This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.Question: Just diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. 76-year-old fairly fit, in good health. Interested in mastectomy and reconstruction. Have had 4 mid-line abdominal surgeries. Suggestions on which reconstruction?Answer: If you have no strong preferences for using your own tissue, you may be a candidate for implant reconstruction, as appears there a good chance you will not need radiation. Implants have the advantage of requiring no major operations (compared to flap surgery), and are well-tolerated by many people. Every major city has plastic surgeons who are experienced in implant reconstruction.However, many people simply would rather use their own tissue. Fortunately, midline surgeries do not usually impact our ability to use any otherwise available abdominal tissue. We can tell with virtual certainty if adequate vessels are available with an MRI angiogram, if there is any question. If your abdominal tissue ended up not being adequate, you may have extra tissue in your buttocks which we could use.We would be happy to call and discuss your situation in more detail, if you wish.Thanks for your question!
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