Breast Reconstruction

Dr Tew can help patients with the following congenital breast problems.

Tuberous breasts
Tuberous breast deformity is a condition that becomes apparent in the teenage years. This condition effects everyone differently and the severity varies. It can affect one or both breasts. In mild forms, the base of the breast appears “tight” and the breast takes on an elongated shape. In a severe form, it resembles “snoopy’s nose”. The condition is caused by an underdevelopment of the glandular tissue inside the breast.
Surgery is tailored to the severity of the deformity. In mild cases, the fibrous tissue at the base of the breast is released, to try to regain the dome shape of the breast
Moderate cases can be corrected with one stage implant reconstruction.
For more severe cases, a two stage procedure would ibe required. This involves expanding the skin of the breast with a tissue expander, and then exchanging the expander for an implant a few months later.

Underdeveloped breasts
Very rarely, breasts develop to only a limited extent or not at all. In this situation, it is possible to perform a two stage breast reconstruction. This again, would use an expander in the first stage to stretch the skin. Saline is instilled into the expander at approximately three weekly intervals, until the desired size is reached. The second stage of the operation is to exchange the expander for an implant.
Smaller breasts that have an existing shape can react well to a single implant surgery, depending on the size requested by a patient.

Reconstruction after Mastectomy (Breast Cancer Patients)
Psychologically, it can be difficult to lose the breast as it is a symbol of femininity.
Reconstruction can be completed immediately or after a delayed period. If reconstruction is done immediately following a mastectomy, the patient wakes up to a reconstructed breast. Delayed reconstruction happens after healing from the mastectomy, and is a separate operation.
Prosthetic reconstruction is usually a two-stage procedure, with the placement of a tissue expander in the first stage, and exchange for an implant in the second stage.
The patient’s own tissue is utilised for this procedure, often obtained from the tummy, known as a TRAM (or transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap), or less commonly, from the patients back (known as a Latissimus dorsi pedicled myocutaneous flap).

Patients who have had radiotherapy near to the breast or chest wall following mastectomy can present challenges for reconstruction. There are several options available for Dr Tew to complete this procedure, with the one best suited to the patient normally presented for discussion.