As reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), breast reconstruction Honolulu procedures have increased by 174 percent over the last ten years. In addition, more that 57,000 breast reconstruction Honolulu procedures were performed in 2007.
Breast reconstruction Honolulu surgery has been proven to alleviate pain and discomfort associated with overly large breasts for both men and women. A recent study featured in the ASPS journal reported that 98 percent of patients who have undergone mastectomy choose to undergo breast reconstruction Honolulu to correct and improve the shape of the breasts.
The breast reconstruction Honolulu procedure can be performed under two techniques. The first technique is skin expansion which uses artificial breast implants and the other is flap reconstruction which uses the excess skin, fat, and muscle from the patient’s body.
Skin expansion is the most common breast reconstruction Honolulu technique. Using this technique, the surgeon inserts a small balloon expander under the skin and periodically injects a saline solution to slowly expand the overlying skin. The expander will be removed and replaced with a permanent implant once it has reached an acceptable size. Nipple and areola reconstruction is performed after the skin has stretched to its final size after breast reconstruction Honolulu.
The second most common breast reconstruction Honolulu technique is the flap reconstruction. In this technique, the surgeon uses tissue from other parts of the patient’s body, such as the back, buttocks, thigh, and the abdomen. This breast reconstruction Honolulu technique may be performed by leaving the donor tissue to retain its blood supply or it may be cut off and a new blood supply will be connected. However, the downside of this breast reconstruction Honolulu technique is that it leaves scar tissue on both the donor and breast area.
There is no one best breast reconstruction Honolulu technique to be used but instead, the patient should discuss with the surgeon all the options and details of the surgery. It is best for the patient to assess which breast reconstruction Honolulu method or technique is of advantage in terms of complexity of the procedure and length of recovery.
After breast reconstruction Honolulu surgery, the patient is expected to experience swelling and soreness for about a week. Moderate pain and mild discomfort may also be experienced after breast reconstruction Honolulu. Excessive discomfort should be brought to the surgeon’s attention so that medication can be prescribed to alleviate or relieve discomfort. Most patients can go home within a week after breast reconstruction Honolulu surgery. The patient may also be discharged from the surgical facility or hospital with a surgical drain to ensure that excess fluids that may accumulate after breast reconstruction Honolulu surgery are drawn out.
The patient is expected to return to normal activities six to eight weeks after breast reconstruction Honolulu. If flap reconstruction technique is used, the recovery period may be relatively shorter.