Breast Reconstruction in Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Plastic Surgery Group, P.C., in Chattanooga, Tennessee offers the latest body contouring procedures, including breast reconstruction surgery. For more information breast reconstruction surgery, call our plastic surgery staff at (423) 756-7134 or (800) 634-3334. You can also e-mail us your questions and we will be in touch with you shortly.

Reconstruction of a breast that has been removed due to cancer is one of the most rewarding surgical procedures performed by plastic surgeons. Breast reconstructions can be performed immediately (at the time of mastectomy) or after a period of healing.

New medical techniques and devices have expanded the surgical options for reconstruction patients. The principle choices remain, reconstruction with an implant, muscle and /or skin from your own body, or a combination of both. The choice of reconstructive technique may be dictated by one's health, body habitus, or cancer stage. A preoperative consultation with a plastic surgeon should review these choices and tailor the reconstruction to the specific patient. Videos as well as pre and post-operative photographs are often used as guides through this period of consultation.

Implant reconstruction most frequently involves the use of the process of tissue expansion. Tissue expansion has been used for decades to create and enhance body surfaces in a vast variety of reconstructive needs. In breast reconstruction patients, the tissue expander is placed in a muscle envelope at the mastectomy site. The area of surgery is allowed to heal initially, and then small amounts of salt water are added to the implant through a valve "port". When an appropriate size breast mound is achieved, a permanent implant replaces the tissue expander.

Great attention has been given to autologous reconstruction. In this method, the breast is reconstructed by using muscle and soft tissue which is transferred from a neighboring area of the body. The most talked about of these methods is the TRAM flap. This reconstruction harvests muscle, fat, and skin from the lower abdomen to create a new breast mound. Similar procedures have harvested tissue from the back, buttocks, and even the leg.

Frequently, reconstruction requires a combination of an implant and recruitment of skin and muscle. The latissimus dorsi or "back flap" is often used in this case. Here, a section of skin underlying the bra strap and muscle are used to cover an implant, which forms a new breast mound.

Multiple procedures have been described to recreate the nipple areolar complex. Currently, most surgeons use a local skin and fat rearrangement coupled with tattoo pigments to color the areola.

In sum, most mastectomy patients are medically appropriate for a breast reconstruction. The best candidates are women whose cancer has been eliminated by surgery. Research has provided for many options, which should be reviewed prior to reconstruction. In this vein, an appropriate match can be made considering a woman's expectations, and her surgeon's expertise. For most patients, breast reconstruction dramatically improves appearance and quality of life.

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