With your favorite websites, magazines, and television programs awash in a sea of pink, it’s hard to forget that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. However, there’s another big day approaching that shouldn’t be ignored: Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day (BRA Day) takes place on October 15.
Now in its third year, BRA Day was designed to advocate education and awareness for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. By raising attention through special events, fundraisers, and campaigns, BRA Day is working to highlight the important role reconstructive surgery plays in helping women reclaim their confidence, femininity, and feeling of wholeness after mastectomy.
With only 22 percent of women understanding the physical and aesthetic outcomes of breast reconstruction and less than a quarter familiar with the range of available options, it’s more important than ever to provide access to education and information.
Actress Angelina Jolie, who last year made a brave public statement about her choice to undergo a preventative double mastectomy and subsequent reconstruction, is making headlines again as the face of breast cancer and breast reconstruction awareness. Her courageous choices and openness about her journey are effectively lifting the veil on breast reconstruction and providing real, personal accounts of the procedures, emotions, and results.
Stories like this show that the breast reconstruction journey is by no means quick and simple, so educating women about the options they have is critical to easing the process. The good news is that, in the hands of a skilled, board certified plastic surgeon, the results of breast reconstruction can be incredible. Depending on the goals and unique anatomy of the patient, surgeons can use new medical techniques and devices to create a breast that comes close to matching your natural breasts in both form and appearance.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and BRA Day, Advanced Aesthetics will be transformed. On October 15, 2014, patients can stop by our specially decorated office and lobby for refreshments and informative literature. The entire staff will be showing their support by wearing “Great Breasts Are Worth Fighting For” tee shirts, all in celebration of breast cancer survivors and those currently in treatment.
With so few fully understanding what is possible through breast reconstruction, our surgeons at Advanced Aesthetics strive to continually educate patients and provide informative resources. If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer or have already received your mastectomy, contact us today today to schedule a breast surgery consultation. One of our board certified plastic surgeons will be happy to answer any of your questions and walk you through the process.