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For many women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, the potential loss of their breasts through mastectomy, which is an oftentimes life saving procedure, can prove intimidating and daunting. However, a new and rarely performed procedure known as nipple sparing mastectomy, may allow some patients to keep portions of their breasts despite the presence of multiple breast tumours that are widespread throughout the tissue.

Iraqi national Basma Ali Sultan, age 47 is one of the recent patients who has undergone this rare surgery. After grappling with her diagnosis and consistent discomfort in her breast for over a year following her breast cancer diagnosis last march, the doctors in her hometown in Iraq informed her that her only option was to remove the breast in its entirety.

In an effort to explore other options that would allow her to keep her breast, Basma traveled to India and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Anil Heroor, who is currently a cancer surgeon at Fortis Hospital. During her examination Dr. Heroor determined that due to multiple cancerous tumours located in her left breast, the breast conservation surgery that is most often performed would not be applicable in Basmas case. However, he thought she would be an excellent candidate for nipple sparing mastectomy, which is a breast conservation surgery that is specifically designed to work around tumours that have spread widely throughout the breast tissue, and, for many patients, it may help to maintain nipple sensitivity.

Basma was discharged from Fortis Hospital in India this past January following her nipple sparing mastectomy, through which the doctors were able to save both the nipple and the areola, and reconstruct the remainder of the entire breast. As the breast cancer survival rates climb, more patients than ever before are becoming concerned with preserving their physical appearance. Doctors have found that this helps to encourage their self esteem and self image, and increases the patients confidence post-surgery.

For more and more women, this surgery in addition to other breast conservation procedures are becoming a feasible option in helping women maintain the body that they had prior to their breast cancer diagnosis.

For women who have faced the trauma of cancer the last thing they are ready to endure is the psychological torment of a mastectomy.

Though foregoing the scarring surgery is not an option for some, a new surgery that uses tissue from the abdomen to rebuild the breast is promising many a reconstructive procedure that will rebuild their breast and give them a tummy tuck at the same time. The recovery time is quick and the patient reports have been overwhelmingly positive for this type of surgery.

The procedure is called Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap procedure and involves taking skin and fat from the abdomen and transplanting it to the breast through a microsurgery procedure that promises more youthful, firmer breasts. An additional added benefit is that the breasts will age naturally with the body. Because the procedure preserves muscle, the recovery time is quicker and less painful for the patient.

Dr. Michael Saint-Cyr, assistant professor of plastic surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center confirms the study’s findings by saying: “The DIEP flap procedure can offer women seeking breast reconstruction after a mastectomy some of the advantages of a more natural breast with the effects of a tummy tuck. Although it is a more complex surgery, it preserves muscles for quicker recovery and less postoperative pain.” One of the major advantages to this procedure is that it can be done immediately after the mastectomy and alleviate the psychological aspects of preparing for an additional surgery.

For women facing the pain of a mastectomy the promise of a surgery that can not only reconstruct what they have lost, but give them the added benefit of a tummy tuck is a good one. One patient who had to undergo a double mastectomy opted for the procedure stating, “The goal was to go to sleep with two breasts and wake up with two breasts.” To have the mastectomy and the reconstruction done all at once was a relief to the patient who feared recovery from one surgery while she faced another.

Though the procedure is gaining popularity, there are still only a few surgeons who are trained to perform it so a patient should prepare to locate and travel to a trained doctor for surgery.

Reconstruction is an option for women following a Masectomy

Research from the University of Michigan Medical Centre shows that only a small percentage of American women choose reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy. It suggests that not enough women are being educated on the options surrounding the breast removal procedure which can be carried out on women with breast cancer.

In this country, patients can learn about the health benefits and problems that could be a consequence. Charities such as the Macmillan Cancer Support offer patients advice in the area.
In the modern day surgical techniques have improved a lot over the years and as a result, surgeons at the University of Michigan have found the results of the study surprising.

Speaking on an online form hosted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Anne Alderman said that women are not being educated about these options.

In the UK, women can consult their surgeon before a masectomy concerning reconstructive surgery, which involves a number of different forms. Firstly implants used in breast enlargement surgeries. Secondly ‘tissue flap construction’ in which skin and fat from the lower abdomen is grafted onto the breast area via a tunnel through the body to the chest, and thirdly free flap reconstruction involving the same thing but by separating the original tissue through microsurgery. The use of these three techniques depend on various factors.

Breast related surgeries are actually on the increase in the United Kingdom with Breast enlargements rising to nearly 6,500 in the last year. In the US, breast lifts and breast lift/enlargement combination surgeries also rose.

If true, the findings that women might not be getting reconstructive surgeries could be due to a number of factors. The study did not show how medical considerations affected the results, as some women might not have been correct candidates for the operation.

The options will depend on the amount of the breast removed in a masectomy, the healthiness of the tissue involved and whether radiotherapy has been used in the treatment. Of course the choice of the women could also be playing a role.

Whatever the case, surgeons urge patients in the UK to consult doctors or surgeons before making decisions in this area.

Sources: USA Today and News Leader Missouri