Breast cancer strikes one in eight women in the U.S. every year — a statistic Phil Mickelson knows all too well. The pro golfer suspended his PGA Tour schedule for six weeks this summer, when both his wife and his mother were diagnosed with the disease. Now back on the green, Mickelson and his family can look to new developments in breast reconstruction surgery for a fresh start.
PGA Tour golf wunderkind Phil Mickelson is spending more time on the links after a rough few months. His family has suffered a double dose of the same illness – breast cancer, found first in his wife Amy, 37, and then in his mother, Mary, who was diagnosed with the disease less than two months later. The Associated Press reported in July that both women would undergo surgery at the same Houston hospital. In early August, Mickelson told reporters the cancer was caught early in both cases, and the situation is now in “a better place,” enough to let him return to golf.
The details of their treatments are being kept private. But many women who are treated for breast cancer require a mastectomy, followed by breast reconstruction surgery. This operation is more time-consuming than a standard breast augmentation, since surgeons are rebuilding breast tissue, and often requires multiple procedures. Today, however, surgical advances in the breast reconstruction process leave many patients feeling more complete.
Some breast reconstruction surgeries use a saline or silicone breast implant beneath the remaining breast tissue, but many surgeons choose to perform flap reconstruction. The operation involves recreating lost breast mass by transplanting soft tissue from another area on a woman’s body. In some cases, this transplanted tissue is also necessary to provide enough muscle and skin to cover an implant.
Often, the new tissue comes from the back, thighs, abdomen or buttocks. The flap procedure takes longer and can lead to a long recovery time. And, there is a risk of loss of sensation at the donor site, as well as issues like bleeding and infection. Occasionally in older patients or those who lack enough viable tissue in other areas, doctors will also forego flap reconstruction. But, when done successfully, the surgery results can feel more natural than implants.
After the breast mass has been rebuilt through flap reconstruction or breast implants, surgeons reconstruct a nipple from soft tissue. Finally, often months later, the nipple is tattooed with colored dye that offers a natural skin tone and can hide scarring from past operations.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has created a special section on its website with information about breast reconstruction surgery, including helpful articles, before and after photos, patient stories, and a helpful video. To learn more, visit the ASPS online.
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