There are advantages for immediate Breast Reconstruction and there are advantages to Delayed Breast Reconstruction.
The ONLY argument in favor of Delayed Reconstruction is that it may be easier to spot a recurrent cancer ; You put it as " breast should be given time to heal and make sure that everything is ok first" . That is certainly a considerations. But is more so depending on which cancer you had and how extensive it is. On the other hand, depending on the reconstruction you have, waiting may or may not influence the quality of the reconstruction.
There are multiple advantages to Immediate breast reconstruction. When you have Immediate breast reconstruction, you wake up with a partially or fully reconstructed breast and do not have to feel abnormal each time you put your bra on. Also, when the Plastic surgeon works with the breast surgeon, the incision is planned by both and I believe the cosmetic result is superior.
It is hard to choose between them but on the whole I would favor an immediate reconstruction.
Peter A Aldea, MD
