The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook

The definitive guide to breast reconstruction. Since 2002, The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook has been the best resource on this topic for women who have had a mastectomy. Equal parts science and support, it is filled with stories that illustrate the emotional and physical components of breast reconstruction. Kathy Steligo, a gifted writer and breast cancer survivor who has twice had breast reconstruction, compassionately answers women's questions about how they will respond emotionally and physically to losing a breast, whether to treat or prevent breast cancer. Steligo provides detailed descriptions of the various surgical options for mastectomy and reconstruction, as well as information on choosing and paying for a surgeon, preparing for and recovering from surgery, and handling the many practical details and difficult decisions women will face along the way. A road map of the mastectomy and reconstruction journey, this book gives women the comprehensive, unbiased details they need to make their own informed decisions about whether reconstruction—and which reconstructive option—is right for them. Readers learn how breasts can be recreated using implants or their own tissue and the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Surgery timelines, recovery, and potential problems (and how they can be resolved) are also explained. A new foreword by Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, MD, of the PRMA Plastic Surgery Center for Advanced Breast Reconstruction, highlights the book's strengths and offers a medical perspective on breast cancer and reconstructive surgery. The extensively updated text includes new discussions of • innovative reconstructive procedures • contralateral mastectomy • the benefits and limitations of nipple- and areola-sparing mastectomies • nipple delay procedure • patient-controlled tissue expansion • cohesive gel silicone implants • microsurgical advances that improve tissue flap procedures • fat grafting • nipple reconstruction • nipple and areola tattooing • reconstruction with the BRAVA system • pregnancy after TRAM • male mastectomy and reconstruction • decision making and solving cosmetic and medical post-op problems • surgical procedures that reduce the risk of cancer • the latest research data on mastectomy and reconstruction • and much more

The book is designed to be a useful resource for anyone struggling with breast cancer. It’s been written with the compassion and insight that only a breast cancer survivor can offer, it will walk you through the mastectomy and the entire reconstruction process. The author shares actual photos that document each stage of reconstruction. Drawing upon her own firsthand experiences, the author explains what you can expect, step by step, and shares advice on how to deal with each stage of the process. At each step, she describes what you can expect to hear from the doctor as well as the physical and emotional challenges you may face along the way. You’ll find support, information and advice about your options. The topics covered include the newest flap procedures, implants, nipple sparing surgery, nipple and areola reconstruction, financial assistance, intimacy issues, how to prepare for surgeries and how to cope during recovery. The book also features interviews with a plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction and an expert tattoo artist who offers the finishing touches—from nipple and areola tattoos to beautiful artistic tattoos that cover scars. The author delves into the history of breast cancer and reconstruction, and even explains how to find the correct bra during the process and after all the procedures have been completed. This must-have guide is written from a down-to-earth perspective that is at once informative, candid, soul baring and, at times, highly entertaining.

The definitive guide to breast reconstruction—now completely revised and updated. For more than twenty years, The Complete Guide to Breast Reconstruction (formerly The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook) has been an essential resource for individuals who are undergoing mastectomy and thinking about breast reconstruction. In this revised edition, two-time breast cancer survivor Kathy Steligo covers the critical information patients need, from finding the right surgeon to weighing options and making informed decisions. Anyone considering a mastectomy faces a perplexing array of issues, questions, and decisions in their treatment options. This updated and expanded edition provides a comprehensive road map of the entire mastectomy and reconstruction experience. Steligo explains the advantages and disadvantages of postmastectomy options, including staying flat, using prostheses, and undergoing reconstruction with breast implants or a patient's own tissue. The extensively updated text includes new information on • The benefits and limitations of traditional versus advanced procedures • How mastectomy affects sensation, scarring, and projection • What to expect from nipple-sparing mastectomy • How reconstruction restores shape, size, and projection • The pros and cons of saline and silicone breast implants • The differences between muscle-sparing and muscle-sacrificing natural tissue reconstruction • Improving results with fat grafting • 3-D nipple tattooing • How radiation therapy impacts reconstruction • Male mastectomy and reconstruction • The physical and emotional effects of surgery and recovery Featuring before-and-after patient photos, expert commentaries, and patient stories, this guide describes the mastectomy and reconstructive journey from research to recovery so readers can make informed decisions about what is best for them.

"In 2008, Amy Curran Baker was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma and opted for bilateral mastectomy with Direct to Implant Reconstruction. Within three weeks of being diagnosed she had a mastectomy and was on the road to recovery. But after the surgery she had a lot of questions, the same that most women will have. As an Occupational Therapist, she knew some of the answers from her own clinical training and experience. But many more came from speaking with other women who had undergone mastectomies, from researching message boards, and a little bit of luck. Now she and her co-authors have brought together the answers to the questions that women face in chapters that cover everything from how to prepare for going to the hospital to when you come home" -- publisher's web site.

The best-selling guide to mastectomy and reconstruction has been rewritten and updated. This new second edition retains all the comprehensive information of the original issue, along with new information about the latest implant and flap reconstruction procedures, how to find a surgeon who specializes in these new techniques, and much more.No woman wants to lose her breasts. But having a mastectomy doesn't have to mean living without them. How do you find answers about mastectomy and reconstruction when you're still overwhelmed by your diagnosis and treatment? How real will your new breasts look and feel? What if you don't want implants? How painful and how long is the process? Will your insurance cover all the costs? What is recovery like?The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook ha all the answers. Easy-to-read and easily understood, the text explains mastectomy and demystifies reconstructive options. Readers will understand the benefits and risks of different procedures, so they can determine which technique, if any, is right for them.

"Providing comprehensive, current, and reliable information on breast cancer, this book, written by an experienced oncologist, a surgeon, and a breast cancer survivor, informs and inspires readers, wherever they are in the breast cancer experience. Patient stories, essays from medical specialists, and illustrations add clarity and insight"--

"Be informed. Be empowered. Be well." If you are concerned that the cancer in your family is hereditary, you face difficult choices. Should you have a blood test that may reveal whether you have a high likelihood of disease? Do you preemptively treat a disease that may never develop? How do you make decisions now that will affect the rest of your life? This helpful, informative guide answers your questions as you confront hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Developed by Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), the nation’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, this book stands alone among breast and ovarian cancer resources. Equal parts health guide and memoir, it defines complex issues facing previvors and survivors and provides solutions with a fresh, authoritative voice. Written by three passionate advocates for the hereditary cancer community who are themselves breast cancer survivors, Confronting Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer dispels myths and misinformation and presents practical risk-reducing alternatives and decision-making tools. Including information about genetic counseling and testing, preventive surgery, and fertility and family planning, as well as explanations of health insurance coverage and laws protecting genetic privacy, this resource tackles head-on the challenges of living in a high-risk body. Confronting hereditary cancer is a complex, confusing, and highly individual journey. With its unique combination of the latest research, expert advice, and compelling personal stories, this book gives previvors, survivors, and their family members the guidance they need to face the unique challenges of hereditary cancer.

1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime, but this is not just another cancer book. Breast cancer survivor Kim Harms combines her own experience with extensive research and walks readers through the process of mastectomy and breast reconstruction, weighing the pros and cons, detailing the physical and emotional costs, and laying out the questions cancer fighters need to ask to be their own best advocate. With a foreword by the medical director of Katzmann Breast Center and chapters on everything from the vulnerable feeling of exposing your breasts to “everyone” to the distinctions between reconstruction and augmentation (trust us, it’s not a boob job!), Life Reconstructed is the compassionate, honest roadmap every breast cancer fighter needs on her journey to recovery.