Breast reconstruction and psychological benefit

Abstract

Mastectomy following a diagnosis of breast cancer has an intensively disturbing emotional impact due to the severity of this disease as well as the removal of an organ, which has been very symbolic since the beginning of mankind and was highly estimated value whenever questioned. The breast reconstruction option, immediate or delayed, allows recovery from the patients modified body image and contributes to getting psychological stability back, whose loss is caused by that event. Aesthetical satisfaction influences the final recovery, but this satisfaction is not only determined by surgical objectives outcome, it also depends on the cognitive and emotional variables. These variables play an important part during the whole process which begins with the diagnosis, so it’s necessary to pay attention to physical aspects of recovery as well as psychological ones. Psychological intervention would be available starting as soon as we know the diagnosis. We should focus on personality characteristics of the patient, intellectual capacity, way of life and another relevant data, so that she achieves a way of coping according to the situation and avoids negative emotional responses, before they get stronger and become chronic, because it could disturb recovery, although they initially would adapt. This complementary psychological intervention explained above makes the recovery process shorter and contributes to reducing the overall cost. We think it’s very important, as we know the cases of breast cancer are increasing in Spain.