Breast Reconstruction | HealthInfi

Overview

The American Cancer Society estimates that 232,340 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2013. Although many will be able to have breast conserving surgery, also known as lumpectomy, many will need or prefer a mastectomy, or complete removal of the breast.

Some women will choose to have a mastectomy because their cancer cannot be completely removed with a lumpectomy. Others prefer it, fearing a recurrence or hoping to avoid the weeks of radiation often required after a lumpectomy.

Additionally, hundreds of other women at very high risk of breast cancer will undergo a prophylactic mastectomy, or removal of their breasts to prevent breast cancer.

To many women, the loss of a breast is a devastating occurrence, one that strikes at their very sense of self. They may feel less feminine without a breast, find it awkward to have a missing breast or breasts under clothes, and find using a prosthesis, or rubber breast form, difficult. Thus, many women choose to undergo breast reconstructive surgery after mastectomy.

In 2012, 91,655 women underwent some form of breast reconstruction, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), up from 86,424 in 2009.

Overall, studies find that breast reconstructive surgery is underutilized, in part because many women are not made aware of all of their options by their health care providers. According to a 2009 report cited by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, despite the increase in breast reconstruction surgeries, nearly 70 percent of women who are eligible for the procedure are not well informed about their reconstructive options.

If you choose to have breast reconstructive surgery, you have a few options: breast implants, using silicone shells filled with silicone gel or saline; a newly shaped breast constructed from your own tissue, known as a flap (a section of your own skin, fat or muscle that has been moved from another area of your body to your chest); or a combination of both. In many instances, breast reconstructive surgery can be performed immediately after mastectomy so you never wake up without a breast.

If you have health insurance, your carrier must pay for breast reconstructive surgery. The 1998 Federal Breast Reconstruction Law requires all health insurance companies to cover reconstruction of the breast on which mastectomy has been performed, and surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance. Beginning in 2014, it is assumed that most women will have some form of health insurance coverage as mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

If you don’t have health insurance, talk to your surgeon and the hospital about negotiating a discount rate. Many are willing to do that for women without insurance. You may also qualify for health insurance under your state’s Medicaid program or other health-coverage programs for low- and moderate-income individuals.Read More