Different options in breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction can be immediate (at the same time as the mastectomy) or delayed (after a few weeks to months). The decision as to which one is better for a particular patient depends on a lot of factors one of them is surgeon preference.

In my practice I now rarely perform immediate reconstructions because I have a strong feeling that the wound has to settle down first, the disease has to be cured and the patient ready to embark on a long journey which is the reconstruction, starting with the breast mound and followed by the nipple and areola reconstruction.

Both options are medically appropriate but they need to be discussed at length with the reconstructive surgeon to find out which way is best for each patient.