Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide with one in every 14 women affected – that’s a staggering 1.7 million cases each year! Less than 1% of breast cancer develops in males which may seem like a small amount but equates to 17 000 men annually. Symptoms of breast cancer include changes to the skin covering the breast, such as dimpling, puckering, redness or scaling. Changes to your nipple, such as redness or scaling, or a nipple that begins to turn inward.

 

Dr. Conrad works with a number of breast surgeons in different hospitals to help restore previous breast aesthetics after the breast cancer has been removed.

  

What can I expect?

There are different techniques to do Breast Reconstruction, which include Onco-plastic procedures (this involves using the surrounding tissue to reshape the breast and areola), reconstruction with implants and reconstruction with your own tissues. Dr. Conrad is one of a handful of plastic surgeons who can offer you a reconstruction with a free flap, specifically the DIEP flap. DIEP flap surgery is a specialised procedure that involves taking fatty tissue from the lower abdomen to rebuild the breast. Because abdominal muscle tissue is spared with the DIEP flap, abdominal strength is better maintained and recovery is abundantly quicker.

 

What is the recovery time?

This will vary from case to case, but you will usually require hospitalisation for two days, with recovery time ranging from three to four weeks.