A critical viewpoint by a general surgeon toward reconstructive surgery after mastectomy.
Reconstructive breast surgery is accompanied by hazards, both known and unknown, which may endanger the life of the patient. On the other hand, the benefits are largely a modest gesture toward the physical and emotional adjustment. It is the duty of the physician to present all aspects of the contemplated procedure and let the patient decide whether her emotional needs justify the risks entailed.
D001940:Breast / Q000601:surgery*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012306:Risk; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000379:methods*