How To Go About Planning For Breast Reconstruction

Is it important for you to undergo breast reconstruction? That is a question only you can answer if you've had a mastectomy, which is a complete removal of your breast that has been diagnosed as cancer-positive. If your cancer is discovered at an early stage, you may need only a lumpectomy. That means you will not have the breast removed, but the shape of your breast may be altered following surgery. Breast reconstruction can be performed at the time of surgery or following surgery to suit your reconstruction needs.

Cost of Reconstruction

Medicare covers costs for breast reconstruction, while Medicaid offers coverage in some states. Check with your state Medicaid office to learn whether payment will be offered should you choose to undergo this type of procedure. As the technology evolves, there may be changes in the procedure you undergo. Make sure that the government will fully cover your precise surgery before you undergo the operation.

All group insurance plans are required to pay for mastectomy and associated reconstructive and prostheses procedures. To be on the safe side, however, always question your healthcare plan carrier about any deductible fees that you may be expected to pay. Bear in mind that the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 guarantees that you are covered for reconstructive and prostheses procedures. You should feel free to exercise that privilege if you wish to do so.

Risks Of Breast Reconstruction

Breast cancer can return after you've had surgery, especially if cancer is not detected early. Margins and nodes are generally sent off for testing following your surgery to learn whether they contain cancerous cells. That is why great emphasis is placed on your undergoing a yearly mammogram that detects cancer in its early stage.

Cancer can reoccur even in a reconstructed breast when your remaining tissue hosts cancerous cells. The good news is that cancer cells are more easily identified in reconstructed breasts that are fitted with implants as opposed to tissue transfer reconstruction.

Smoking And Weight Problems Affect Your Breast Reconstruction

If you smoke and also have weight problems, you run the risk of developing complications from any type of breast reconstructive surgery. The website komen.org recommends that you discuss these problems with your plastic surgeon after you undergo reconstructive surgery.

The website notes that smoking and weight problems can create implant and flap procedure failure following surgery. In fact, the article goes further in suggesting that you delay breast reconstruction until after you have quit smoking and you have controlled your weight problem. You also have the option of addressing these two health issues and obtaining advice from a plastic surgeon, like Sam W Huddleston IV, MD,  prior to having breast reconstruction.