Breast reconstruction surgery restores something that nature has provided but cancer has taken away.
Unfortunately, most American women with breast cancer do not even realize they have the option of breast reconstruction after mastectomy or lumpectomy.
Breast reconstruction is not a cosmetic procedure.... it is every woman's right: it restores something that nature has provided but cancer has taken away. It is also covered by insurance thanks to a Federal Mandate passed in 1998.
Despite this mandate, studies alarmingly show that only 30% of women facing mastectomy are even offered the option of breast reconstruction.
Women have many reconstructive options after mastectomy or lumpectomy. These range from breast implants to "autologous" techniques which use the patient's own tissue to recreate a more "natural", warm, soft breast. The nipple and areola (the darker area surrounding the nipple) can also be recreated.
