To help you navigate some of the new terms and acronyms used. If you have any you want added, please comment and I will include it in the list.
- BC – Breast cancer
- BRCA1/BRCA2 – Breast cancer genes in which some mutations may be related to elevated risk of breast, ovarian, and/or other kinds of cancer.
- BYOB – Bring Your Own Blender (I’m a big fan of raw and nutritious food, there’s no better way to enjoy a delicious breakfast smoothie in hospital than by taking in a small portable blender). The Tribest is my fave! I bought mine on eBay here.
- Donor site – the portion of the body from which an organ or tissue is removed for transplant or grafting
- Expander – (see Tissue expander)
- Foobs – Fake Boobs
- Haematoma – A swelling containing blood
- Nipple reconstruction – procedure done following the final placement of the permanent implant to rearrange tissue, giving elevation to it, to resemble a normal looking nipple
- Nipple sparring (NS) – the nipple and/or areola are left in place while the breast tissue under them is removed
- NNS – Non-nipple sparring – the nipple and/or areola are removed
- NS – Nipple sparring
- PBM – Prophylactic Bilateral Mastectomy
- PO – Prophylactic oophorectomy
- Previvor – A survivor of a predisposition (or increased risk) for a disease, such as cancer
- Prophylactic bilateral mastectomy (PBM) – the removal of both healthy breasts as a preventative procedure to reduce the risk of future diagnosis of breast cancer
- Prophylactic oophorectomy (PO) – the removal of the ovaries as a preventative procedure to reduce the risk of future diagnosis of ovarian cancer
- Prosthesis – an artificial body part
- PS – Plastic surgeon
- Seroma – a pocket of clear fluid that sometimes develops in the body after surgery
- TE – Tissue expander
- Tissue expander – A fillable tube inserted temporarily into the subperiosteal tissue and progressively inflated to expand the periosteal mucosa and create space for later reconstruction.
- TRAM Flap – Transverse rectus abdominous myocutaneous flap: a type of reconstructive surgery where fat and muscle from the abdomen are used to recreate breast tissue