Posted by Sandy on October 21, 2009, 3:15 am
207.200.116.130
Hi Dr. D!
The information below was posted on one of the bc bulletin boards, and I wondered if you could give us your thoughts on using this as a reason to delay reconstruction. Thank you!
An oversimplified, but short explanation of the Phases of Wound Healing is that the body's initial response to trauma, including surgery, is inflammation. The Inflammatory Stage can last 2-5 days post injury/surgery. During the 2nd or Proliferative Phase, healing begins with granulation (rough, pink tissue containing new connective tissue and capillaries forms around the edges of a wound) and wound contraction. This phase can begin as early as 2 days post injury and lasts up to 3 weeks. The 3rd and final phase is known as the Remodeling Phase, which begins about 3 weeks post injury and can last up to 2 years. During this phase of healing, new collagen forms which increases the tensile strength of wounds (resistance to being pulled apart. Keep in mind that scar tissue is only 80 percent as strong as original tissue.)
Three weeks is apparently the ideal interval between mastectomy and reconstruction. This is because (barring infection), the inflammation has been replaced by granulation tissue and new collegen formation and the reconstruction is not adding a second source of inflammation to the breast area.
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