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Use of devices (tissue expanders and implants)
Historically, there are two primary techniques used for implant-based breast reconstruction:
To learn more about how AlloDerm® Regenerative Tissue Matrix or Strattice™ Reconstructive Tissue Matrix may help, click here.
Fully covering the implant with muscle (full muscle coverage technique)
This method of implant-based reconstruction utilizes muscles in the immediate area of the breast to fully cover the implant. Surgeons use your pectoralis muscle, serratus anterior muscle and sometimes your rectus abdominus muscle to achieve full muscle coverage of the implant. This technique has a number of benefits, but also has some potential drawbacks.
- Benefits
- Because the muscles used to cover the implant add an additional layer of tissue between the implant and the skin, this technique may:
- Decrease risk of skin flap thinning
- Decrease the risk of exposure and/or extrusion of the implant
- Decrease risk of being able to see or feel the implant under the skin
- Increased blood supply to the mastectomy incision site which can help the incision healing process.
- Potential Drawbacks
- High-riding breast:
High-riding Breast* | This method increases your risk of complications associated with muscle repositioning, including the possibility that your implant may not be able to be placed in the desired position. The muscles used to cover the implant can sometimes cause limitations as to where and how the implant can be positioned. As a result, this technique often makes it difficult for the surgeon to obtain optimal breast shape, size, contour and location. Many times the implant tends to “ride high” on the chest giving an unnatural appearance to the breast. Poor projection/ptosis** | - Poor projection of the breast
- Poor definition of the breast mound
- Serratus band contracture: in some cases one of the muscles used to cover the implant can spasm and contract causing the breast to become deformed
AlloDerm® Tissue Matrix or Strattice™ Tissue Matrix delivers many of the benefits of full and partial muscle coverage WITHOUT the drawbacks of either!
Like an increasing number of surgeons nationwide, your doctor may choose to use AlloDerm® Tissue Matrix or Strattice™ Tissue Matrix tissue matrices to achieve the best possible results for your procedure. LifeCell Tissue Matrices offer several advantages for breast reconstruction postmastectomy over these techniques.
* Courtesy of Scott L. Spear, MD, FACS
**Courtesy of Ron Israeli, MD, FACS
Every patient is different and results may vary. Only a physician can determine the best treatment for you. Please ask your doctor to explain the benefits and risks to see if LifeCell products are right for you.
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