Making a New Breast After Cancerous Breast Removal
Despite all medical advances, breast cancer is still a serious disease and often leaves a significant deformity in the breast after treatment. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove one or both breasts completely.
Psychological, Physiological and Sexual Effects of Breasts
It is unnecessary to talk about the importance of breasts in the nutrition of babies. In all mammals and humans, breast milk is the most necessary and healthy food for the progression of the lineage. Prominent breasts in women represent a more feminine and productive woman. In many cultures and geographies, men generally prefer women with full breasts in their sexual relations. Likewise, in many cultures and geographies, having erect and full breasts is a desirable and proud condition for women. It is also quite common for the breasts to be considered as secondary genitalia.
Absence or Loss of Breast
Breasts may be genetically very small. Rarely, it may not be present at birth, usually on one side. But today, the most important reason for the absence of breast is the removal of one or both breasts due to breast cancer. In addition, “protective breast removal – prophylactic mastectomy” surgery has also created bilateral breast absence in a significant number of women. This surgery, which is performed on women with a high probability of developing breast cancer in the future, was once very popular. However, it has lost its popularity today.
Mental Effects of Mastectomy
Removal of the breast(s) creates a deep destruction on women. They think that their body integrity is lost and that they are not the “old me”. Many want no one to know that their breast(s) have been removed and try to hide or camouflage this situation. Negative consequences occur in their sexual life.
Breast Reconstruction
Since the 1980s, plastic and reconstructive surgeons started to make new breasts for women who had their breasts removed due to cancer, with parts brought from their own bodies. In the following years, the form of breast cancer surgeries changed and less skin and tissue were removed. This allowed breast reconstruction with silicone breast implants to be done more easily and more frequently. While these surgeries are expected to be a great source of hope and happiness for women, the number of women who want to create new breasts after cancer surgery is still not at the expected level.
Currents Against the Creation of New Breasts
I Don’t Need Two – I DON’T NEED TWO
Melissa Jansen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and her left breast was removed. She doesn’t want new memes to be made and she declares herself as a uniboober. She suggests that women who have their breasts removed can live happily and confidently without using a special bra or having breast reconstruction. She creates a web page with the slogan “I don’t need two” and works as an activist on social media with the same slogan. Those who are curious can follow their social media posts from the links below:
https://www.idontneedtwo.com/
https://www.instagram.com/idontneedtwo/
Now is the Time for Flat Closure – Flat Closure Now
The non-profit organization called “flat closure now”, which is a non-profit organization, has a very different mission. Let’s explain their purpose with the statements https://www.flatclosurenow.org/ on their website:
Living Straight – Going Flat
“Living straight” is a trend that recommends women who have had their breasts removed due to breast cancer refuse to have new breasts, that is, breast reconstruction, and to continue their lives as they seem, not even using external prostheses and padded bras. They also call this “going straight”. A study conducted in the USA showed that despite the increasing awareness about reconstruction after breast cancer, there has been an increase in the number of women who do not want to have a new breast consciously made after their breasts are removed in recent years. It is even seen that those who have had breast reconstruction with silicone breast implants prefer a straight life by having these implants removed.
Reasons for Choosing to Continue Straight
- Not wanting to have new surgeries after breast removal surgery.
- Not wanting to endure some of the troubles associated with new breast augmentation surgery
- The possibility that the new breast made will not be as satisfactory as they hoped.
- As a result of breast reconstruction, in some cases, the possibility of unexpected disorders, ie complications, in the future.
- Breast reconstruction is a more troublesome operation than breast removal in some cases.
Some women object to the view that the presence of breasts is necessary as a sexual object. They argue that women can be beautiful and sexy even without breasts, and if they are happy with their appearance, they can be visible without having to hide their protruding flat breasts.
Evaluation of the Subject in terms of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
We, plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgeons, plan our treatments in line with the wishes of our patients. We never try to force or persuade a patient who has had a mastectomy for breast cancer to create a new breast. If the patient desires this, it is our duty to do our best.
Breast Reconstruction
Initially, it was fate for the patient to live like this after breast removal. However, at the end of the 1970s, various methods of breast reconstruction were started in the world and in Turkey. Until the 1980s, both the breast and the muscles under it were removed and a skin patch was placed on the chest wall in surgeries performed for breast cancer. In these cases, a large amount of new tissue had to be brought to this area to make new breasts. The problem was solved by transporting the skin of the abdomen or back in a special way. However, these operations were often more complicated than breast cancer surgery and could be completed with at least two more operations. This created a serious problem both financially and physically. In the following years, breast-sparing and even breast-conserving surgeries began to be performed in breast cancer. This facilitated breast reconstruction. Because the lack of skin, which is the biggest problem in making new breasts, was seriously reduced or eliminated. In addition, silicone breast implants were placed in place of the removed breast tissue, and the missing volume began to be easily completed. However, radiotherapy (x-ray) treatment and chemotherapy after breast removal could cause inflammation or expulsion of silicone implants, which is a foreign body. This meant that the efforts were wasted and caused serious despair and regret in the patient. Progress in breast reconstruction continues and more and more natural, permanent and pleasing results are obtained. In fact, the most reliable reconstruction is the one made with the body’s own tissues without using a foreign substance. In recent years, breast reconstruction using the patient’s own fat has produced promising results. prof. Dr. Ege Özgentaş prefers to perform breast reconstruction using his own fat in suitable patients.
Conclusion
Everyone has personal preferences about their lives and their own bodies and these should be respected. Breast reconstruction is not a necessity, but an operation that can be performed if desired. Anti-reconstruction movements are probably the product of a search for deep pain, helplessness and despair. They are unlikely to be permanent. As breast reconstruction after mastectomy becomes more perfect, the idea that women can live happily with a flat rib cage will find less supporters.
