Breast reconstruction after mastectomy is a procedure that restores the shape and size of a woman’s breast that has been removed due to cancer, achieving the best possible result depending on the extent of the removal (total mastectomy, partial mastectomy, or lumpectomy).
The procedure is performed either using a silicone implant or, in more complex cases, with flap transfer.
In most cases, correction of the opposite breast is also required. The goal is to create a new breast with a natural shape, size, and projection that is balanced with the rest of the body and symmetrical to the other breast. The nipple–areola complex can be reconstructed at a later stage to further improve the aesthetic outcome.
There are many techniques for breast reconstruction after mastectomy, and the timing of the procedure is determined in collaboration with the general surgeon who performed the mastectomy and the oncologist. Reconstruction may involve the use of autologous tissues (skin, fat, muscle) from the other breast or another area of the body, or the placement of a silicone implant beneath the pectoralis major muscle.
