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What do reconstructed breasts feel like?

What do reconstructed breasts feel like?

Changes in breast sensation: When your reconstructed breast is touched, it will feel much like your natural breast to you or whoever else is touching it. Still, you probably won’t feel much sensation in your breast while it’s being touched.

Do reconstructed breasts have nipples?

In a final stage of breast reconstruction, a nipple and areola may be re-created on the reconstructed breast, if these were not preserved during the mastectomy.

Are you flat chested after a mastectomy?

This is the medical term for surgery that removes extra skin, fat, and other tissue in the breast area after mastectomy. The remaining tissue is then tightened and smoothed out so the chest wall looks flat.

What do scars look like after a mastectomy?

As the wound heals, a scar will form. Despite the different approaches, most mastectomy scars heal in a horizontal line across the chest, a diagonal line, or sometimes in a half moon shape. Often, the incision type and resulting scar depend upon the original location of the breast cancer lesion.

Do reconstructed breasts ever feel normal?

Some things to keep in mind: Certain types of reconstruction surgery do not restore normal feeling to your breast, but in other types some feeling might return over time. It may take up to about 8 weeks for bruising and swelling to go away.

How painful is breast reconstruction after mastectomy?

The mastectomy and breast reconstruction will leave areas of numbness where the surgery was done. Instead of pain where the tissue was taken, you may feel numbness and tightness. In time, some feeling may return to your breasts. Most scars will fade over time.

Do reconstructed nipples flatten?

Also, a reconstructed nipple will flatten and lose most of its projection over time. Nipple reconstruction can give you a good cosmetic outcome, but a reconstructed nipple won’t look and feel like your original nipple.

Can your boobs grow back after a mastectomy?

In most instances, all of your breast tissue is removed during a mastectomy. As a result, it is extremely unlikely that your breast tissue will grow back after the procedure. Fortunately, you can undergo breast reconstruction to restore a natural breast appearance.

Why is my chest concave after mastectomy?

Depending on how much tissue and breast wall has been removed, the chest may actually be concave. Wearing patterned shirts can help disguise this area and draw attention away. Fashion has come a long way, and there are now many different options in post-mastectomy clothing.

What are the long term effects of mastectomy?

Long-term physical changes include anatomic changes, chronic pain, phantom breast pain, axillary web syndrome, and lymphedema. In addition, women may have decreased strength, aerobic capacity, mobility, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction.

How long does it take for mastectomy incision to heal?

Most people find their wounds take around 2 to 3 weeks to heal, but it may be several months before your chest and arm area fully recover. The area will be bruised, swollen and stiff at first.

What do breasts look like after reconstructive surgery?

A reconstructed breast will never look or feel (to the touch) the same as a natural breast. Most of the scarring will fade and improve over time, but it doesn’t go away completely. As you age and the opposite breast changes shape, the reconstructed breast may look and feel less natural.

What can you not do after breast reconstruction?

Follow your surgeon’s advice on when to begin stretching exercises and normal activities, because it’s different with different types of reconstruction. As a basic rule, you’ll want to avoid overhead lifting, strenuous sports, and some sexual activities for 4 to 6 weeks after reconstruction.

Is breast reconstruction a major surgery?

Breast reconstruction is major surgery. A person can expect to spend several days in the hospital after both implant reconstruction and flap reconstruction. People may need more than one surgery to fully reconstruct the breast(s). Skin flap surgery has a longer recovery time than reconstruction using implants.

Can a reconstructed breast grow?

With breast revision reconstruction surgery, it is possible to increase the size of your breasts following reconstruction with the placement of larger implants.

Why can’t you keep your nipples after a mastectomy?

A: Yes, the procedure is generally safe, with the usual risks of having surgery. The specific risks of having nipple-sparing mastectomy include the fact that because we remove all of the tissue behind the nipple — in what we call the nipple core — there can be an interruption of the blood supply to it.

Is muscle cut during mastectomy?

In this procedure, the surgeon removes the entire breast, including the nipple, areola, fascia (covering) of the pectoralis major muscle (main chest muscle), and skin.

What causes dog ears after mastectomy?

There is an increased risk of residual excess tissue lateral to a mastectomy scar, resulting in a so-called dog-ear, when a mastectomy is performed in overweight or obese patients with excess tissue in the lateral chest wall.

What is the most common complication of mastectomy?

What are the risks of a mastectomy?

  • Short-term (temporary) breast swelling.
  • Breast soreness.
  • Hardness due to scar tissue that can form at the site of the cut (incision)
  • Wound infection or bleeding.
  • Swelling (lymphedema) of the arm, if lymph nodes were removed.
  • Pain in the breast that has been removed (phantom breast pain).

Why is my stomach bloated after mastectomy?

During surgery for cancer, nearby lymph nodes are often removed. This disrupts the flow of lymph, which can lead to swelling. This is lymphedema. Lymphedema can affect one or both arm, the head and neck, the belly, the genitals, or the legs.

How long after mastectomy can you lift your arms?

Avoid heavy lifting on the surgical side for 4 weeks after surgery. Always return to lifting gradually after this period. Your surgeon may suggest a longer time frame for avoiding lifting.

How long does fatigue last after mastectomy?

It usually lasts 3 to 4 weeks after your treatment stops, but it can continue for up to 3 months.

Can you wipe after mastectomy?

Dry shampoo and feminine hygiene cloths or wipes were also recommended to help patients stay fresh. Most patients are told not to shower until the surgical drains are removed, so these items can help with staying clean until it’s safe to resume a normal routine.

What percentage of mastectomy patients get reconstruction?

Breast reconstruction can be initiated either at the time of mastectomy (immediate reconstruction) or at a later date (delayed reconstruction). Immediate reconstruction is the most common practice in the U.S., selected for approximately 75 percent of patients.

Do breasts grow back after mastectomy?

Answer: No, you cannot regrow a real breast after mastectomy

A mastectomy is a risk-reducing surgery but does not completely eliminate the possibility of re-developing breast cancer. Some breast tissue can remain. Once you have had a mastectomy, you cannot regenerate your breast tissue itself.