Can I Have Immediate Reconstruction if I Need Radiaton Afterward?

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radiation timing

12 Doctor Answers | Asked by Springfield in Springfield, MO

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Yes you can have radiation if you have immediate Breast Reconstruction!

This practice is common now unless the tumor characteristics are concerning such as being very close to the chest walll which would make it hard to detect a recurrence when you doctors examine you. Fortunately this is very rare so that the majority of patioents can have an immediate breast reconstruction and move forward with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Breast Reconstruction with Radiation

Radiation injury to the chest wall can take up to 6 months to settle post-treatment. I always recommend delaying the final tissue reconstruction until this time. At this point, the skin and tissue damaged by radiation can be safely removed and healthy nonradiated skin and soft tissue transferred in to reconstruct the breast. During the mastectomy, some surgeons may elect to offer delayed immediate reconstruction by placing... more

Delaying breast reconstruction until after radiation is usually the safest approach

Radiation therapy can result in a significant loss of skin elasticity, and because the body’s wound-healing mechanisms are altered by exposure to radiation, complications from all types of reconstructive breast surgery occur at a higher rate. While radiation therapy can complicate breast reconstruction surgery, with proper preparation most women can achieve a satisfactory reconstruction even if radiation therapy is part of their treatment plan. Radiation is especially... more

Breast reconstruction and radiation

If you know you are going to have radiation for sure, I would recommend delayed reconstruction. If you were not sure, then having reconstruction is OK. Nowadays, tissue expanders can be placed in the latter situation. Expansion can be completed with implant placement or the expander can be removed and replaced with your own tissue if you do not have radiation. If you were to end up needing radiation, the field can be radiated then the expander can be... more

Breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction is a group effort and coordination, The general surgeon, The Radiation Oncologist, The oncologist and Family physician. Communication between all these specialtie caqn draw a plan and best method and timing of the breast reconstruction. What type of mastectom? Skin sparing? And how to preserve the skin sparing and what are the effects of the radiation and how to minimize the skin of the breast from scarringdown. May be the insertion of a temporary tissue... more

Immediate breast reconstruction before radiation??

Yes, you can have an immediate reconstruction even if you know you'll have radiation treatments. But your best cosmetic result would come if you have the radiation first, then have the reconstruction, in most cases. If you do choose reconstruction prior to radiation, I would try to avoid using an implant (you can add one later if you need it), and I would use autologous tissue for your reconstruction (TRAM). However, a TRAM flap can certainly become damaged with... more

Reconstruction and Radiation

There is some controvery on how to approach breast reconstruction when radiation therapy (XRT) is required. Radiation therapy(XRT) is excellent in helping you reduce your risk for recurrence. This is the most important thing - your cancer treatment plan. As I tell my patients, radiation is excellent at killing microscopic cancer cells. However, radiation does "fry" the non cancer normal tissue as well. Radiated tissue will never be the same. And XRT will... more

Breast Reconstruction and Radiation

Although never a good combination there are certainly times when it is appropriate. I have found that when approached as a team treament plan this can work well in the right patient. In my practice I have found that just the fact that a reconstructive procedure has started gives the patient a significant psychological boost. The caveat is that it doesn't interfere with treatment. Cure comes first then we can treat the reconstruction with any variety of... more

Breast reconstruciton and radiation

This is not such a simple question and shoudl be coordinated with your two surgeons and the radiation oncologist. Often times it can be done, but in some cases you may want to delay the reconstruction.

Steven Wallach, MD

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Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Can I Have Immediate Reconstruction if I Need Radiaton Afterward?

For the most part it is better to have the reconstruction after the radiation. Also we do not to do an implant reconstruction in the face of radiation. There are a number of cases where a tissue expander is placed at the time of the mastectomy and kept there as a spacer. The radiation is given with the expander in place and then removed and the breast reconstructed with a perforator flap. This has been very successful in our patients.