Breast reconstruction
When a woman has to undergo a mastectomy or a partial breast excision, in addition to the worry about the cancer and its treatment, a potentially devastating change to her body image can have a huge psychological impact. Mr Roblin feels that it is vital to offer an immediate breast reconstruction to these women, allowing them to have some control on their outcome.
Mr Roblin is able to offer the full range of techniques available for cancer reconstruction. This includes implant base reconstruction (implants only or implants combined with a pedicled latissimus muscle flap) and autologous reconstruction, (where the patients own tissue (fat) is used).
Breast reconstruction is a highly individual decision, and is based on the patient's circumstances, lifestyle, body habitus and medical factors. Crucially Mr Roblin's comprehensive expertise, particularly in the field of microsurgery, allows him to offer the most appropriate methods for a particular patient, allowing them to choose the one that best suits their individual needs.
If a patient decides not to have an immediate reconstruction then a 'delayed' reconstruction can be performed at any time in the future.
For further information:
Types of breast reconstruction
Implant based
Autologous breast reconstruction
To use autologous tissue for a breast reconstruction is to use fat and skin from elsewhere on the patient. Sites that can be used are the abdomen, the flank, buttock and inner thigh. Using autologous tissue allows the creation of a new breast which looks and feels like a normal breast. In addition, unlike an implant there are no problems with capsule formation, there is a reduced infection risk and autologous tissue is more resistant to the effects of radiotherapy treatment. Once the reconstruction has been performed, then the fat in its new position will remain soft and natural.