Injuries to the Breast

INJURIES TO THE BREAST

INJURIES TO THE BREAST

While not a common, breast injuries can cause many problems for individuals of both genders. The breast is very sensitive to activity and must be taken care of to reduce the effects of impact and friction activities. First, defining the structure of the breast is not complex, but the muscles surrounding it can also be damaged leading to breast issues. Injuries to the breast can occur in many ways and have many different effects on the individual. Cancer is another type of injury that can occur in the breast and lead to life altering surgeries. Prevention is key and can make all the difference in an injury that just requires time to heal or surgery. Finally, rehabilitation is necessary for these individuals to lead happy and healthy lives.

The breast is made up of fatty and glandular tissues. The muscles surrounding and underlying the breast are crucial to the health of the breast and can also be injured during trauma to the breast. The breast overlies the following muscles that encase the chest wall: pectoralis major, serratus anterior, external oblique, rectus abdominus fascia (Gabriel, 2013). Most importantly, the blood that supplies circulation to these muscles also is perforated through to the breast parenchyma ultimately supplying the breast with blood (Gabriel, 2013). The pectoralis major is important when discussing a mastectomy. In a majority of cases this muscle is brought over the implant to protect it (Gabriel, 2013). Reconstruction of the breast following a mastectomy or trauma can severely injure these muscles as positioning them for the implant is very stressing and infection can cause muscles to tear. Another aspect to worry about is the position of the brachial plexus nerve during surgery. It has become increasingly more common for patients to experience palsy of this nerve about the second day following a reconstructive breast surgery on the...