Actress Angelina Jolie made a startling revelation recently - after finding out she was at high risk for breast cancer, she decided to undergo a double mastectomy. Jolie is being praised in the media for not only having the courage to go through this procedure, but also being willing to share her story in the hopes that it may inspire other woman to visit their physician to investigate their own risks of the illness.
Jolie penned an op-ed in The New York Times about her preventative double mastectomy, reports CNN. "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," she 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."
Jolie is only 37 years old, but she is no stranger to the pain cancer can cause. Her own mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, had breast cancer and died of ovarian cancer six years ago at the age of 56. Her grandmother died of ovarian cancer at age 45 and her Aunt just passed away from ovarian cancer at age 61 this weekend.
It took three months for Jolie to go through the entire procedure, including breast reconstruction. She explained that it was a three-part process. The first procedure was performed to up her odds of saving her nipples, followed by a second surgery to remove the breast tissue. Finally, Jolie had breast implants inserted to restore the natural appearance of her breasts.
As an actress, much of Jolie's career depends on her appearance. However, everyday women who decide to undergo double mastectomies are likely to also be concerned about how they will look once the procedure is completed. Fortunately, a visit to a plastic surgeon can help women discover what options they have. Many choose to undergo a reconstruction with implants, much like Jolie did.
Modern aesthetic medicine affords women many options when it comes to breast implants. They can choose between silicone or saline implants, and they also have the option of textured or non-textured breasts. These decisions are best made with the guidance of a board-certified plastic surgeon who can thoroughly explain the advantages of each type of implant.
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It's great that she's been so open with what she's going through. I think it's very inspiring to women who are also battling breast cancer. She went from an 87% risk to a 5% risk...that's fantastic. There were also some interesting procedural things I didn't knew existed before her surgery, such as the temporary tissue expander.
Does anyone know how those work and what the reason for using them is?
January 27, 2014 - 4:18pmThis Comment
Hello Anonymous,
A breast tissue expander is a temporary breast implant that is designed to stretch the skin and muscle to make room for a future and permanent implant.
After a few months, the expander is removed and the permanent breast implant is inserted.
I had a right mastectomy in July and a breast tissue expander was inserted.
Each week, I returned to the surgeon's office to have 60cc of saline inserted into the expander. After four treatments, the reconstructive surgeon was satisfied with the degree of expansion. I have completed a 12 week course of chemotherapy. In the next few months, I hope to have the final reconstructive surgery for a permanent implant insertion.
I hope this answers your question.
January 27, 2014 - 5:48pmMaryann
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