Angelina Jolie Undergoes Double Mastectomy
Actress Angelina Jolie announced today that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy after learning she is at a high risk of developing breast cancer.
Jolie revealed her decision via an op-ed column in the New York Times titled “My Medical Choice”. She wrote, “Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could.”
A double mastectomy is an operation that removes all or part of the breasts. In Jolie’s case, she chose a preventative, or “prophylactic mastectomy”. After this procedure, many women pursue breast reconstruction with a plastic surgeon to restore the appearance of their natural breasts.
The four board-certified plastic surgeons of Plastic Surgery Associates in Grand Rapids, Mich. see patients who are in their final phases of reconstruction and are ready for breast implants.
“It is not uncommon for women with a family history of breast cancer to undergo this procedure in order to reduce their risk,” said Dr. John Renucci of Plastic Surgery Associates. “In many preventative cases (see: “nipple saving mastectomy”), the nipples can be saved. Currently, there are many advances in breast reconstruction that allow for natural looking results to restore your figure after mastectomy.”
