| Dr. Mark Brzezienski is a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Reconstructive Surgery.
Q. What is reconstructive surgery?
A. A prime example of reconstructive surgery is breast reconstruction. After total or sometimes partial mastectomy for cancer the breast is absent or damaged. In its role in the emergency room, our practice manages a large number of patients who have suffered injuries in automobile accidents and require facial and lower extremity reconstruction. Many of these patients have injuries that require prompt expert attention and patient selection is not an option.
Q. What is the difference between Cosmetic and Reconstructive surgery?
A. My practice is about divided equally between aesthetic (cosmetic) and reconstructive surgeries. Aesthetic surgeries involve making a normal healthy structure appear better or more youthful. Reconstructive surgeries repair or recreate lost or damaged body structures.
Q. What benefits does Reconstructive surgery provide?
A. Modern surgical techniques are employed to reconstruct or return the breast to a more normal appearance. Reconstructive surgeries can also restore function as in the reconstruction of a hand, which has been severely injured in an industrial accident.
Q. Who is a good candidate for Reconstructive surgery?
A. The patient selection process for elective surgery is more stringent. Good candidates for elective surgery, whether it is reconstructive or cosmetic, should be in good health. Reconstructive patients who are significantly affected by their injury are more likely to have surgery with known medical risk factors than an elective cosmetic surgery patient. Additionally anyone who is contemplating an elective surgery should stop smoking. There are studies that indicate that surgical risks for complications like infection could be 13 times as high in smokers.
Q. Does Reconstructive surgery have possible risks and complications?
A. All surgery has risks. Part of a consultation with your plastic and reconstructive surgeon must include a thorough review of your general health, and a comprehensive discussion about the risks of any surgical intervention. Risk reduction efforts are part of every effective surgical plan. Only then can the patient and surgeon formulate a treatment plan which is individually appropriate for that patient’s specific problem.
Q. How long does it take to recover from Reconstructive surgery?
A. Recovery from surgery depends on the patient, and the procedure. Abdominoplasty is a very frequently performed procedure in my practice. The nurses who work with me who have had abdominoplasties after children usually return to their job in about ten days. Other surgeries have shorter or longer recovery periods. Needless to say, we do all we can to provide seamless care after surgery, and to assure that our patients return to appropriate activity levels commensurate with their post procedure healing.
Q. Does Reconstructive surgery leave any visible scarring?
A. We are frequently asked about scars. One of plastic surgery’s tricks is knowing where to place a scar so that it is less noticeable. This educated scar placement coupled with routine post procedure scar management minimizes scar burden and maximizes the aesthetic result. Plastic surgery is not scarless but our goal is to minimize and cleverly conceal them.
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