Breast reconstruction brings back joy of being a woman
THE number one fear of women diagnosed with breast cancer is the loss of their womanhood – that is their breasts.
They may end up with only one breast, part of their breast or a deformed breast.
Removal of a whole breast (mastectomy) or part of the breast (lumpectomy) will leave most women feeling inferior and some don’t even dare venture outside their homes.
Cancerous tissues are only the parts to be removed and the rest is conserved to give a woman back the joy of being a woman -- via breast conservation which is immediately done after mastectomy or lumpectomy.
“Women can go for neo-adjuvant therapy -- chemotherapy to shrink the cancerous lump before surgery -- to achieve the best chance of saving the breast.
“The normal tissues and skin are kept and the breast is reconstructed, said Gleneagles Medical Centre Consultant (Singapore) breast and general surgeon Dr Esther Chuwa.
If only a small part is removed, the resulting breast will be slightly smaller and if a lot of the breast tissues is removed and there is noticeable depression (donut look), then we will take the fat and muscle from the tummy or back and transplant it into the breast and reshape it to match the other breast.”
She added that the procedure was one-off -- the removal of the cancerous lump and immediate reconstruction -- with total surgery time of 5-6 hours.
In fact, the surgery was a twoin-one for those who wanted to remove excess fat on their tummy, or even get a breast lift at the same time, she said.
Breast reconstruction allows breast cancer survivors to lead a normal life -- and they are less likely to be depressed. Their body image is preserved and they will survive mentally.
“Breast reconstruction is not about vanity and merely looking good. It helps boost the woman’s self-esteem and prevents her from being the centre of attention in public -- for having only one breast.
“If she swims, she doesn’t have to stop because of looking funny without one breast. She also doesn’t have to stop socialising.
“Previously, when breast cancer was detected, the best option was to remove the whole breast (mastectomy) and the nearby lymph node. Today, mastectomy is only required if there are cancerous lumps in many spots. Thus, prevention is better than cure, and catching it earlier is the best option.”
Dr Esther urges women to conduct monthly breast selfexaminations (BSE) and go for annual mammograms for those aged 40 to 49 and two-yearly mammograms for those 50 and above.
Changes like dimpling, puckering or bulging of the skin, a nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple, redness, soreness, rash, swelling or fluid coming out of the nipples, should be immediately brought to