which is true of women who have had a unilateral mastectomy? This is a topic that many people are looking for. thevoltreport.com is a channel providing useful information about learning, life, digital marketing and online courses …. it will help you have an overview and solid multi-faceted knowledge . Today, thevoltreport.com would like to introduce to you Unilateral vs Bilateral Mastectomy. Following along are instructions in the video below:
Everyone. Sir doctor technical difficulties starting this video. So hopefully were good now thank thank you for joining us today.
Im with dr. Selvidge from authentic plastic surgery. We have been going through our series of conversations with him talking about after an initial breast cancer diagnosis things to consider questions that youll want to ask or you know dealing with your stresses regarding that diagnosis.
And then moving into the different types of treatment and surgery options that are out there and then we talked about reconstructive. The different types of options of how thats even changed in the last couple of years and then lastly last week. We talked about post surgery care the you know all the things you need to consider.
Including writing a good post surgical bra like the heart and core bra. I had to put my plug there and so now today we want to talk more about two things one we want to talk about the difference between a bilateral and unilateral thats talked to me and when just kind of the options and understanding of both of those and things to consider when youre looking at if you have a unilateral would you rather get a bilateral mastectomy. So were going to discuss that and then also discuss aftercare.
Im just getting back into the regular everyday life. And what that means as well for you. And what things you need to consider as well for that or for your loved ones.
So thank you for being here today doctor so champions. Ill go ahead let you sit well we briefly mentioned this. But there always comes up in the news periodically this question about whenever to do both sides mastectomy.
Even though only one side is indicated. And i would actually go further than that to say that even patients whose recommendation solely includes lumpectomy and radiation. Frequently return for additional consultation.
Because they want to know if mastectomy simply is a better option and we sort of touched on that for example it may avoid radiation. But they even come back and ask whenever they should just take care of this whole issue as they put it or just take care of the breast risk by doing both mastectomy is at the same time and then do reconstruction at the same time and again sometimes it becomes more sensational when a famous actress chooses to do so. But that oh those are in my opinion.
Very real questions that cause a lot of stress to many patients. There are extremes. That as some patients literally want to do as little as possible.
Yeah. Never touch the healthy breast. Even if the reconstruction does not then give a good symmetry.
Its hard to match a native breast and i think thats important for women. I think a lot of women want to make sure they can look as normal and even as possible after surgery. So i can imagine so what is often forgotten is that if were doing one side and reconstruction.
I would say great majority of the cases. The other side will require some form of surgery so it is very difficult to simply avoid surgery on a healthy breast. If you want to achieve good symmetry.
I think thats good to know i think you know a lot of women wouldnt even know or think that there would be anything that would be needs to be done to a healthy breast. So this is good information for you to be sharing with us. Know what comes up often not only that some surgeons general surgeons who treat breast cancer will frequently be resistant to removing any healthy tissue which again from the biologic and strictly scientific standpoint.
Makes sense. But then there is also this practical and the day to day life afterwards. If you have one sided mastectomy.
Then you could make an argument that subsequent follow up still has to be made for the healthy breast. And there are patients who will be very stressed knowing that they already had one cancer and now every they have subsequent mammogram and another biopsy and not only they are sensitized. But also health care system.
That knows that i already had a breast cancer diagnosis. They are also sensitized in a way because patients with previous history of breast cancer. If they have any abnormality in their subsequent mammogram for example are much more likely to have additional biopsies which increases the amount of procedures and time and appointments and so on and so forth and then if you take it further typically theres 20 30.
40 more years of that because thats the typical life expectancy mm hmm that is significant impact on just your normal lifestyle and i think thats interesting to say i you know again. I dont know if women would always think about theyre only gonna remove the the breast that has the cancer in it and remain. You know have their regular healthy breasts keep that.
But thats really good information to consider is youll still have to get mass stuff to me or excuse. Me i still have to get mammograms. Youll still need to do follow up appointments.
You know like you said for the rest of your life. And theres gonna be that heightened sense of vigilance yes and making sure that any little thing they notice. Theyre gonna want to investigate thoroughly.
