Breast Reconstruction

New York City, Manhattan, Long Island, and Westchester, New York

Losing a breast, or even both breasts, to a mastectomy can be devastating. Breast reconstruction offers women the option of having their breasts remade using existing tissue and breast implants. New York City, Manhattan and Long Island area cosmetic surgeon Dr. Scott E. Newman has wide experience in cosmetic surgery for the breast and is also a skilled and experienced reconstructive plastic surgeon.

How Breast Reconstruction Works

While not all women choose to have breast reconstruction, for those who do wish to have it, the surgery can have a profound emotional and psychological impact. To some women, the loss of a breast symbolizes a loss of womanhood, or of sexual desirability, and the ability to regain that breast through reconstructive plastic surgery is vital to them.

Depending on the type and extent of the mastectomy, breast reconstructive plastic surgery can be performed in different ways. If the reconstruction is to be performed some time after the mastectomy, the remaining tissue or the muscle beneath the breast can be prepared by placing devices that will stretch it, making room for an implant. In other cases, if there is insufficient tissue to cover an implant or if the reconstruction is performed at the same time as the mastectomy, tissue is removed from another area of the body to fill in the breast. Some women opt to have a tummy tuck with their breast reconstruction, and then tissue removed from the abdominal area can be used to fill in the breast.

Breast Appearance and Function after Breast Reconstruction

Because of the way breast reconstructive plastic surgery is performed your post-surgery breast will not look exactly the same as your pre-surgery breast did. However, Dr. Newman works to ensure satisfactory and aesthetically pleasing results so that you will be happy with the results of your breast reconstructive surgery. Some women even find that their post-surgery breasts are higher and firmer than they were before due to the use of breast implants.

If you have undergone a mastectomy, all the original breast tissue will be gone, which means normal breast functionality will be impossible. In some cases, the original nipple and areola are preserved for reattachment in reconstruction, especially if reconstructive plastic surgery is performed at the same time as the mastectomy. In other cases, this part of the breast is reconstructed from other tissue. Although the nipple and areola can be reconstructed, they will not have the appropriate nerve connections, and so will lack sensitivity.

Since breast reconstructive plastic surgery is such a sensitive and often difficult subject for women, Dr. Newman will take extra care to discuss your goals and expectations thoroughly during your initial breast reconstruction consultation. During your consultation, be sure to ask any questions you might have to be sure you have a good understanding of the procedure and what to expect.

For more information about breast reconstruction, please contact New York City area reconstructive plastic surgeon Dr. Scott E. Newman to schedule a free initial consultation.