Breast Reconstruction

Breast Reconstruction

Breast Reconstruction is a reconstructive plastic surgery procedure which attempts to restore a breast to normal size, shape and appearance after mastectomy. Mastectomy is the removal of one or more breasts most often associated with the treatment of breast cancer. Multiple surgeries are usually required before one or more breasts are fully rebuilt. Often, breast reconstruction will utilize a breast lift and in some cases breast implants to provide the patient with the best results.

Types of Breast Reconstruction

There are 2 major types of breast surgery for breast reconstruction. They are Flap reconstruction, which uses tissue from the patient’s own body and tissue expansion with breast implants that expand the tissue in the area of the mastectomy in order to fit an implant.

Flap Reconstruction

Flap reconstruction involves using the patient’s own muscle, fat and skin to reconstruct the breast. Usually this technique works best for smaller breasts. The plastic surgeon will take donor tissue from one of two areas either the back or latissimus dorsi muscle flap or the abdomen or TRAM flap.

– Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Flap:
– In this procedure the surgeon will take donor tissue from the to the breast area by moving the tissue under the arm pit while leaving the blood supply attached.
– TRAM Flap (Abdominal Flap)
– In this procedure the surgeon will take donor tissue from the abdominal area in order to reconstruct the breast. The amount of tissue taken is the same as in an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck procedure which provides both a reconstruction of the breast and a stomach lift to the patient.

Tissue Expansion with Breast Implant

The tissue expansion with breast implant procedure is the most common type of breast reconstruction performed today. The plastic surgeon will insert a temporary tissue expander implant beneath the pectoralis muscle of the chest. Over the next several weeks, the surgeon will slowly expand the breast tissue by inserting more and more saline solution into the tissue expander. When the expander has reached the desired size of the plastic surgeon, it is taken out and replaced with a more permanent implant. Popular breast implants include saline implants and their counterpart silicone gel implants.

Length of Surgery and Required Treatments

The length of breast reconstruction surgery will vary dependent upon the type of procedure and the individual patient needs. You can expect the surgery to range anywhere from 1-6 hours and in most cases you will have to make multiple trips to the plastic surgeon before the procedure is completed.

Recovering from Breast Reconstruction

Due to the various degrees of mastectomy and the various procedural techniques used to reconstruct the breast or breasts, the recovery from surgery will greatly depend on the individual patient. We recommend you talk extensively about your length of recovery when consulting with your surgeon.

How to Find Board Certified Breast Reconstruction Surgeons Near You

Choosing the right breast reconstruction surgeon can be a very daunting task. Make sure you find the surgeon you are most comfortable with. For help with finding breast surgeons in your area visit our plastic surgeon directory for 5 Star Surgeon Network Approval Rated™ Surgeons near You.