Breast Reconstruction Techniques After Mastectomy

Breast Reconstruction Techniques

A mastectomy is the surgery that removes a breast because it has been damaged by disease. For women who undergo a mastectomy, the surgery that rebuilds the breast afterward is called breast reconstruction. Carrying out the mastectomy and the breast reconstruction surgery together matters a great deal for the patient's psychological wellbeing. Depending on the stage of the disease, reconstruction after mastectomy can sometimes be performed at the same time. If the disease is at an advanced stage, the priority is for the patient to fully overcome it first, with breast reconstruction surgery following afterward. Since 2010, a decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that patients undergoing breast reconstruction surgery alongside breast cancer treatment be informed about how the breast will be rebuilt.

How Is a New Breast Built to Replace One Removed by Mastectomy?

Many different methods are used to rebuild a breast that has been removed due to disease or other reasons. The technique used for reconstruction is decided based on the patient's overall health. Two main options are generally offered first for rebuilding the breast. These are:

Tissue Taken From the Patient's Own Body (Autologous)

Breast reconstruction usually makes use of skin and tissue taken from the abdomen. This method suits patients with loose or sagging abdominal skin: fat and skin tissue taken from the abdomen is shaped through microsurgery and then moved to the breast area. Using tissue from the abdomen means the patient loses the excess in that area while a new breast is being formed at the same time — so the patient effectively undergoes a tummy tuck and breast reconstruction surgery together.

Breast Implant

Using a breast implant requires that enough breast tissue be left in place during the mastectomy. For patients who have sufficient tissue in the breast area, the right implant size is determined and the operation is carried out accordingly.

Other techniques that can be used for breast reconstruction include:

• Skin and muscle tissue taken from the back (Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Flap)

• Using a tissue expander together with breast implants

• Rebuilding the breast through fat grafting

• Using muscle and skin tissue taken from the hip area

• Rebuilding the breast with fat and skin taken from the abdomen using the TRAM flap technique, without the need for microsurgery.

For patients who undergo breast removal due to disease or other reasons, rebuilding the breast matters for protecting their psychological wellbeing. If you'd like to understand the timing and recovery involved in more detail, see our guide to breast reconstruction after breast cancer, or reach out to Prof. Dr. Suleyman Tas Clinic with any questions.