Dr. Daniel Calva, Plastic Surgeon with Baptist Health South Florida, says after a mastectomy or a lumpectomy they are dealing with more scar tissue and more radiation induced. "Radiation can induce a fibrotic reaction of the tissues; there are skin changes with hyperpigmentation, and so we can reconstruct that breast using this technique with fat…...

Dr. L. Raúl Arroyo, Breast Surgeon with Bethesda Hospital, Baptist Health, says they are different types of mastectomy: one is the modified radical mastectomy, which consists of removing the breast and the skin and the chest remains flat. Then, there is the evolution of that to a skin-sparing mastectomy, where the nipple and areola are…...

Dr. Xiaoti Xu, Plastic Surgeon, Mia Aesthetics with West Kendall Baptist Hospital, says breast reconstruction is about rebuilding the breast after suffering from cancer and trying to give them what they had before as possible. He also explains a breast augmentation is purely cosmetic surgery, and it is to enhance the way you look, which…...

There are two types of breast reconstruction: autologous, meaning tissue from part of the body (back muscle, lower abdominal fat or gluteal fat), and using implants, says Dr. Xiaoti Xu, Plastic Surgeon with West Kendall Baptist Hospital. Some women could need implants because they can’t have reconstruction because of anatomic or medical issues, the specialist…...

Surgeons recommend about four weeks of not lifting anything that is heavy, if a woman had a breast reconstruction. Dr. Miguel Angel Medina, Director of Microsurgery with the Miami Cancer Institute, explains that after four weeks, women begin their physical therapy. After 6 weeks, patients can return to their exercise program. The expert says in…...

Implants are more common in breast reconstruction procedures, affirms Dr. Miguel Angel Medina, Director of Microsurgery with Miami Cancer Institute, because almost everyone is a candidate for a breast implant. He also says for implant surgeries, the recovery tends to be quicker, but patients have higher overall complications. How do you and your…...

Flap, fat grafting, and tissue expansion are types of surgery techniques for breast reconstruction. Dr. Miguel Angel Medina, Director of Microsurgery with Miami Cancer Institute, says there are two major pathways: breast reconstruction with an implant or breast construction involving your own tissues. He explains the flap technique is using your own tissues where they…...

Dr. Xiaoti Xu, Plastic Surgeon at West Kendall Baptist Hospital, explains the difference between immediate and delayed breast reconstruction: "Immediate reconstruction is what happens when you have breast reconstruction during the time of mastectomy or lumpectomy; and delayed reconstruction is that when you're getting your breast cancer surgery and it's just the breast cancer…...