After undergoing a mastectomy, women have many choices to make regarding their continued treatment. One of those decisions is concerning their breast reconstruction. With advancements in medical technology, women have more options available to them for breast reconstruction. There is the traditional way of reconstruction with breast implants or the latest technique of autologous reconstruction which utilizes a woman’s own body tissue to build new breasts. Add to that the ReSensation technique of rebuilding nerves that have been damaged during a mastectomy, women today can now have natural-looking reconstructed breasts while potentially restoring breast sensation at the same time.
New Orleans-based, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jules Walters is a leading expert in breast reconstruction and also a certified ReSensation surgeon. He is helping redefine the choices women have with their breast reconstruction process and giving them an alternative way to have new breasts after a mastectomy. Here is some helpful information on the latest techniques in breast reconstruction, the ReSensation technique, and what Dr. Walters’ New Orleans practice can do for you.
Making the Choice
When women have to consider breast reconstruction, there are choices and decisions to make which are not easy or simple. Some women want a different aesthetic look for their new breasts while others want them to look and feel just like the breasts they had before their diagnosis. In the past, the only option women had when deciding to have breast reconstruction was with breast implants. But today, women have a new option. Autologous breast reconstruction with ReSensation is becoming the new way for women post-mastectomy to have new breasts and feel good again.
How Does Autologous Breast Reconstruction Work?
Autologous breast reconstruction, also known as a free flap, is the most advanced surgical breast reconstruction technique available today. Abdominal fat, skin, and blood vessels are taken in order to reconstruct new breasts with a woman’s own body tissues. A qualified plastic surgeon like Dr. Walters is able to reconstruct beautiful, soft mounds from a woman’s own body tissue and blood vessels.
ReSensation and How It Helps
One of the most difficult and emotional aspects about a mastectomy is the loss of feeling women experience in their breasts. During a mastectomy, the nerves in the breasts are severed during the tissue removal process, which can lead to permanent numbness. ReSensation during reconstruction can repair those damaged nerves and also promote nerve regrowth over time. Dr. Walters is a certified and trained ReSensation plastic surgeon who is able to offer patients in New Orleans this advanced nerve regeneration technique, so their new breasts will possibly still have sensation.
Choosing Autologous Reconstruction with ReSensation Over Breasts Implants
Breast reconstruction is not a quick and easy decision for women in New Orleans who face this difficult decision. Traditionally, most women pick breast implants for their reconstruction process. However, there has recently been a change with women considering autologous breast reconstruction with ReSensation. Here are some of the reasons why:
- With breast reconstructed tissue coming from the abdominal area, women can get the benefit of a flatter, smoother tummy area similar to the same effect of having a tummy tuck.
- Unlike implants, using a woman’s own body tissue allows the reconstructed breasts to naturally change and age with a woman’s body.
- Breast implants are not a lifetime medical device. Women who choose to use their own body tissue with the free flap technique are subject to a lower risk of surgical site infections or reconstruction failure. Implant issues require more follow up surgeries to fix any problems.
- ReSensation nerve repair can only be done with autologous reconstruction and not with implants.
- Women choosing free flap reconstruction surgery with ReSensation report having a better satisfaction with their new breasts and how they look and feel which overall is a boost for their emotional and physical well-being.
Breast reconstruction surgery requires an experienced surgeon to take many factors into account so women can get the best possible outcome. These factors include body type, if they have enough abdominal tissue for the free flap option, and previous surgeries that may have impacted the blood vessels or nerves in the target areas of the chest and abdomen. Finding a plastic surgeon in New Orleans like Dr. Jules Walters who has autologous flap surgery experience and specialized skills in ReSensation is imperative for women considering these reconstruction options.
A board-certified expert in New Orleans, Dr. Jules Walters can help women find the right solution for their breast reconstruction journey. Dr. Walters will empower his patients to know all their options so they feel they have made the best decision. If you are needing breast reconstruction and wanting to find out more about the free flap technique with ReSensation then call to schedule your consultation with Dr. Walters today.
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