Home Conditions & Treatments Treatments Post Cancer Reconstruction

For most post-cancer patients, reconstruction dramatically improves their appearance and quality of life.

Commonly, reconstructive plastic surgery is applied to patients after treatment for the following types of cancer: Breast, skin, sarcoma, head and neck and pelvic.

Breast Cancer

Please see our dedicated breast reconstruction section.

Skin Cancer

Depending on the severity and location of the cancer, skin cancer reconstruction options can range from simple closure to flaps.

Excise and closure
Excise with skin graft: After excision, the area may need to be repaired with a skin graft. A skin graft is a thin piece of skin taken from one area and placed on a prepared recipient site.
Local Flap: If the defect is larger, excision would be followed by local tissue rearrangement. This is tissue that is moved from an area adjacent to the wound.
Free Flap: In the case where there is insufficient local tissue, a free flap would be required. A free flap is a piece of skin, fat and muscle that is completely removed from a donor site with an artery and a vein and transferred to the recipient site, where the artery and vein are connected to vessels in that area. The flap is trimmed and sutured into place.

A sarcoma is a cancer arising from connective tissue such as muscle or bone. The reconstruction options depend on the severity, size and location of the cancer. Options consist of simple closure, skin grafts, and tissue rearrangement with local flaps, pedicle flaps, or free flaps.

Simple Closure: After excision, the area is sutured closed.
Skin Graft: A thin layer of skin is taken from a donor area and placed on a prepared recipient site.
Local Flap: Tissue rearrangement adjacent to the wound.
Pedicle Flap: A pedicle flap is tissue that is moved on a vascular pedicle (an artery and a vein that will be connected to an artery and a vein at the recipient site) and is sutured into place at the recipient site.
Free Flap: A free flap is a piece of tissue that is completely removed from its donor site with an artery and a vein and connected to an artery and a vein at the recipient site.

Head and Neck Cancer

Plastic surgery options for head and neck cancer range from:

Primary Closure with Skin Graft: A thin layer of skin is taken from a donor area and placed on a prepared recipient site.
Local Flap: Tissue rearrangement adjacent to the wound.
Pedicle Flap: Apedicle flap is tissue that is moved on a vascular pedicle (an artery and a vein that will be connected to an artery and a vein at the recipient site) and is sutured into place at the recipient site.
Free Flap: A free flap is a piece of tissue that is completely removed from its donor site with an artery and a vein and connected to an artery and a vein at the recipient site.

Pelvic Cancer

Plastic surgery options for pelvic cancer range from:

Local Flap: Tissue rearrangement adjacent to the wound.
Free Flap: A free flap is a piece of tissue that is completely removed from its donor site with an artery and a vein and connected to an artery and a vein at the recipient site.

The best candidates for post cancer reconstruction are those who have undergone treatment for cancer of the breast, skin, sarcoma, head and neck or pelvis.

All surgery carries risk, and you should be fully aware of the medical risks associated with this procedure before you consent to surgery. Your surgeon will discuss these risks with you during your consultation, and you are encouraged to ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.

More details about your consultation and tips on coming to Bumrungrad in the Consultation section of our Getting Your Procedure page.

You will be required to sign a consent form before surgery stating that you have been informed of the risks involved; that you understand those risks; and that you accept those risks. This is standard hospital protocol and surgery will not be performed if you do not sign.

You can find hospital forms on our the Forms section of our Getting Your Procedure page.

It is your obligation to inform your surgeon of key medical information that may influence the outcome of your surgery or may increase the level of risk. These include medications you are taking, history of disease, medical complications, etc.

Risks and risk rates vary from patient to patient depending on a range of factors. No two people are alike. The risks listed below are possible risks associated with this type of surgery and are mentioned regardless of how remote the possibility:

Bleeding, fluid collection, excessive scar tissue. Poor healing resulting in conspicuous scarring or skin loss. Tissue necrosis.

Further Reading:
Cancer Help Online

Please note that this information should be used only as a guide to your treatment. All specifics will be discussed with your Physician at your consultation.

If you have questions that are not answered in this website, then please contact us.

Created When: September 09, 2010

Last modify: February 04, 2022

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