Tranverse Abdominal Island Flap for Breast Reconstruction

Abstract

The psychosocial literature is replete with studies describing morbidity associated with mastectomy, “the stress of which causes considerable upset in virtually all areas of a patent’s life” Specific types of psychological distress resulting from radical surgery include clinically significant mood disturbance, decreased sexual interest and satisfaction increased self-consciousness about clothes and revealing underwear, negative changes in one’s body image, fears about recurrence and of late anxiety about the relative merits of breast reconstruciton.