Study Says More Women Having Reconstruction Surgery after Mastectomy
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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 highrisk
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 highrisk 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.