SAFTEY OF SALINE IMPLANTS AFTER SURGERY

[HAIRPIN]

MY MOTHER JUST GOT LEARNED OF HER BREAST CANCER AND WILL HAVE SURGERY IN JULY TO REMOVE BOTH BREASTS. SHE LEARY ABOUT IMPLANTS IS THERE SOMEWHERE I CAN LEARN MORE OR PLACE SHE CAN GO TO FIND OUT IF THIS IS A SAFE OPTION FOR HER.  ON A SIDE NOTE I AM 31 YEARS OLD AT WHAT AGE SHOULD I START TO GET MAMOGRAMS DUE TO MY MOTHER'S BREAST CANCER?  I APPRECIATE ANY HELP I JUST DON'T THINK SHE WILL FEEL COMPLETE WITHOUT BREAST'S.

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear Hairpin, She could start with her surgeon's office if they have written information available for patients.  She will likely be referred to a plastic surgeon who would discuss the risks and benefits of implant/reconstruction strategies with her.  Another source to read up on some of the options is Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, she devotes chapters in her book to some of the various options for implants/ reconstruction. '

The current recommendations for breast cancer screening for you would be breast examination by a medical professional every three years.  Breast self examination, to be familiar with your breasts, and prompt reporting of any new breast symptoms to a health care professional.  Your mother's diagnosis slightly increases your risk for developing breast cancer (if she is pre-menopausal that would increase your risk some more), this information along with whether you have other risks that put you in a high risk category would be taken into account as to whether earlier screening, or testing should be done.  Discuss this with your health care professional with your next visit, they can evaluate your risk and help to advise you.

[SnowWoman]

You might check the following site for one option for reconstruction surgery:

http://www.diepflap.com/

[surgeon]

saline implants are very safe; any sort of implant can have problems, but saline implants don't cause diseases (in fact, it's really not clear that the silicone ones did, either. Score one more for the lawyers). There are ways to reconstruct without using any implants; but it's a much bigger surgery. No doubt, if she's interested in reconstruction, she'll hear about all the choices. And for women who really don't want to go through the extra surgery, but want to look ok in clothes, there are very natural-looking prostheses (falsies) that either fit into a bra or even some that stick directly to the chest and don't require special bras.