At Bristol Breast Care Centre, we can offer you:
- Implant based reconstructive surgery (using tissue expanders/implants and/or ADM – acellular dermal matrix grafts)
- Tissue based reconstructive surgery (latimmus dorsi reconstruction – using tissue and muscle from the back to recreate a breast)
- Or; we can refer directly to our plastic surgery colleagues for DIEP reconstructive surgery where they use the muscle and fatty tissue from the tummy to create a breast. ( a referral from your own breast surgeon can be made directly from clinic)
All patients must be assessed at the reconstructive surgery clinic prior to undergoing surgery as not all options may be suitable or available/appropriate for all patients. There are several factors that need to be taken into consideration.
Some women choose not to have reconstruction, but are informed this is available to them at any time in the future if they wish.
Nipple reconstruction is also available within the BBCC and is generally performed as a daycase procedure by either our breast surgeons or the plastic surgeons.
The BBCC run reconstruction clinics where both new and follow-up patients are seen and given the opportunity to talk things through in more detail with the consultant and/or CNS.
Patients undergoing DIEP reconstructions are seen and followed up by the plastic surgeon and the reconstruction nurse Caroline Oates.