Breast Reconstruction Options

When you or a loved one receives a breast cancer diagnosis, it can feel overwhelming. As a patient or family member, it sometimes feels like you are learning a new language as you talk with doctors and discuss treatment options.

If your doctor suggests a mastectomy (removal of the breast), you have the option to restore the breast with the help of a plastic surgeon. Working with a plastic surgeon can help restore your body’s natural appearance. When choosing to undergo breast reconstruction surgery, there are a few factors to consider:

• Timing: Breast reconstruction can be done immediately after a mastectomy (immediate breast reconstruction) or several weeks or years afterward (delayed breast reconstruction).
• Tissue vs. implants: There are two options for breast reconstruction. They can be rebuilt using implants (saline or silicone). They can also be rebuilt using autologous tissue (tissue from elsewhere in the body). In some cases, both implants and autologous tissue are used to rebuild the breast.
  • When implants are used, two surgeries are required. During the first surgery, a tissue expander is placed. Over time, the expander slowly inflates to create the desired breast shape and size. During the second surgery, the tissue expander is removed and replaced with an implant.
  • Autologous breast reconstruction requires one surgery. The plastic surgeon takes tissue from another area of the patient’s body – often the lower belly or upper back – to create a breast.

Learn more about both options from the National Cancer Institute.

• One breast or two: It is common for patients to have a unilateral mastectomy. This means only one breast is affected by the cancer and is removed. As a new breast is reconstructed in its place, there is a concern that the new breast will not match the remaining breast. To make them even, the plastic surgeon can reduce (breast reduction) or enlarge (breast augmentation) the unaffected breast during the reconstructive process.

Choose Bronson for Your Breast Cancer Journey

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, trust the experts at Bronson. From breast surgeons and plastic surgeons to medical, radiation and surgical oncologists, our experts are here for you every step of the journey. If you are a patient with breast cancer ready to discuss breast reconstruction surgery, ask your breast surgeon for a referral to Bronson Plastic Surgery Specialists.

Kimberly Clason, MD

Plastic Surgery

“I enjoy working with a wide variety of patients. It allows me to draw from my strong foundation in general plastic and reconstructive surgery, breast surgery and reconstruction, body contouring, skin cancer and cosmetic surgery. I believe that really understanding my patients is the most important way for me to bring improvement to their lives.”

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