Post-mastectomy breast reconstruction is your right as a patient, not just a luxury

April 4th, 2007

Any cancer diagnosis can be devastating; however, for any woman hearing the dreaded words, “It’s breast cancer,” not only does she face a possible life-threatening condition, but also the perceived loss of her innate womanliness, as well.

“A woman’s breasts are deeply rooted in her sense of femininity…Therefore, facing the loss of one or both breasts can be very traumatic,” said Jack Bruner, M.D. Recognizing this fact, the federal government mandates that every woman has a right to breast reconstruction following cancer surgery—and, this procedure must be covered by your insurance company simply as a part of the mastectomy or lumpectomy procedures.

Although passed in 1998 as part of the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act, a surprising number of women were not even presented this option during initial surgical discussions. According to the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), your oncologist and plastic surgeon should work together from the beginning to explain both the cancer removal and reconstruction phases clearly to the patient.

Breast reconstruction can provide a seamless transition, with any number of alternatives available to a woman facing breast cancer surgery, from immediate to delayed reconstruction procedures. Again, open discussions with your surgeons will equip you with all the information necessary to make sound decisions.

While even as recently as a few years ago, patients only had a couple of reconstructive choices, there have been many advances in the field. The TRAM flap procedure, considered the “gold standard” in reconstruction until lately, has now been superceded by the DIEP flap technique. Taking excess tissue from within the abdominal region, a flap is surgically removed and then reattached to form a breast.

This procedure, while more intricate than the TRAM flap, spares the major abdominal muscles used in the TRAM, and decreases the likelihood of weakening the trunk, incurring chronic major back pain and experiencing bulging or hernia that could be consequences of the TRAM reconstructions.

By completely removing this tissue and reconnecting all the small blood vessels (micro revascularization) in the breast area, the DIEP procedures recreates an area that both looks and feels more natural. And, as a bonus advantage, the patient also receives a simultaneous “tummy tuck” with comparable recovery time.

Regardless of your situation, Dr. Bruner said, “The most important tool available to women coping with breast cancer is information. Women need to get as much information as they can, from doctors, cancer organizations, support groups and other women.” If you want to explore your breast reconstruction options, visit: