Reconstruct Your Look

As with any mastectomy, the more skin that can be saved, the better off you will be when and if you decide to have your breast reconstructed.  If enough skin was spared during the initial surgery, an implant-only reconstruction may be right for you.

How Implant-Only Breast Reconstruction Works

One of the great things about an implant-only breast reconstruction is that your physician will typically do it immediately following the mastectomy – making this an ideal choice for many women. The surgeon inserts the implant under the chest muscle to hold it in place.

If the skin was left tight, a two-stage process may be needed for the implant process. The first stage requires a temporary tissue expander be used to slowly stretch and enlarge the skin over a period of several weeks. A small amount of saline will be injected into the expanded area until the desired size is reached. Your physician will then remove the expander and replace it with the silicone or saline implant of your choice. Cancer treatment with radiation may affect the success of an implant. In these cases, your physician will leave the temporary tissue expander in place until the treatment is completed.

Implant-Only Reconstruction Results

Recovery from an implant-only breast reconstruction often has a shorter recovery period than the autologous or flap reconstruction options. Additionally, since no tissues were removed elsewhere on the body, you only have scars in the breast area and muscle weakness from the donor site is not an issue.

Schedule Your Consultation

Schedule your consultation by calling (309) 495-0077, or contact us today to find out if our implant-only breast reconstruction is right for you.