TRAM Flap -- Offering a Natural Breast Appearance and More

The TRAM flap is currently the most popular form of breast reconstruction, especially for the woman that has an abdomen that has been stretched due to prior pregnancies or who has excess belly fat. Many women who opt for this breast reconstruction procedure experience a "tummy tuck" result as a benefit of the surgery. The great thing about using abdominal tissue in reconstruction is that it offers a natural feel to others touching your breast.

The TRAM flap procedure is not a good choice for thin women who do not have adequate amounts of abdominal tissue, women who smoke which results in narrow and less flexible blood vessels, and women who have several surgical scars on their abdomen. A woman is also not a good candidate for this procedure if she is obese or overweight. Being overweight or obese puts the woman in greater risk of experiencing an abdominal hernia following the TRAM procedure because there will be less muscle support for the tummy weight.

During the TRAM flap procedure, the surgeon will take an oval section of your muscle, fat, and skin from the lower portion of the abdomen and slide it up through a tunnel of skin to your breast region. Your blood vessels will remain attached when possible. Your surgeon will form you tissue into a natural appearing breast then he/she will sew it into place. The TRAM procedure takes only around three hours to complete and the new breast can be made bigger during your procedure when the surgeon places n implant underneath your tissue.

Although most women are pleased with their TRAM procedure because of the tummy tuck that goes with along with the procedure, when considering a TRAM procedure, the following are some areas you should consider:

- The Scar-The incision your surgeon makes will run from hipbone to hipbone, which will be midway between the navel and your pubic hair.
- Distortion of the Navel-You may need a new belly button built by your surgeon after the mid-section is reshaped because your natural navel may experience distortion, stretching, or may even be in the wrong place.
- Loss of Feeling-Anyone who touches abdominal tissue may be amazed at the fact of how similar it feels to breast tissue, however, since nerves are cut during the procedure, you most likely will not have much sensitivity or feeling in you new breasts.

If you are interested in a TRAM flap procedure for yourself or just want additional information, visit the surgeon website to get a detailed account of what occurs before, during, and after surgery. You can also call and schedule a consultation with the surgeon to see if you are a good candidate for this procedure.