Breast Reconstruction with Breast Implants

Breast Reconstruction with Breast Implants
The following information applies to reconstruction following mastectomy. However, similar considerations apply to reconstruction for breast trauma or congenital defects.

Your doctor will decide whether your health and medical condition makes you an appropriate candidate for breast reconstruction with breast implants. Women with larger breasts may require reconstruction with a combination of a tissue flap and an implant.

Your doctor may recommend a breast implant, reduction mammoplasty (breast reduction), or a mastopexy (breast lift), of your opposite, uninvolved breast to improve symmetry with your reconstructed breast. Reduction mammoplasty involves removal of breast tissue and skin. Mastopexy involves removing a strip of skin from under the breast or around the nipple and using it to lift and tighten the skin over the breast. If it is important to you not to alter the unaffected breast, you should discuss this with your doctor because it may affect the breast reconstruction procedures considered for your case.

The breast reconstruction process may begin at the time of your mastectomy (immediate reconstruction) or weeks to years afterwards (delayed reconstruction).

Immediate reconstruction is one-stage or two-stage reconstruction.

One-stage breast reconstruction may be done at the time of your mastectomy. After the general surgeon removes your breast tissue, the plastic surgeon will insert a breast implant under the skin where breast tissue was removed.
Two-stage reconstruction is more typical. The first stage is a breast tissue expander placed, at the time of your mastectomy, to stretch your skin and create a pocket for a breast implant. Tissue expansion typically lasts four to six months. The tissue expander is then replaced several months later with a breast implant. This is considered immediate reconstruction because the tissue expander is placed at the time of mastectomy.
Delayed reconstruction is a two-stage reconstruction starting with a breast tissue expander placed months or years later, which is then replaced several months later with a breast implant. This is considered delayed reconstruction because the tissue expander is placed after the mastectomy site has healed.

It is important to know that the one and two-stage references do not mean the number of surgeries involved. You should expect that any type of breast reconstruction will take several steps to complete. It could take months to years before your reconstruction is complete.

Two potential advantages to immediate reconstruction are that your breast reconstruction starts at the time of your mastectomy and that you may save money when you combine the mastectomy with the first stage of the reconstruction. However, with immediate reconstruction, there may be a higher risk of complications, such as rupture/deflation, as well as longer initial operation and healing times.

A potential advantage to delayed reconstruction is that you can delay your reconstruction decision and surgery until other treatments, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, are completed. Delayed reconstruction may be advisable if your surgeon anticipates healing problems with your mastectomy, or if you just need more time to consider your options.

There are medical, financial, and emotional considerations to choosing immediate versus delayed reconstruction. You should discuss the pros and cons with the options available in your individual case with your surgeon, plastic surgeon, and oncologist.

Additional Liposuction Research:

Saline Breast Implants | Silicone Breast Implants | Breast Augmentation Risks | Breast Augmentation Costs | Breast Augmentation Before & After | Choosing a Breast Augmentation Surgeon | Choosing a Breast Implant | Breast Reconstruction with Breast Implants | Breast Reconstruction with Tissue Flaps | Questions for Your Breast Augmentation Surgeon | Questions for Your Breast Reconstruction Surgeon | Breast Augmentation Glossary