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One Patient’s Story: Breast Sensation Back After Mastectomy
Women who undergo a mastectomy and then have breast reconstruction surgery now have a new procedure that can restore sensation to their reconstructed breast. Unfortunately, not all women know that they lose the feeling in their breasts and nipples after a mastectomy. During a mastectomy, the nerves to the breast and nipple are cut, causing loss of sensation and numbness. This new procedure, known as breast resensation, takes a nerve from another area of the patient’s body which is then transplanted to reconnect the chest and the reconstructed breast. Over time, the nerve regenerates and restores feeling and sensation to the breast and nipple. Breast resensation surgery can also be combined with breast implant procedures as well.
(Illustration courtesy of Axogen)
One success story of breast resensation surgery comes from Stephanie Finley, recently featured in America’s Women Magazine: Atlanta Edition. Stephanie underwent a single mastectomy after discovering a lump in her breast that turned out to be cancerous. While she was relieved that the cancer had been removed, she was dismayed upon the total loss of sensation on the side where the breast was removed. “I felt strange and incomplete, like I wasn’t fully connected to my body,” she noted.
In the article, Finley said she was unaware that numbness was a significant side effect of mastectomy. She relates that before her breast resensation surgery, the entire side of the chest where the breast reconstruction was performed was numb. “I believe that if I could feel before my breast cancer diagnosis, I should be able to feel after, and if there is something that can be done to help women feel more normal and feel more like themselves after breast cancer, I am all for it,” she indicated.
The breast resensation surgery has allowed her to regain intimacy and physical connection with her family. She says her surgeon, Dr. Michael Mirzabeigi offered her this procedure that has made her regain sensation in her breast. “Being able to feel my kids resting their heads on my chest or my spouse giving me a hug-It was so important for me to still feel my family,” Finley said.
A woman can decide to have breast resensation surgery at the same time as the mastectomy and breast reconstruction or breast resensation surgery can be performed months or years later. As far as regaining sensation, nerves grow at the rate of 1 millimeter a month. Sensation may return several months after surgery but can show improvement even years later.
(Illustration courtesy of Axogen)
For more information on breast resensation surgery or if you would like to schedule a plastic surgery consultation today, please contact Dr. Michael Mirzabeigi at Atlanta Plastic Surgery to set up a consultation. Breast resensation surgery can be scheduled through our offices in Atlanta, Cumming / Forsyth, and Northside / Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Midtown and Canton/Cherokee. To read more about her story, click here.
Can Plastic Surgery Make My Hips & Thighs Look Better?
Summer is officially beginning soon, so many of us are scrambling to look our best for the pool & beach. Diet & exercise can go a long way toward preparing you for bathing-suit season, but sometimes, you need a little extra help to get you looking your absolute best. This is where plastic surgery can likely help. While many associate plastic surgery with procedures for the breasts & face, they may not realize how much it can do to improve the appearance of the lower body. When a healthy lifestyle isn’t quite enough to achieve the below-the-belt look you want, there are several body-contouring procedures that can help you shape & sculpt your lower body for a sleeker, more contoured look.
The thighs & hips are particularly troublesome areas for many women. Even after reaching their target weight, women with healthy diet & exercise regimens often find these regions stubbornly holding on to fat deposits. This makes the hips & thighs commonly appropriate areas for treatment with specialized liposuction techniques. However, after significant weight loss or fat removal, excess, stretched skin can be left behind, creating sags & folds that make what would otherwise be a smooth & shapely silhouette less aesthetically appealing than it might be. Although liposuction isolates and removes very specific regions of fat from underneath the skin, it does nothing to address the excess skin that’s subsequently left behind. Thigh lift surgery can address the appearance of sagging skin on the inner or outer thigh, lifting & tightening as it removes layers of fatty tissue.
Another procedure that has garnered much attention in the last few years is buttock augmentation with fat grafting (otherwise known as the Brazilian butt lift). According to the latest statistics published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the number of Brazilian butt lifts has increased by more than 19% in the last year alone. Unlike a thigh lift, which works to make an area slenderer & more contoured, buttock augmentation tries to enhance the shape and size of the buttocks to accentuate natural feminine curves. By taking fat removed from other parts of the patient’s own body via liposuction, purifying it, and re-injecting it into specific target areas, a Brazilian butt lift augmentation can lift and contour the shape of the butt with a low risk of post-operative complications.
When used in concert with each other, these procedures can improve the proportions of the entire body, providing seamless, natural-looking results. If you’re interested in learning about your lower-body options, or if you’d like to know more about any of the other procedures I perform, please contact me, Dr. Michael Mirzabeigi, to schedule a consultation. I’m currently seeing patients at Atlanta Plastic Surgery’s Atlanta (Northside / Sandy Springs), Cumming (Northside / Forsyth), and Canton (Northside / Cherokee) locations.
When Should I Consider Breast Revision Surgery?
When you hear the term “breast revision surgery,” your mind may immediately think “failed breast augmentation.” The truth is, breast revision surgery is performed for a variety of reasons, some of which have nothing to do with an unsatisfactory breast augmentation. Yes, there are cases where an initial breast augmentation has left a woman with less than satisfactory results, and in cases such as these, breast revision surgery is necessary to correct those disappointing results. However, there are several other reasons that a woman would elect to undergo breast revision surgery. These reasons are just as important to discuss and recognize, so that you understand the options available to you.
- Lifestyle changes have altered the appearance of your breasts
Breast implants are designed to last many years. They will remain the constant, but our bodies will not. Over time, you will experience changes to your body as a result of natural aging, as well as your lifestyle. These changes can affect the look of your initial breast augmentation, resulting in the desire to revise your current appearance. Changes such as weight loss/gain, pregnancy, and aging can alter the look, feel, and placement of your breast implants. When this takes place, it is important to consider breast revision surgery. With breast revision surgery, I can correct the placement of your implants, change the size – if desired, and enhance your chest area to match your current needs and aesthetic desires.
- You want to change the size of your current implants
One of the most common reasons for breast revision surgery is to modify the size of the original breast implants. Over the course of time, you may find that your size preference has changed. Perhaps large implants no longer fit your lifestyle, or you’ve decided that your original implant size was too small or too large. There can be a number of reasons that a woman would desire to modify the size of her breast implant, and breast revision surgery accomplishes this.
- You want to change the type of implant you have
The technology and science around breast augmentation and implant types continues to advance. These advancements have made different styles of breast implants, such as cohesive gel (gummy bear), round implants, and textured implants, available to women considering breast augmentation. Naturally, some women desire to update the type and style of their current breast implants to meet their changing aesthetic needs. If you wish to change or update the style of your breast implant, breast revision surgery can provide you with the solution you’re looking for.
The decision to move forward with breast revision surgery is a sensitive and personal matter. There are many reasons – medical and aesthetic – that a person would elect for this type of surgery. This is a unique surgery that I tailor to meet the needs of each of my patients. Your goals are important to me, and I will strive to ensure that you feel confident throughout the entire process of your breast revision surgery. If you would like to schedule a consultation to discuss the options available to you for breast revision surgery, please contact me, Dr. Michael Mirzabeigi.