At 57 when many women start putting their own needs after their families, a mother of two college-going daughters took a deeply personal decision. She decided to have breast reconstruction, inspired by the same daughters she’d raised for years.In another Delhi family, a widow in her late sixties was similarly encouraged by her two sons: one who worked in a multinational corporation and the other who worked as an Army Colonel. She also chose to have the procedure at an age when breast reconstruction is often considered unnecessary.Both the women from New Delhi underwent breast reconstruction. Their stories reflect a slow but significant change in Indian society where adult children are more and more helping their mothers make informed decisions about their bodies, health and quality of life.
Two Mothers, Two Families, and Changing Attitudes
The 57-year-old woman was recently operated upon for breast reconstruction at a specialised surgical workshop at Amrita hospital. Her two daughters, both in higher education, encouraged her to consider the treatment options available.Mrs Sarita Sharma, resident of New Delhi (Name changed) said – “At this stage in my life, I never thought that I would consider breast reconstruction. My daughters told me to learn the process and think about what I wanted for myself. Mothers spend a lot of their lives thinking about their children. This time my daughters reminded me that my well-being is important too.”The second patient, also from New Delhi, is a widow, Mrs. Gurmeet Kaur (Name Changed), around 66-67 years old, with the support of her two sons. She decided to have a breast reconstruction, considering that many people believe that kind of reconstruction is only for younger women.Mrs Kaur said: “I had reached an age where I thought some decisions were not for women like me. “But my sons encouraged me to find out about breast reconstruction and decide for myself. Their support was a lot for me.” It made me realise that growing older doesn’t mean we should stop thinking about our own comfort confidence and happiness.These cases demonstrate an important shift for doctors, that breast reconstruction is no longer only discussed in terms of physical appearance but also increasingly as an option that can contribute to psychological well-being, body image, and quality of life after treatment for breast cancer.
What 10,299 Indian Women Said About Breast Reconstruction
The significance of these cases is better understood in the light of the results of a major Indian study.A 2021 study in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open, “Perception of Breast Reconstruction among 10,299 Indian Women,” revealed that while 76.5% of respondents preferred breast reconstruction, only 48.8% knew that the procedure was available.Researchers also found a lack of access to reconstructive care, with less than 1% of women in India receiving breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, showing a large gap between patient preferences and care.The findings showed how women may not explore reconstruction following breast cancer treatment due to limited awareness, financial barriers and lack of access to specialised surgical services.
From Fixing Looks to Fixing Feelings
“Reconstructive surgery is changing what women can expect after breast cancer treatment. Breast reconstruction is a safe procedure and does increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence and does not affect the detection of breast cancer recurrence.” says Dr Shikha Gupta, Senior Consultant, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Amrita Hospital, FaridabadModern techniques involve detailed preoperative planning, CT angiography and microsurgery to identify appropriate blood vessels and reconstruct breast tissue from the patient’s own body. Sensory breast reconstruction is another new development, in which surgeons reattach nerves to try to restore sensation to reconstructed tissue. These advances, which may differ in the degree of sensory recovery, are representative of a larger trend toward improved functional and quality of life outcomes.