Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy: Options and Timing

If you need a mastectomy, you can choose whether to have surgery to rebuild the breast's shape.

Your options

• breast reconstruction;
• a breast form that replaces the breast;
• padding inside your bra;
• nothing.

Each has pros and cons; what's right for one woman may not be right for another.

Timing

• Reconstruction can be done at the same time as the mastectomy or later.
• If radiation therapy is planned, your doctor may suggest waiting until after it.
• Thinking about reconstruction? Talk to a plastic surgeon before the mastectomy, even if you plan to have it later.

Methods

A surgeon can reconstruct the breast in many ways:

• Implants, filled with saline or silicone gel.
• Your own tissue: skin, muscle and fat taken from the lower abdomen, back or buttocks.

The best choice depends on your age, body type and the kind of cancer surgery you had. A plastic surgeon can help you decide.

Sources

Based on "Breast Reconstruction," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Cancer Institute; a work of the United States government in the public domain.