The popular actress Angelina Jolie made a stirring statement to the whole world when she decided to undergo a double mastectomy and went public about it: every woman has a choice to her own body. Mastectomy is a surgical procedure intended to remove a breast, usually for medical reasons – since Ms. Jolie’s is double mastectomy: both of her breasts were removed. Her primary reason for undergoing the said procedure is to to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer, the same disease that killed her mother at age 56.
Indeed, breast cancer is a killer disease and quite a prevalent one at that. It is estimated that 1 in 8 American women may have lifelong breast cancer risk. The disease obviously does not choose (like in the case of the very beautiful and rich Ms. Jolie) its victim, either. For those with high susceptibility to suffer breast cancer, mastectomy is often seen as the best solution as it can stop the spread of cancer cells quickly. In the process, those undergoing mastectomy are going to lose the natural form of their breasts.
Choice
Like Ms. Jolie’s statement, every breast cancer patient has a choice what to do with her body after mastectomy. Yes, there is hope for a better body form after undergoing a mastectomy procedure. And perhaps the best option for any woman is to have a breast reconstruction surgery. The procedure is basically a reconstruction – which is done through either autologous reconstruction (using own tissues to create breast mound) or breast implant reconstruction – of the removed breast or breasts because of mastectomy. It can be performed right after mastectomy procedure or later on when the mastectomy has completely healed.
Utah Plastic Surgeon Dr. York Yates is one of the most respected when it comes to breast reconstruction procedures. He has substantial surgery experience and thorough understanding as to what the procedure is all about for the patient. When possible, Dr. Yates prefers to be right there starting from the mastectomy stage, so that he can create a more comprehensive plan and discuss such plan with the patient. At the end of the day or after all the discussion and evaluation, the power to decide for her body comes from within the patient herself.
For more detailed info on breast reconstruction, schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Yates by calling (801) 525-8741 or by filling out this contact form.