Do You Require Restorative Cancer Surgery?

After treatment, some patients may require restorative cancer surgery to help restore function or appearance. If you’re considering restorative surgery, the oncology physician network at Regional Cancer Care Associates can help. Contact the office nearest you to get more information or to set up an appointment.

What Is Restorative Surgery?

Some forms of cancer treatment may damage or alter parts of the body. As a result, survivors may not feel as confident as they used to or they may have limited function. That’s where restorative surgery comes in. Restorative surgery can help reconstruct the body in order to return a sense of normalcy. While restorative surgery isn’t right for every patient, it can help some people take back their sense of self and move forward with life post-treatment.

There are several different types of restorative surgery, including:

• Scar revisions
• Artificial implants
• Tissue transfers
• Skin, tendon and bone grafts
• Local flap surgery
• And more…

Some of the most common types of cancer that warrant restorative surgery are breast cancer, head/neck cancer and skin cancer. For example, after having a mastectomy to remove cancer, some patients choose to have breast reconstruction surgery to rebuild their chest. Or, after having surgery to remove head/neck cancer, some patients may want restorative surgery to reshape their jawbone.

Things to Consider

Restorative surgery looks different for every patient. Whether you’ve already completed your cancer treatment or you’re starting to plan ahead, be sure to talk to your care team at RCCA about possible options. It’s important to be aware that there are risks with every surgery and that the recovery period may be long and difficult. Discuss your personal preferences and goals with your doctor to help make your decision. In most cases, patients should be done with their cancer treatment and need to be in good overall health in order to be eligible for restorative surgery.

Restorative Surgery at RCCA

If you decide to have restorative cancer surgery, know that RCCA will be by your side throughout the entire process. With a group of highly knowledgeable surgical oncologists and reconstructive surgeons on staff, we’ll connect you with the right resources to help you live life to the fullest following cancer treatment. Talk to your doctor for more information.