The Importance of Breast Examination before Surgery

 

A lot of people are considering breast surgery to get a beautiful breast shape. The majority is seeking improvement in terms of aesthetics and as a result there is high proportion of people who overlook breast health.

At NANA Plastic Surgery Hospital we recommend a breast examination before surgery.

The probability of abnormal results in younger patients is very low, but still a lot of them worry whether the examination truly necessary. 

It’s true that the examination isn’t cheap and therefore can be a financial burden, however there are good reasons why we recommend it.

 

Mammary Ultrasound

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Breast examination starts with an ultrasound.

Let’s explain the benefit of getting an ultrasound check-up before surgery.

More than 70% of Korean women have dense breast tissue. Although many breast conditions can be determined through palpation (examination using hands), in case of dense breast tissue it is not easy to identify tumors with this method.

With an ultrasound examination, tumors and their size can be identified and confirmed. Through this we can also judge whether a tumor needs immediate treatment or not.

In addition, with pre-surgery check-up we can also accurately determine any preexisting illnesses and whether they were caused by implants.

 

“Your breasts need to be healthy for plastic surgery results to be satisfactory”

 

In case of plastic surgery, the results of breast examination are reflected in the surgery plan, providing an even more precise design.

The surgery plan is implemented through consultation with a breast specialist by analyzing the fat and muscle layers, through which we can establish the best direction for the surgery to ensure better results.

After the surgery, thorough examination allows us to confirm any issues, such as implant rupture, damage, folding, rippling; seroma or hematoma etc.

In case of capsular contraction we need to check the thickness of tissue capsule to implement this information in the revisional procedure.

Through ultrasound examination we can identify various causes before going into surgery, leading to better results, so conducting a breast examination is helpful.

Usually people visit a general breast clinic for examination, where it is possible to diagnose rupture, damage or other problems with implants, but their knowledge about the implants might be relatively small, so it can be difficult to accurately assess any issues.

For a more accurate diagnosis it’s better to get your breast check-up at the clinic specializing in breast examinations with a high understanding about breast implants.

 

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Mammogram

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Mammogram is a multiangle breast screening equipment, through which we can accurately determine breast conditions by putting pressure on the breasts and taking photos of different breast layers from different angles.

Mammography is usually performed in case of abnormal findings via ultrasound.

Because pressure is applied during the screening, many people with breast implants might worry that this would damage the implant.

This was a problem in the past due to the implants’ poor durability, however the modern implants we use in plastic surgery today can sustain up to 700 kilograms of pressure, so the probability of implant breaking during mammography is significantly lower.

In fact, a study shows that early detection of breast cancer is delayed in patients after breast augmentation, presumably because they avoid examination due to above concerns. There is little chance that it will happen, so make sure to get your breast health check-up on time.

 

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Mammotome

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Mammotome is a specialized medical device used for breast biopsy and treatment.

Usually when a lesion (tumor) tissue is found, it’s removed surgically, but through mammotome, tissue can be removed non-surgically through a small tube. Through this device we can also identify whether the removed growth is benign or malignant.

In addition to removing abnormal growths, the mammotome can also remove lipomas that occur simultaneously with breast tissue calcification; and malignant tumors that can develop into breast cancer.

Biopsy with a mammotome is performed by making a small, 4mm incision, so there is no need to worry about it leaving a scar. It can also be customized in accordance with each individual patient’s tissue size and density to remove tumors non-surgically.

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The importance of breast examination might be overlooked because of the examination costs, but please keep in mind that you need to have healthy breasts to achieve a good result with plastic surgery!