Breast Reconstruction Surgery itself can be accomplished in three basic ways. One option is to use your own tissue to reconstruct the breast. Another option is to use man-made device that will allow expansion of your own tissue to make a space for a permanent implant that will be placed at a later date.

Other, less common options may include a combination of your own tissue and a permanent implant. Timing is another important decision. Some patients may have their reconstruction at the time of their mastectomy. Others may need to wait. To determine the right option for you, we must consider many issues.

These include:

• reconstructive goals
• body habitus
• opposite breast shape and size
• weight
• previous abdominal surgeries
• required time off of work and vigorous exercise
• general medical health
• history of smoking
• surgical plan to treat your cancer
• possible need for chemotherapy
• possible need for radiation therapy
• desire to change the uninvolved breast shape and/or size
• patient acceptance of multistage surgery
• patient acceptance of the need to operate on another area of the body to obtain the tissue for the reconstruction
• patient acceptance of the use of a man-made device for their reconstruction