Breast Reconstruction Archives - Robert T. Buchanan, MD

Studies Again Show Exercise Reduces Breast Cancer

The NPR (3/21, Shute) “Shots” blog reports that research presented at the European Breast Cancer Conference suggests that “exercise reduces women’s risk of breast cancer,” regardless of “what kind of exercise they do, how old they are, how much they weigh, or when they get started.” Investigators looked at data from “studies that involved more than 4 million women around the world who participated in prospective studies from 1987 to 2013.” The data indicated “that the more active a woman is, the better her odds of avoiding breast cancer.”

HealthDay (3/21, Dallas) reports that the data showed that “when compared with the women who got the least amount of physical activity,” the “most active” women “reduced their risk for breast cancer by 12 percent.”

Quick Facts on Breast Reconstruction with Implants in North Carolina

The world was caught by surprise when actress Angelina Jolie revealed in a New York Times op-ed article that she had decided to undergo preventive double mastectomy where both her nipples and breast tissues were removed. The final process involved placement of breast implants, like the ones used in North Carolina breast reconstruction by Dr. Buchanan. This decision was made by Jolie after finding out that she had an 87 percent risk of getting breast cancer.

A Proactive Approach

“My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman,” the actress wrote. “Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much as I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy.”

Quick Facts on Breast Reconstruction

It took Jolie roughly 3 months to go through the entire process. If you’ve been thinking about the same set of North Carolina breast surgeries that Jolie did after learning about breast cancer risks, read on below for some quick facts on breast reconstruction using implants.

You can choose to whether use silicone or saline implants. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, the importance of thoroughly discussing your options and preferences with Dr. Buchanan.
You can opt to have one-stage immediate breast reconstruction or two-stage delayed reconstruction. The former could be done the same time as mastectomy while the latter is often done when the woman doesn’t have enough skin left to cover the implant.
The use of implants in breast reconstruction is not suitable for women whose muscles in the breast are removed. The muscles are supposed to hold the implants.
Breast reconstruction via implants leaves very minimal scarring.

The Center for Plastic Surgery in Highlands, North Carolina

We invite you to explore your cosmetic options with us! We perfectly understand that cosmetic surgery is not just about improving the physical aspect but making you feel better about yourself, too.

Dr. Buchanan has hospital privileges at both Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. The procedures are performed either in his office or at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. We are located at 209 Hospital Drive, Suite 202, Highlands, NC. Call us at 828-526-3783 or fill out this contact form to schedule an initial consultation. We look forward to your visit!