Surgery - Reconstruction Now or Later

There are several questions surrounding breast surgery and cancer. Patients often speak with their doctors extensively to figure out the best course of action. While planning to have the cancer removed or in some cases, for a complete mastectomy, women need to think about whether or not they want to go ahead with the reconstruction process or if they want to wait awhile and think about it. There are benefits to both options and sometimes it just comes down to personal preference. Reconstruction Now It is possible for a breast surgery to be performed by two different doctors. The first surgeon begins by performing the mastectomy. When he is finished, he or she hands over the patient to a cosmetic surgeon. Both work together to ensure that the surgery is a success. The benefit of immediate reconstruction is that there is no need to completely lose the breasts. A patient wakes up and feels different and, in some cases, looks different. However, some women see breast surgery as a way to avoid mourning the physical loss. They never look down and see what they are missing because there is already something there in its place. This can also be a way to feel completely in control. If the loss is inevitable, some women want to completely take control of the situation. They see cancer as taking something away, but they don't have to take the loss sitting down. They can get back what they lost on their own terms and right away. Reconstruction Later In some situations, women prefer to wait until after all of their treatments are over before making a decision about another breast surgery. They want to be completely done with everything involving the cancer before they start to make improvements. It may be that they are unsure about whether or not they want the reconstruction. Others may not be sure about what type of breast surgery they are interested in or what type of implants they want to consider. They feel that waiting gives them the time needed to think about the decision. They are not making it simply because they are panicked or because they are in a difficult situation. Given the right amount of time and the ability to think clearly, they can then weigh out all of the options and decide what will make them feel best and make it easiest to carry on with their lives.