Breast Reconstruction

Breast Reconstruction Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Comprehensive Reconstruction Care

Breast reconstruction is a type of surgery for women who have had a breast removed. Breast removal is also called a mastectomy. Breast reconstruction surgery rebuilds the breast so that it is about the same size and shape as it was before. The nipple and the darker area around the nipple or areola can also be reconstructed at the same time. Most women who have had a mastectomy can have reconstruction. Women who have had only the part of the breast around the cancer removed, a lumpectomymay not need reconstruction.

Many women who have a mastectomy choose reconstructive surgery to rebuild the shape and look of the breast. For women who have lost a breast to cancer or other trauma, a breast reconstruction can have a very positive effect on their self-confidence. Medical and technological advancements are being made every day to produce more realistic and natural-looking results. We value the opportunity to help you become whole again.

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Dr. Brannon Claytor,
Breast Reconstruction Surgeon at Atlantic Plastic Surgery

“Women come to see me concerned and frankly, scared, about the future. This gives me the opportunity to intervene and help them through this challenge in their lives. I love this part of my job—guiding someone through breast reconstruction and healing and putting all this in their past.”

Dr. Brannon Claytor, a board certified plastic surgeon, ishighly trained in breast reconstruction surgery following cancer and has been performing this reconstructive care for women with breast cancer for 6 years. The techniques for immediate and delayed reconstruction are continually advancing. Dr. Claytor regularly attends and participates in national conferences.

Currently Dr. Claytor is involved with Portsmouth Hospital, providing urgent consultations for women with a new diagnosis of breast cancer. Dr. Claytor attends tumor boards at Portsmouth Hospital and participates in multidisciplinary care decisions, providing our patients with the best possible results.

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Questions to ask Dr. Claytor:

• What type of breast reconstruction would you recommend for me and why?
• How many of this type of breast reconstruction surgeries have you done?
• When and where can I have the surgery?
• What does the reconstructed breast feel like, in relation to the normal breast?
• Will the two breasts match?
• What are the complications, risks and benefits?
• How long is the hospital stay?
• How long will the recovery period be before a return to work or normal activities?
• What do I have to do to make sure my recovery goes well?
• Could a reconstructed breast hide a new cancer?

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Your consultation with Dr. Claytor

You and Dr. Claytor will spend time together to determine if this is the right procedure for you. Dr. Claytor will ask you numerous questions about your health, medical history, goals, lifestyle and concerns. Together, you and Dr. Claytor will talk about the benefits and risks of reconstruction. He wants you to be fully informed before having your breast reconstruction surgery.

The choice to have breast reconstruction is yours to make. Women choose breast reconstruction to make their breasts look balanced when they are wearing a bra, to permanently regain their breast shape and to avoid having to use a form or external prosthesis that fits inside the bra. You will be able to see the difference between the reconstructed breast and the remaining breast, while wearingonly a bra. But, the breasts will look enough alike in size and shape that you will feel comfortable about how you look in clothes.

Before the surgery Dr. Claytor may need you to have some testing done, ask you to stop taking or adjust medicine you are on, or to avoid anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin. Dr. Claytor will give you instructions on what to do on the day of surgery and also what to expect during your post-operative care and follow-ups.

	Before	After
	Before	After

This patient had a bilateral mastectomy done entirely with implants in a 2 stage operation. Nipple reconstruction was performed in the second stage.

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The Choices

There are a wide range of reconstructive options, which Dr. Claytor will review with you so, together, you and Dr. Claytor can determine what is best for you.

Immediate reconstruction

Immediate reconstruction is performed at the same time as the mastectomy. An advantage to this is that the chest tissues are not damaged by radiation therapy or scarring. This often means that the final result looks better. Also, immediate reconstruction means less surgery. After the first surgery, there still may be a number of steps that are needed to complete the immediate reconstruction process. If you are planning to have immediate reconstruction, be sure to ask what will need to be done afterward and how long it will take.

Delayed reconstruction

Women who have already had their mastectomy, can have a delayed reconstruction, even after several months or years. Delayed breast reconstruction means that the rebuilding is started later. This may be a better choice for some women who need radiation to the chest area after the mastectomy. Radiation therapy given after breast reconstruction surgery can cause problems.

New choices in breast cancer surgery and reconstruction

Each year more than 254,000 American women face breast cancer. Today, the emotional and physical results are very different from what they were in the past. Much more is now known about breast cancer and its treatment. New kinds of treatment as well as improved reconstructive surgery mean that women who have breast cancer today have better choices.

A new option in breast reconstruction surgery that is gaining popularity is “Autologous Free Fat Graft Reconstruction”, which uses fat instead of implants or tissue transplant. Fat is harvested from the patients own abdomen and injected into the area of the chest where the breast was, with preparations ahead of time.

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Personal Factors

Decisions about reconstructive surgery also depend on many personal factors such as:

• Your overall health,
• The stage of your breast cancer,
• The size of your natural breast,
• The amount of tissue available (for example, very thin women may not have enough extra body tissue to make flap grafts),
• Whether you want reconstructive surgery on both breasts or not,
• Your insurance coverage for the unaffected breast and related costs,
• The type of procedure you are thinking about,
• The size of implant or reconstructed breast,
• And your desire to match the look of the other breast.

With both Immediate and delayed there are the following choices, also:

• Using a patients own tissue,
• Using prosthetic materials,
• Or a combination of these techniques.

At Atlantic Plastic Surgery Center, we are able to provide the most advanced, comprehensive reconstructive care for our patients. We want to make you as comfortable as possible and know that you are in good hands.

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