Therefore, you and those close to you should also discuss any questions and concerns with your doctor. Each year, about 180,000 American women face the reality of breast cancer. Today, however, the emotional and physical results may be very different from what they were in the past. Great strides have been made in our understanding of the disease and its treatment. New approaches, both in the surgery and in follow-up treatment, as well as advances in reconstructive surgery, mean that women with breast cancer today have new choices.
Breast reconstruction is now an option that women can discuss with their doctors.
Almost any woman can have breast reconstruction, regardless of her age, the type of surgery first performed, or the number of years since the surgery. Reconstruction is often possible at the time the breast is removed, so the patient can wake up with a breast contour already in place. The goal of reconstruction is to provide symmetry of the breasts when the woman is wearing a bra. The difference between the reconstructed breast and the remaining breast can be seen when the woman is nude. However, the breasts in a bra will hopefully be close enough to one another in size and shape so the woman will feel comfortable about how she looks in most types of clothing.