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“I feel great again and I’m sure the procedure would do the same for any woman,” she said.
Redus, a San Antonio mother of three, underwent a “tram flap” breast replacement procedure. Tram flaps use the patient’s own skin and tissue rather than manmade implants. She chose abdominal tissue and her surgeon, Gregory Wittpenn, MD, assistant professor of surgery, performed the operation in September 1994. Other times patients may elect to use tissue from their backs or buttocks.
“I wanted something that looked realistic,” Redus said. She is pleased with the results. A couple of days after surgery, Redus returned home and resumed her normal activities. Scarring has been minimal and she reports no ill effects from the surgery.
In the year between her mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, Redus came to understand the importance of feeling good about yourself.
She felt emotions of loss and even mourning that are associated with mastectomies. She also realized she could no longer wear certain clothing and the padding and prosthesis she had to wear were awkward and uncomfortable.
“I got through it. You just have to be really strong and stay positive,” she said. “Now I feel a lot better about myself. Dr. Wittpenn did a great job.”