RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY – INTRODUCTION

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:03:04 +0000

I want to start this section by saying something very blunt. Once you have cancer in any part of your body, there is no way that that part can ever be completely normal again. If you have a cancer of the breast, that breast will never be completely normal again, regardless of what treatment you have. If you have cancer of the lip, your lip will never be completely normal again, regardless of what treatment you have. The same is true for every cancer site.

In my experience, the only people who are happy with reconstructive surgery are those who get answers to these questions beforehand and accept that the final result will not be a normal part. Don’t agree to reconstructive surgery unless your aims are realistic.

If you have your breast reconstructed because you want to be able to get dressed each day without having to fiddle with an external breast prosthesis, you may be very happy with the results of reconstructive surgery. If you have your breast reconstructed because you want to feel and look completely normal, you will certainly be disappointed.

Well, that has covered some of the important things you need to know about surgery—the type of treatment that is usually considered first for cancer. What other treatments may be recommended instead of, or after, surgery? Let’s look at radiation treatment next.

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RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY – INTRODUCTION