Is it safe to have breast reconstruction done at the same time as a mastectomy? my surgeon has said we can do the mastectomy and then immediately do the breast reconstruction. i like the idea, but am worried about the extra time that would take. is it saf

Although : Although there are never any guarantees, your surgeon's opinion should be your guide. If it is necessary to have post mastectomy radiation treatments, you may face increased post operative complications. Individualized care is why you have "your" surgeon.

Immediate : Immediate reconstruction after the mastectomy is a plus in many ways. So if you are a candidate for the procedure, it should be safe from the surgeon's point of view. Good luck from nyc. For more info visit www.Drgrossman.Com.

A very good option: A very good and safe option. Advantages: keeping the natural breast skin ("skin sparing mastectomy"), less scarring and the patient wakes up from the surgery "complete", avoiding the experience of a flat chest. Sometimes "nipple-sparing mastectomy" can be performed which preserves the nipple and areola as well as the breast skin. Most women with early breast cancer (stage i or 2) are candidates.

Breast Cancer: This is a great question. The issue is how safe is it to be under anesthesia for longer periods of time. The short answer is it is very safe. I perform the diep flap breast reconstruction surgery and it takes longer because of all of the steps. These patients do extremely well after surgery and have had the benefit of removal of the lower abdominal tissue just like I do for a tummy tuck.

Immediate recon: It is actually safer to have one long operation than 2 short operations, as the most complicated parts of anesthesia are waking you up and putting you to sleep. However, there is a higher reported incidence of complications from immediate reconstruction than delayed. The benefit of talking to a board certified plastic surgeon is that they can help you make the choices that best fit your values.

Yes,if no radiation: Yes immediate reconstruction is a common and safe procedure if no radiation is being planned post-op. The additional time is dependent on the type of reconstruction being done. If you haven't had a chance to get all your questions answered, please go back in and see your reconstructive surgeon and he/she will be happy to address those for you. All of us want our patients to have a safe treatment.

Yes: An expander can be placed at the time of mastectomy. This is a temporary space filler that allows you to complete chemo and/or radiation and then complete the final reconstruction months later. This is know as immediate-delayed reconstruction. Speak with the breast surgeon and plastic surgeon for details.

In most cases: Immediate breast reconstruction is offered when it will not interfere with the treatment of your breast cancer. There are a few situations where delayed reconstruction is recommended, not because the added surgery is unsafe, but because the expander or implant may make detection of recurrence or treatment more difficult (uncommon). Delay is most often recommended for larger, more aggressive tumor.