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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.
Partially covering the implant with muscle (partial muscle coverage technique)
This method only uses your pectoralis chest muscle leaving the lower portion of the implant uncovered by muscle. Because the lower portion of the implant is not constrained by muscles, it tends to release the bottom portion of the breast which helps to provide a more natural looking breast. This technique addresses many of the limitations of the full muscle coverage technique, but also has some potential drawbacks:
- Benefits:
Because it keeps the lower portion of the implant unrestricted by muscle, it helps to provide a more natural looking breast shape and defined breast mound contours. - Potential Drawbacks:
- “Bottoming out” of the implant: Because there is no muscle holding the lower portion of the implant in place, there is a higher potential that the implant can migrate down towards your waist.
- Lateral malposition: implants migrate toward your sides
- Exposure and extrusion of implant: Because there is not the added layer of tissue between the implant and the skin flap, the skin holds the weight of the implant. In some instances, the weight of the implant can stretch your skin to the point that it breaks through the skin itself.
- Synmastia: The breasts touch in the middle or become a “uni-boob”
- Implant visibility through the skin: Being able to feel the implant through the skin (palpability)
|  | | Lateral malposition* |  | | Extrusion** |  | | Synmastia* |
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 Ron Israeli, MD, FACS
** Courtesy of Andrew Salzberg, MD
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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