Nipple Sparing Mastectomy
NIPPLE SPARING MASTECTOMY BATON ROUGE, LA
Nipple Sparing Breast Cancer Surgery
A Nipple Sparing Mastectomy is the surgical removal of the breast while keeping the breast’s natural nipple. It is a procedure which is being used since the 1970s and has grown more technically advanced in the past decades. Baton Rouge Plastic Surgeon Dr. Theunissen and his team of highly qualified professionals use a more patient centric approach to the procedure, ensuring quicker healing and better results for women who are looking to enhance the appearance of their breasts.
This procedure preserves the skin envelope along with the nipple areola, by only removing the underlying tissue from the breasts. When combined with a breast reconstruction procedure, a nipple sparing mastectomy offers superior results without compromising the cancer treatment that is being used by the patient.
Baton Rouge Reconstructive and Cosmetic plastic surgeon, Dr. Theunissen, together with Oncologists routinely offers nipple-sparing mastectomies to patients who are deemed appropriate for the procedure. The best part about the Nipple Sparing Mastectomy is that the procedure can be performed alongside any other type of breast reconstruction surgery.
BENEFITS OF A NIPPLE SPARING MASTECTOMY INCLUDE:
Patients who have undergone the procedure have noted a noticeably natural feel to their newly reconstructed breasts. What makes this fact so important cannot be denied, as a patient’s psychological reaction to their breasts immediately after the surgery plays a pivotal role in the overall recovery of the patient. Dr. Theunissen can perform a nipple sparing mastectomy if the cancer is at least two centimeters away from the nipple, and if it measures less than 4 centimeters in total, and is not affecting the skin around that area. That being said, it is possible for patients who have undergone chemotherapy to still be eligible for a Nipple Sparing Mastectomy, but it is usually the Oncologist who will recommend the procedure after a thorough examination has been carried out.
MORE RECONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES
THE PROCEDURE
The Nipple Sparing Mastectomy procedure is usually performed with the help of a single incision at either side of the lower or lateral area of the breast. Often times, the surgeon will opt for an incision being made in the inframammary fold right under the breast, which leaves scars that aren’t that easily noticeable. While this ensures a more natural looking appearance and minimum scarring after the procedure, whether or not the surgeon will use it is up to their discretion.
Once the procedure has been carried out the patient will need to stay overnight. During that time the hospital staff will take care of any pain or other side effect, and observe the patient’s recovery. Most patients who go for the Nipple Sparing Mastectomy procedure are able to fully recover after two or three weeks
RESULTS OF A NIPPLE SPARING MASTECTOMY
While the results of the procedure will vary from person to person, all patients note that their breasts look more like their previous breasts. That being said, the procedure could also result in diminished sensation in the breast when touched. It is important to remember that after a Nipple Sparing Mastectomy it may take a year before full sensation is returned to the breast that underwent the procedure. But, in most cases, some sensation is retained after the procedure.
Please also keep in mind that while mastectomy is considered to be the most effective treatment to reduce breast cancer recurrence, there can never be a total guarantee that breast cancer will not recur. Dr. Theunissen will take meticulous care during the procedure to remove all visible breast tissue, reducing the chance of a reoccurrence. After your procedure, you’ll be screened regularly and undergo careful clinical breast examination.
A Nipple Sparing Mastectomy is just one of the amazing procedures Dr. Theunissen meticulously performs to help women fight and beat breast cancer to go on to living the full, happy lives they deserve.
THE PROCEDURE
The Nipple Sparing Mastectomy procedure is usually performed with the help of a single incision at either side of the lower or lateral area of the breast. Often times, the surgeon will opt for an incision being made in the inframammary fold right under the breast, which leaves scars that aren’t that easily noticeable. While this ensures a more natural looking appearance and minimum scarring after the procedure, whether or not the surgeon will use it is up to their discretion.
Once the procedure has been carried out the patient will need to stay overnight. During that time the hospital staff will take care of any pain or other side effect, and observe the patient’s recovery. Most patients who go for the Nipple Sparing Mastectomy procedure are able to fully recover after two or three weeks
RESULTS OF A NIPPLE SPARING MASTECTOMY
While the results of the procedure will vary from person to person, all patients note that their breasts look more like their previous breasts. That being said, the procedure could also result in diminished sensation in the breast when touched. It is important to remember that after a Nipple Sparing Mastectomy it may take a year before full sensation is returned to the breast that underwent the procedure. But, in most cases, some sensation is retained after the procedure.
Please also keep in mind that while mastectomy is considered to be the most effective treatment to reduce breast cancer recurrence, there can never be a total guarantee that breast cancer will not recur. Dr. Theunissen will take meticulous care during the procedure to remove all visible breast tissue, reducing the chance of a reoccurrence. After your procedure, you’ll be screened regularly and undergo careful clinical breast examination.
A Nipple Sparing Mastectomy is just one of the amazing procedures Dr. Theunissen meticulously performs to help women fight and beat breast cancer to go on to living the full, happy lives they deserve.
