Hello. My wife has been diagnosed with DCIS just behind the nipple and is due to go for surgery later this month. She is to have a central excision (including the nipple and areola) and is being given the option to have local breast reconstruction at the same time using a technique called the ‘Grisotti Flap’. The alternative is just to have the excision, with no reconstruction.
We’ve searched the net but it’s really difficult to find anything that explains the difference in outcome, or shows any pictures. She has asked the surgeon if she can see some photographs, or talk to others who have had this procedure, but the surgeon has been unable to help. She talks about ‘rotation’ but we cannot fathom what this means.
It seems the choice is between simple excision only, with less risk, and the more complex reconstruction, with perhaps a better cosmetic outcome but more risk of complications and perhaps a longer stay in hospital. Just how much better is the cosmetic outcome? Is it enough to justify the extra complication? This is what we don’t know.
It would be really helpful to hear from anyone who has had a central excision like this, either with reconstruction or without, to understand the relative benefits.