What are patient satisfaction rates after implant and flap breast reconstruction?
A study presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgery’s annual meeting shows women who choose to replace their existing breast implants with autologous tissue (flaps) are reporting significant improvements in their overall satisfaction with the breast reconstruction process.
The study followed women from 1991 through 2013 ages 34 to 64 and demonstrated that those women, who had their implants replaced with their own tissue during a further reconstruction surgery, were more pleased with their overall experience pre and post-operatively as compared to their experience with their previous implant breast reconstruction. The amount of time between the patient’s original implant surgery and the flap surgery to replace the implants ranged from one month all the way to ten years.
Women may choose to replace their implants for many different reasons. The most common reasons include capsular contracture, infections, or implant rupture. The gold standard in autologous reconstruction is the DIEP flap procedure which uses the patient’s own abdominal skin and fat to reconstruct a natural, warm, and soft breast.
PRMA Plastic Surgery routinely performs autologous breast reconstruction surgery, including secondary reconstruction surgeries for replacing implants. To date, PRMA has performed over 8,000 free flap reconstructive breast surgeries with a success rate of over 99%.
“I am thankful to PRMA, because you gave me a choice. I can now have the body I want and I’ve been trying to get the word out not only about DIEP flap but also about PRMA. PRMA has the training and expertise to help women have the choice as to what type of reconstruction they want. I think that is important when all of us facing these options did not have a choice in getting cancer,” Lisa, Austin, TX
Author: Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo and Courtney Floyd
A study presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgery’s annual meeting shows women who choose to replace their existing breast implants with autologous tissue (flaps) are reporting significant improvements in their overall satisfaction with the breast reconstruction process.
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