Publisher's Synopsis
The definitive guide to breast reconstruction.
Since 2002, The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook has been the best resource on this topic for women who have had a mastectomy. Equal parts science and support, it is filled with stories that illustrate the emotional and physical components of breast reconstruction. Kathy Steligo, a gifted writer and breast cancer survivor who has twice had breast reconstruction, compassionately answers women's questions about how they will respond emotionally and physically to losing a breast, whether to treat or prevent breast cancer. Steligo provides detailed descriptions of the various surgical options for mastectomy and reconstruction, as well as information on choosing and paying for a surgeon, preparing for and recovering from surgery, and handling the many practical details and difficult decisions women will face along the way. A road map of the mastectomy and reconstruction journey, this book gives women the comprehensive, unbiased details they need to make their own informed decisions about whether reconstruction-and which reconstructive option-is right for them.
Readers learn how breasts can be recreated using implants or their own tissue and the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Surgery timelines, recovery, and potential problems (and how they can be resolved) are also explained. A new foreword by Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, MD, of the PRMA Plastic Surgery Center for Advanced Breast Reconstruction, highlights the book's strengths and offers a medical perspective on breast cancer and reconstructive surgery.
The extensively updated text includes new discussions of
innovative reconstructive procedures
contralateral mastectomy
the benefits and limitations of nipple- and areola-sparing mastectomies
nipple delay procedure
patient-controlled tissue expansion
cohesive gel silicone implants
microsurgical advances that improve tissue flap procedures
fat grafting
nipple reconstruction
nipple and areola tattooing
reconstruction with the BRAVA system
pregnancy after TRAM
male mastectomy and reconstruction
decision making and solving cosmetic and medical post-op problems
surgical procedures that reduce the risk of cancer
the latest research data on mastectomy and reconstruction
and much more
