One in seven women is diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Many women are required or choose to have a mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy when diagnosed with breast cancer. A mastectomy is removal of the entire breast where a lumpectomy is removal of a portion of the breast. Deciding to get reconstruction after undergoing a mastectomy is a very personal decision, and must be decided on an individual basis. Almost every woman who loses her breast to cancer is a candidate for reconstructive surgery. Some insurance companies do not code breast reconstruction as an elective surgery and is therefore covered by the patient’s insurance.
Reconstruction of a breast that has been removed due to cancer or other disease can be a very rewarding and empowering surgery. Frequently, but not always, reconstruction is possible immediately following breast removal. A plastic surgeon can help the patient understand the many different options of breast reconstruction. Some patients have reconstruction with an implant, where others have a flap of tissue removed from another part of the body and formed into a breast.
