More Breast Cancer Patients Choosing To Have Reconstructive Surgery

Recent findings published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons show that many breast cancer patients are choosing to have breast reconstruction surgery immediately following a mastectomy.

For the study, researchers examined data from more than one million breast cancer patients who had a mastectomy between 1998 and 2011.

"Implants provide a very simple and straightforward method of reconstruction compared with using one's own abdominal tissues," said lead study author Dr. Evan Matros, assistant professor of surgery and health outcomes research in the department of surgery, division of plastic and reconstructive surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in a news release. "One reason why we think implants are a good solution in high-risk patients is that, in the case of a failure, the surgeon simply removes the implant. If a patient has a complication after abdominal tissue reconstruction, it's a much lengthier problem and more difficult to deal with."

Researchers found that over the past 15 years, this steady increase has been particularly noticeable among young women who were once considered too high-risk for the procedure, those who have had radiation therapy as well as advanced breast cancer or co-existing health issues, such as obesity and diabetes.

Following the procedure, many also noted increased confidence via the reconstructive process.