And and it does definitely create more stress for you so or for your loved ones so in general. This is a very hot topic. I would say that we have seen increase of women simply choosing to do bilateral mastectomy in that bigger picture knowing that that way they sort of achieved a decrease of risk of future cancer and that they also can affect their lifestyle.
They will achieve more even and immediate reconstruction. Mmm hmm and can move on on the other hand. Theres plenty of good arguments.
As far as for example doing just whats necessary and again. Some patients are perfectly happy with that and i think thats a again were not here to try to tell you what to do obviously. But more just things to consider when making these decisions.
And knowing all the information and having all the facts. So that you make the best decision for yourself or again for your loved one and i think thats just important to get that information out there its amazing to me how many women dont know all of their options. And as you have come to find to being misinformed or being scared about something that that really was scared of unknown.
Yes karen. I am. And i think.
Its it somehow always seems to start with the fact that the original diagnosis time is busy. And theres always shortage of time and then we can move on to sort of more on the recovery side. Yeah.
Theyre returning to a normal activity level. And again. This is another interesting situation frequently if reconstruction is involved and those patients are under plastic surgeons care for many months afterwards and were doing school attempts to navigate the restrictions afterwards telling the patients when and how to do things.
And again. Theres patients who are very aggressive and wanted to return to things as quickly as possible. Which unfortunately is not always why i would say its not indicated it just increases risks of complications and swelling and would problems and things like that on the other hand patients who tend to be very protective may be traumatized.
Maybe. Theres depression maybe. Theres other stresses involved and simply having harder to recovery.
And they become more of a sedentary for too long. Thats also not good mm hmm. So ive made a point in my practice to be very specific to the patients about when and how they need to return to their normal activities.
Its good to know on the humorous side the worst patients are the ones that tend to be runners. I would never be like that concept of taking it easy especially the marathon runners. But to be honest.
It is very important to allow the first two or three weeks pass with minimal activity maintaining low blood pressure again to minimize the swelling. One of the biggest complications related to reconstruction is fluid buildup around the reconstruction area whenever. Its implant or a flap on the outer hand as soon as that risk is gone usually at three to four weeks and a gradual return to activity is definitely indicated.
Ive developed sort of a pattern. Where i first maintain very strict control over the activity of the patient remind them often about not doing housework not doing vacuuming or other things that are repetitive. However light they may be but very soon afterwards.
We will talk about with my patients about returning to a some form of exercise starting with walking and then theres other things to consider long term. Theres going to be stretching so yoga. Other form of therapy on ask are typically scar response the best to simply direct pressure mm hmm stretching so that massage therapy again finding a massage therapist who is not afraid to work around the area of surgery is very important and i can certainly make those recommendations.
But a general combination of all that means that somewhere around six weeks from surgery patient can be effectively speaking without doing activities without any restrictions okay. But six weeks sounds very very long to people. But its important to remember that the first two were really doing nothing and i and i think that is especially being an active person myself i know six months times like a lifetime.
But i assume no to the complications of what happens and and have talked to you a little bit about what happens to women who do jump back into it too soon and and thats with any type of surgery you just really have to listen to what your doctor says theyre doing this for a good reason or telling you what to do for for good reason and for your safety. The last thing you want to do is mess anything up. Where you have to go back again and resort surgeries and and complications.
So the consequences of complications are significant. And that if we have a complication however not life threatening mm hmm. It often means another trip to surgery yeah or starting over yeah.
Which again after the investing all the risks and time yeah. Its it would be silly to do absolutely to us care and aftercare and moving in back into your everyday life moving slowly into that you know you talked before about having people that can help clean and a cleaning schedule you know even the little things you said like vacuuming. I wouldnt have thought anything about that.
But you said you know youve youve got to really move. Slow. And you know slowly actually walking is safe to begin with and then after that just talk to him to talk to us as surgeons.
We will tell you when its time to go. Well. We appreciate you being here again today and sharing information with us please let us know.
If you have any questions you can message us. There will be a link to dr. So.
Which is the facebook page as well. So you can message him or or me or even just comment or questions below. Were happy to help and be a resource for you too so thank you until next time yes have a great day thank you thank you .
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