What Options Are Available After Having A Mastectomy?

There are many ways to treat breast cancer, however, in some cases, a mastectomy may be the best option to effectively remove the cancer. A mastectomy is usually recommended if the cancer is large, has spread to the entirety of the breast, or if multiple cancerous cells are detected in the breast tissue. Depending on your individual circumstances you may need a double or single mastectomy. This operation removes the breast, therefore removing any cancerous cells and tissues with it. There are many different types of mastectomy, some remove the entire breast, others remove just the sides and can leave your skin or nipple behind. After surgery, you may feel you want to undergo other procedures to reconstruct the breast to give yourself more confidence and to aid in recovery. Breast reconstruction surgery can be done in many different ways. You can have implants put in to replace the removed tissue. This can be done after both a single and double mastectomy to either replace your breasts or to make them both the same size again. You may also have reconstructive surgery which uses your own body tissue to create a new breast. A surgeon will take skin, fat and muscle from another area of your body and make a breast shape from it. You may also wish to use a combination of both of these kinds of reconstructive surgery. If you do not wish for breast reconstruction, there are still other options that are open to you, such as nipple reconstruction. There are various different ways to reconstruct the nipple. A popular procedure is to have a nipple tattooed onto the breast, whether this is a reconstructed breast or not, which can give the illusion of a nipple. This can help when dealing with body image issues after surgery and can provide a more natural ‘normal’ look to the chest which some people find helpful.  It is also perfectly okay to undergo no further procedures after a mastectomy and to let your body heal from your operation.