Question:
If I choose immediate breast reconstruction, what sort of process would I be looking at? Is the surgery done at the same time as the mastectomy and then is that it or are additional procedures needed?
Answer:
If a patient is undergoing a mastectomy for breast cancer and chooses immediate reconstruction that means that the reconstruction will be done at the same time as the mastectomy during the same operation. Whether or not any additional procedures will be needed depends on the technique that was chosen. If a direct implant technique was chosen, meaning that a skin sparing mastectomy was performed and the reconstruction is being done immediately, then it is possible to go direct to the implant and that would be the only procedure needed. More often though it is necessary to put a tissue expander to expand the tissue and then put an implant, therefore, that would be a two-stage operation. If the decision is to reconstruct the breasts using autologous tissue, meaning using the patient’s own tissue, then multiple procedures may be required but these could be minor procedures such as minor touchups, adjustments or to reconstruct the nipple areolar complex in the future. Breast reconstruction is a highly complex procedure and a consultation would be necessary even before the mastectomy in order to determine which option would be best for you.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.