Mastectomy and breast reconstruction - Can the procedures be combined?

Immediate Reconstruction following mastectomy usually yields the best results.   Reconstruction after mastectomy must be covered by insurance thanks to the only health care mandate that is federal law (1998 federal law). Since her mastectomy will most likely not require radiation treatment, immediate... more

You are quite right. In the "old days" we used to think that patients needed to wait to be reconstructed because of fears about recurrent cancer. That has proven to be an unwarranted concern and it is now typical for the reconstruction to begin right away. As a matter of fact, in this case it is the... more

 Now a days, it is very common to have immediate reconstruction following a breast removal.  In your mom's case she would probably be seen by a general surgeon or breast surgeon who would do the removal and then immediately after the removal would have the reconstruction.  Very often no expander... more

Immediate reconstruction following mastectomy is preferred since it preserves skin if necessary, reduces scarring, reduces time to completion and number of procedures, and obviated problems associated with delayed reconstruction. However, your general surgeon, if he/she is doing the mastectomy, needs to... more

The two procedures can be done at the same time. In a cancer operation not only is the breast tissue removed but the skin is removed as well. In that situation, the reconstructive surgeon may elect to place a tissue expander to stretch the skin over time and return at a later date to place the permanent breast... more