Repair and corporeality: breast reconstruction in question

Abstract

Breast cancer surgery will always be necessary as it is a solid tumor. Due to the local advancement of the disease, some occasions may require a mastectomy, i.e., the complete removal of the breast. To mitigate the bodily changes due to it, breast reconstruction offers a possibility for local repair and an alternative to approximate what is socially considered a reestablished body. This essay is based on a brief search in scientific databases linking breast reconstruction and social representations. We found a possible gap in the problematization of what a normal, repaired, reconstructed body would be and what the subjective forces would be that interfere in a woman’s decision to resort to what are known as reparative surgeries. By questioning the different views on what constitutes a healthy body, we draw on Foucault, Butler, and Le Breton for a broader understanding of the concepts of corporeality.