A new study reports that more women are opting for breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery.

1. Study Says More Women Having
Reconstruction Surgery after
Mastectomy
6400 Fannin Suite 2290
Houston, TX 77030
Telephone: 713-791-0700

2. Breast reconstruction is an option that is available to most women to restore breast
contour following mastectomy. Having this reconstructive surgery is a personal
choice. A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons
reported that more women are opting to undergo the procedure after breast cancer
surgery.
According to the study, the past 15 years have witnessed a steady increase in the
candidates for reconstructive surgery even among those who were in the high-risk
category for breast reconstruction surgery - women aged 65 and older, those who
have had radiation therapy and those who have had treatment for advanced breast
cancer along with associated medical issues such as obesity or diabetes.
This is the result of improved confidence in this plastic surgery procedure among
both surgeons and patients, says the study. The researchers analyzed data
pertaining to more than one million breast cancer patients who had a mastectomy
during the period 1998-2011.
Among the high-risk patients, the study found a 14 percent increase in breast
reconstruction with implants and a 10 percent increase in reconstruction
procedures using the patient's own abdominal tissue. An expert opines that, for high-
risk patients, implants are a more feasible option than abdominal tissue
reconstruction, the reason being that they can be surgically removed if anything
goes wrong.
The study revealed that the overall success rate for reconstruction surgery in high-
risk patients is 88 percent though complication rates for them were higher than that
for low-risk patients.
Every year, Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day is held in October to create
greater awareness among women about this reconstructive surgery. The campaign
promotes education, awareness and access to breast reconstruction for women who
have undergone lumpectomy or mastectomy due to breast cancer.