Gross Anatomy
I'm kind of a geek. I think it's fascinating the things that can be done to the body and the tools they have to make these things possible. For example, I have a "dermal matrix" that was inserted during my mastectomy to strengthen the pocket for reconstruction. A dermal matrix is basically cadaver tissue that has been stripped down to the basic cell level and when inserted, becomes integrated with the recipient's own tissue to strengthen it. So, yeah, I have dead people tissue inside of me.
The geek in me was fascinated when I came across the links to these videos. One shows a nipple-sparring mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. The other shows a patient who is having a tissue expander placement years after a mastectomy. While not identical to the surgeries that I've had, they're pretty similar. My mastectomy removed the entire breast and some of the skin, including the areola complex which is preserved in this video. This video also shows a sentinel node biopsy, which I had in my very first surgery two years ago. I did have tissue expanders, but they were placed immediately following my mastectomy, not in a separate surgery at a later date. It's probably good that I didn't see these videos before I had my surgery, but now I understand why it hurt so damn much.
These videos are pretty interesting (if a little long), but if you get grossed out easily or don't do well with blood, they probably aren't for you.
Breast Reconstruction with Tissue Expansion
Nipple Sparing Mastectomy with Immediate Reconstruction
The geek in me was fascinated when I came across the links to these videos. One shows a nipple-sparring mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. The other shows a patient who is having a tissue expander placement years after a mastectomy. While not identical to the surgeries that I've had, they're pretty similar. My mastectomy removed the entire breast and some of the skin, including the areola complex which is preserved in this video. This video also shows a sentinel node biopsy, which I had in my very first surgery two years ago. I did have tissue expanders, but they were placed immediately following my mastectomy, not in a separate surgery at a later date. It's probably good that I didn't see these videos before I had my surgery, but now I understand why it hurt so damn much.
These videos are pretty interesting (if a little long), but if you get grossed out easily or don't do well with blood, they probably aren't for you.
Breast Reconstruction with Tissue Expansion
Nipple Sparing Mastectomy with Immediate Reconstruction
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