My philosophy is to afford the patient going through mastectomy for breast cancer all the benefits of a patient going through cosmetic augmentation so that her quality of life can be actually enhanced following cancer treatment. This means trying to understand and listen to what a particular patient desires. If you want to be larger, the treatment of your cancer and the reconstructive options might need to be altered to achieve your goal. There is rarely only one way to treat breast cancer. If you are wanting to become larger, then that obviously means using implants on the nomral, unaffected side. This would mean an even larger implant on the mastectomy side so the goals would be to allow treatment of that side and still allow an opportunity for a larger implant.
This goal might preclude lumpectomy and radiation due to the potential limiting side effects of implants in a field of radiated tissue. A mastectomy that preserves maximum skin would be appropriate. A size increase to D might suggest use of silicone rather than saline implants due to the rather unnateral feel of large saline implants, oterwise a flap plus an implant might be better. This is of course assuming that you do not plan or need a prohpylactic mastectomy on the unaffected breast. Review al your options and potential side effects and risks with your plastic surgeonand oncologic team.
