Dear Jeanne,
I have learned from reading MOL, that they call this a tram flap. I always
used to think of it as that stomach thing. It was offered to me by my
breast surgeon and plastic surgeon when I had my mastectomy in 1990. They
do a kind of criss cross removal of some fat and muscle in your stomach and
then place this where your breast once was. I have read of several reasons
why people on the list opted not to do this--mostly, I think, having to do
with fears that they may not have gotten all the cancer in the surgery and
that getting reconstruction done right away might just lead to more
problems.
I didn't do it, because I was chicken. My doctor told me all the things
that might go wrong; he really believed in informed consent and it was
enough to send anyone screaming off into the night. The worst, that I
still remember is that the grafting of the skin might not take and the skin
might--I think he said turn black and die. I told him it's OK; leave all
my muscles and fat where it is. I did get, at the same time as my
mastectomy, reconstruction with a saline bag.
Love and Hugs,
Martha
P.S.: I'm sorry to anybody I scared...I think he would have done a good
job if I had let him. I know there are a lot of people on the list who've
had this done who could add to, and round out any distorted picture I may
have given regarding the procedure.
----------
> From: james kissinger <jkissing@uvic.ca>
> To: mol-cancer@lists.meds.com; eapat@yahoo.com;
mol-cancer@lists.meds.com; suzanne1@erols.com
> Subject: [MOL] Christine, Breast cancer reconstruction
> Date: Friday, January 15, 1999 6:41 PM
>
> Christine, posted this a while back, I have an article on a local
> specialist who does the reconstruction of breasts at the same time as the
> mastectomy. He uses tissue from the abdomen to make up a new breast. I
will
> bring along the article for when I see you and can send a copy for anyone
> who is curious about this...there is some debate about it.
>
> Love, Jeanne
>
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