Post Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction Basics

HealthNewsDigest.com — Breast reconstruction has come a long way. Although breast cancer was known to the ancient Egyptians as far back as 1600 B.C., it was not until the 18th century that it was understood to be a localized disease whose spread could be contained by isolating and removing the affected cells, and it was not until a hundred years later that pioneering work was done on what we know today as mastectomy. “Early practitioners of surgical breast removal did not believe in reconstruction,” says plastic surgeon and reconstruction specialist Dr. Constance M. Chen. “They feared that any intrusion at the surgical site could adversely affect the progression of the disease or hide a recurrence. So while the first attempts at reconstruction were made in the 1890s, it was not until the mid-20th century when radical surgery gave way to equally effective but less aggressive treatments that interest in breast reconstruction soared. Today, women have many options for breast reconstruction and every woman can make an educated decision about what is best for her.” Click HERE for the full article.