This week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.
Question: I am a 61-year-old female with breast implants that were placed in 1986. I have been pregnant 6 times, 5 c-sections and one miscarriage. 2 infant deaths and 3 living children. I was able to breastfeed 4 of my children. Approximately 4-5 years ago I had an abnormal mammogram. (I am in the process of obtaining those records) I underwent an ultrasound to the left breast and was informed that everything was “ok”. Following mammogram was normal. I retired from nursing 2 years ago and moved from Virginia to West Virginia. My most recent mammogram 5/2/2018 stated “There are bilateral breast implants. There is mild to moderate residual parenchyma tissue bilaterally. There is an asymmetric parenchyma nodule in each breast anteriorly, most likely benign. Six month bilateral mammogram advised to confirm stability.” Doctor, I’m not sure I should wait another six months or peruse implant removal and breast tissue removal. You know us nurses “overthink”. I’d like to know if you have another suggestion vs wait for the next mammogram. Thank you so much for you’re valuable time and consideration. Answer:Thank you so much for your question. It sounds like you are getting frustrated, and it's easy to see why.We don't actually treat breast cancer per se, we just do reconstruction, so I can't actually recommend a particular imaging technique or schedule. I can, however, recommend that you see a surgical oncologist who treats breast diseases (if you haven't already), as they often have a good "feel" from experience for how to manage these type situations. They see many, many images, and, unlike radiologists, later correlate many of those images with what they see in surgery, which gives them a unique perspective. He or she may recommend an MRI or ultrasound, or may just agree with your previous recommendations, but even that might be reassuring. Thanks again for your question, and have a great weekend!Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!
This week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question about breast reconstruction.
Question: I am a 61-year-old female with breast implants that were placed in 1986. I have been pregnant 6 times, 5 c-sections and one miscarriage. 2 infant deaths and 3 living children. I was able to breastfeed 4 of my children. Approximately 4-5 years ago I had an abnormal mammogram. (I am in the process of obtaining those records) I underwent an ultrasound to the left breast and was informed that everything was “ok”. Following mammogram was normal. I retired from nursing 2 years ago and moved from Virginia to West Virginia. My most recent mammogram 5/2/2018 stated “There are bilateral breast implants. There is mild to moderate residual parenchyma tissue bilaterally. There is an asymmetric parenchyma nodule in each breast anteriorly, most likely benign. Six month bilateral mammogram advised to confirm stability.” Doctor, I’m not sure I should wait another six months or peruse implant removal and breast tissue removal. You know us nurses “overthink”. I’d like to know if you have another suggestion vs wait for the next mammogram. Thank you so much for you’re valuable time and consideration. Answer:Thank you so much for your question. It sounds like you are getting frustrated, and it's easy to see why.We don't actually treat breast cancer per se, we just do reconstruction, so I can't actually recommend a particular imaging technique or schedule. I can, however, recommend that you see a surgical oncologist who treats breast diseases (if you haven't already), as they often have a good "feel" from experience for how to manage these type situations. They see many, many images, and, unlike radiologists, later correlate many of those images with what they see in surgery, which gives them a unique perspective. He or she may recommend an MRI or ultrasound, or may just agree with your previous recommendations, but even that might be reassuring. Thanks again for your question, and have a great weekend!Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!People also viewed
