Breast
Breast reconstruction
Rebuilding the shape of a breast after mastectomy, using an implant, the body's own tissue, or both. It can be started at the same time as the mastectomy or carried out later, once other treatment is complete.
Who it is for
- After a mastectomy, where reconstruction is wanted and is clinically appropriate
- Where a planned mastectomy allows reconstruction to be started in the same operation
- Where an earlier mastectomy was done without reconstruction and it is now being considered
- It is always optional, declining reconstruction is a legitimate choice, not a lesser one
What to expect
The approach is chosen with you: an implant, tissue taken from elsewhere on your body, or a combination. Each has different trade-offs in recovery, durability and how the result feels.
Immediate reconstruction is begun during the mastectomy. Delayed reconstruction is done as a separate operation later, and is often preferred where radiotherapy is planned.
Reconstruction is frequently staged. A first operation establishes the shape, and a second smaller one refines symmetry or completes the nipple and areola.
Surgery on the opposite breast is sometimes discussed to improve the match between the two sides.
Recovery
Longer than after mastectomy alone, and it varies considerably with the technique used. Reconstruction using your own tissue involves a second surgical site with its own recovery. Your surgeon will set out the expected timeline for the specific operation planned, including when you can drive, lift and return to work.
Risks and possible complications
Every operation carries risk, and the list below is general rather than complete. Which of these matter for you depends on your health, your anatomy and what is being treated, which is what the consent conversation before surgery is for.
- Bleeding, infection, and wound healing that is slower than after a mastectomy alone
- Partial or complete loss of tissue that has been moved, and loss of an implant where one is used
- Fat necrosis, areas of firmness within the reconstructed breast
- Asymmetry between the two sides, which is common to some degree
- Capsular contracture around an implant, which can tighten and distort the shape over years
- Altered or absent sensation in the reconstructed breast, which is usually permanent
- Further surgery to revise the result, which is a realistic possibility rather than a rare one
- Where radiotherapy follows, it can change the appearance and feel of the reconstruction over time
No surgeon can promise a particular result, and nothing on this page should be read as one.
Still not sure whether it needs looking at?
Most breast changes turn out to be benign. Working out which ones are is what an assessment is for, and the guides here explain what that involves before you go.