Manitoba Breast Reconstruction Program
Using Your Own Tissue Implant
Pre-Operative Care Post-Operative Care What to Bring to the Hospital Caring for Your Drain at Home Signs of Infection
Dr. Edward Buchel Dr. Thomas Hayakawa
Manitoba Breast Reconstruction Program
 

Our Program

We specialize in state-of-the-art breast reconstruction techniques using your body’s own tissue without sacrificing important functional muscles. Options for using implant have also recently advanced to improve cosmetic and long term results.

Considered the most advanced in the world today, our procedures result in a breast that closely matches your own in shape and softness.

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Am I A Candidate?

The timing for reconstructive surgery varies from woman to woman. So does the type of surgery that would be best. Most women are a candidate for some type of breast reconstruction.

Here are factors that can affect your situation:

  • If you're in poor health for any reason, your doctor may advise against certain reconstruction procedures.

  • If you're a smoker, your doctor may ask you to quit before surgery. Smoking interferes with healing.

  • If you need chemotherapy or radiation therapy as part of your treatment, your reconstructive surgery will be timed to optimize healing and the final aesthetic result of the reconstructed breast.

  • If you're very overweight, you may face higher risks from reconstruction surgery. Slower wound healing and the final cosmetic result may need more time.

  • Scarring from earlier operations may limit the type of reconstruction you can have.

  • It's important to understand that a reconstructed breast is never the same as a natural breast. Ask your doctor if you can look at "before and after" pictures to see the difference. It is important to be well informed before surgery so you will have appropriate expectations in regard to your recovery and final results.

 

What Are My Options?

Breast reconstruction is an alternative for almost every woman who has undergone or is about to undergo mastectomy, and for some who have undergone a lumpectomy. Woman choose to have breast reconstruction for a number of different reasons – some no longer feel whole or as feminine, while others simply don’t want to wear a breast prosthesis every day. Breast reconstruction surgery can allow a woman to feel good about herself and to make a fresh start.

Although breast reconstruction can be performed anytime after a mastectomy, most reconstructive options offer superior results when they are done at the same time as initial cancer surgery.

A number of reconstructive options exist, from the insert of a breast implant to reconstruction using a woman’s own tissue. Additionally, different reconstructive techniques yield different types of breasts. Our goal is to make you aware of all of your options, so that you can make a truly informed decision.

There are two main categories of reconstructive options: