Question:
I am interested in breast reconstruction following my mastectomy. Do breast reconstruction tissue expanders cause pain as they grow larger?
Answer:
Following a mastectomy, an expander is placed under the muscle to stretch out not only the muscle but also the skin to provide the coverage necessary for the permanent implant. The expanders are filled every week with a saline solution; this is done in the office, and it does cause slight discomfort but it is not painful because just a small amount of fluid is placed every week in order to fill the implant. After the expansion is done, the discomfort may last a few hours but typically it is not extremely painful as the process goes along.
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.