Question:
I am a 42-year-old woman who recently lost a breast to breast cancer. I am interested in getting reconstruction but I am worried that I will feel unbalanced with one real breast and one fake one. Do implants weigh approximately the same as a normal breast?
Answer:
There are many different options to reconstruct a breast. This can be done either with an implant or using your own tissues. Each person is different and all of these options can be discussed with you at the time of your consultation. We definitely recommend that you get a consultation and even multiple opinions regarding the different approaches to breast cancer reconstruction. Implants, especially silicone implants, do weigh approximately the same as a normal breast, but again the differences between the two techniques, implant versus using your own tissue are very different and they are usually tailored specifically to each individual patient. This is something that can be discussed with you in detail at the time of her consultation.
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.