruction is not a cosmetic procedure. It’s a right every woman has when faced with mastectomy after breast cancer. Fortunately, there are several reconstructive options.
When the breast reconstruction is performed at the same setting as the mastectomy it is referred to as “immediate” reconstruction. The biggest advantage of immediate reconstruction is that the patient wakes up from the surgery still “whole” and completely avoids having to live without a breast. Other advantages include shorter scars and, generally speaking, a better cosmetic result.
Some patients do not have access to a reconstructive surgeon at the time of the mastectomy. Other patients are advised to avoid immediate reconstruction because radiation therapy is likely after the mastectomy. In these cases, the reconstruction can be performed some time after the mastectomy. This is known as “delayed reconstruction”.
The most common breast reconstruction procedure performed by American plastic surgeons utilizes implants to restore the breast shape and form. These can be either saline or silicone. Implant reconstruction is typically performed as two separate surgeries. The first involves placing a tissue expander (temporary implant) under the skin and pectoral muscle. This is used to expand the skin to the required size. The expander is later replaced by the permanent implant at a second surgery. A few surgeons prefer using a one-stage approach and place the permanent implant at the same time as the mastectomy. While not all patients are candidates, this is a very attractive option for many women because they avoid the entire tissue expander phase of the reconstruction.
Breast reconstruction with implants can provide excellent cosmetic results. However, the long term risk of complications is much higher than in women who have cosmetic breast enhancement with implants. The most common risks include contracture (hardening of the new breast), and implant ripples that can be felt and seen through the breast skin. These risks are increased if the patient has to undergo radiation as part of the cancer treatment.
The Latissimus procedure uses muscle (latissimus dorsi), fat and skin from the back (below the shoulder blade) that is brought around to the chest to create a new breast. Many patients also need an expander or implant to obtain a satisfactory result in terms of size. Patients typically have a scar on their back that can be seen with some low-cut clothing. Women who are very active in sports may notice some strength loss with activities like golf, climbing, or tennis.
TRAM flap surgery is a common procedure that uses skin, fat and varying amounts of the sit-up muscle (rectus abdominis) from the lower abdomen. The tissue (or flap) is then relocated to the chest to create the new breast. This procedure also results in a tightening of the lower abdomen, or a “tummy tuck”. Unfortunately, sacrifice of all or part of the abdominal muscle can result in bulging (or “pooching”) of the abdomen and even a hernia.
The DIEP flap is the latest evolution of the TRAM flap. It provides all the advantages of the TRAM while decreasing the risks. Like the TRAM, it provides a very natural breast reconstruction which is warm and soft and ages with the patient. However, the DIEP preserves all the abdominal musculature so is associated with a lower rate of abdominal bulging and hernia. Since the muscle are preserved, recovery is also easier and abdominal strength is maintained long term.
There are a handful of other tissue options available for women who are not candidates or prefer to avoid using their abdominal tissue. These include the inner, upper thigh (TUG flap), lower buttock crease (IGAP), and upper buttock (SGAP). The best tissue option will depend on a number of factors, primarily the patient’s body habitus.
Microsurgical breast reconstruction procedures like the DIEP, TUG and GAP flaps are not offered routinely by many American plastic surgeons. There are many reasons for this, primarily the complexity of the surgery and the need for additional training. Unfortunately most patients seeking one of these advanced breast reconstruction options after mastectomy will be forced to travel to highly specialized centers for their surgery.
Dr Chrysopoulo is a board certified plastic surgeon specializing in advanced breast reconstruction, particularly DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Over 500 DIEP flaps per year. In-Network for most US insurance plans. (800) 692-5565. Are you a Facebook fan? Connect with others touched by breast cancer in our FB breast cancer reconstruction community!
Tags: breast, breast cancer, breast cancer reconstruction, breast implants, breast reconstruction, breasts, cancer, diep flap, health, mastectomy, medicine, plastic surgery, surgery, tram flap
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