Rebuilding the shape of your breast so that when you look in the mirror you feel more whole, and you can step back into everyday life with confidence.
Breast reconstruction is surgery to rebuild the shape of a breast for someone who has had a mastectomy for cancer, or who has lost part of the breast tissue after a burn or an injury. Reconstruction does not raise the chance that cancer comes back, and it does not delay any follow-up treatment you may need. Even so, this is major surgery, usually carried out in several stages, so it helps a great deal if you understand the road ahead and work closely with your doctors.
First, you are examined and counselled by a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, who is also the person who will perform your operation. Your doctor looks at your general health, the shape of your chest wall and breast, any old surgical scars, and the quality of the skin and soft tissue you have left, so that together you can choose the approach that suits you.
You have the routine pre-operative tests, and the anaesthetist sees you beforehand. Depending on your situation, you may also have breast imaging such as a mammogram, an ultrasound, or tests that monitor your breast cancer. You will need to stop any medicines that contain Aspirin for 10 days before surgery, and to fast for 6 hours before the operation. The surgery is carried out under general anaesthesia.
Reconstruction works toward three goals: rebuilding the volume of the breast, balancing the two sides, and then reconstructing the areola and nipple. To rebuild volume, your doctor may use an implant (a saline implant or a silicone gel implant), may first place a tissue expander to stretch the skin, or may use your own body tissue. Tissue flaps from your own body can be taken from the back (a latissimus dorsi flap), from the abdomen (a rectus abdominis flap or an abdominal skin flap, with or without microsurgical reconnection of the blood vessels), from the buttock, or by transferring your own fat; sometimes your own tissue is combined with an implant.
Once the reconstructed breast has settled in volume and position, usually about 3 months later, your doctor reconstructs the areola and nipple. The areola can be made by medical tattooing or by a skin graft; the nipple can be made using part of the nipple from the other side or with a local skin flap. Balancing the two breasts may involve adjusting, lifting, or placing an implant in the opposite breast.
Breast reconstruction helps you restore the shape of your breast and ease the self-consciousness you may feel, so that you can move through life with more confidence. This is a journey with several stages, and it matters that you understand clearly what this surgery is not meant to do.
How long you take to recover depends on the reconstruction method you and your doctor choose. Because this is a journey with several stages, you will pass through different milestones over time.
Breast reconstruction is major surgery with several stages, so it deserves careful thought. Your doctor will talk through each of the points below with you before you decide.
At The Gioi Dep, breast reconstruction is performed by a surgeon trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and the same person who examines and counsels you is the one who performs your operation. The hospital is equipped to carry out major surgery, which is what a multi-stage journey like this calls for.
Before you begin, your doctor assesses your general health, the shape of your chest wall and breast, any old surgical scars, and the quality of the skin and tissue you have left, then helps you choose a method based on your real situation. You have routine tests, the anaesthetist sees you, and when needed you have further breast imaging so your safety can be watched closely.
No. Breast reconstruction does not raise the chance of recurrence, and it does not delay any follow-up treatment for breast cancer.
It depends on your situation. Reconstruction can be done at the time of the mastectomy (immediate reconstruction), or delayed, usually about 6 months later if you had chemotherapy alone and about 1 year later if you had radiotherapy. The right timing depends on the stage of the disease and on your follow-up treatment.
It can be rebuilt with an implant (a saline implant or a silicone gel implant), with your own body tissue taken from the back, abdomen, or buttock, by transferring your own fat, or by combining your own tissue with an implant. Your doctor chooses the method based on the breast you have left and the quality of your skin and tissue.
Usually yes. This is a journey with several stages: rebuilding the volume of the breast, balancing the two sides, and then reconstructing the areola and nipple. The process asks you to understand it clearly and work closely with your doctors.
Yes. This is usually done about 3 months after the breast volume is rebuilt, once the breast has settled. The areola can be tattooed or skin-grafted; the nipple can be made from part of the nipple on the other side or with a local skin flap.
Depending on the surgical method, you will need to stay in hospital for about 2 to 7 days.
Depending on the method, the surgery takes about 1 to 6 hours, and you are placed under general anaesthesia.
It may. To balance the two sides, your doctor can reduce, lift, or place an implant in the opposite breast, depending on its volume and how much it sags.
You are examined, counselled, and given routine pre-operative tests, the anaesthetist sees you, and when needed you have further breast imaging. You stop any medicines that contain Aspirin for 10 days before surgery and fast for 6 hours beforehand.
A surgeon trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and the same person who examines and counsels you is the one who performs your operation. The surgery is carried out in a hospital equipped for major surgery.
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The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.