What Are the Long-term Expectations of a Breast Reconstructions After Cancer Surgery?

How often are surgeons able to make the breasts look identical during the first surgery following a mastectomy? What is the realistic number of surgeries that will be needed on average?

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by anon

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Breast reconstruction

I can tell you that in a 100% of the time, no two breasts will look exactly the same. However, breast reconstruction can make a breast look in most cases very good.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Expectations After Breast Reconstruction

Depending on your anatomy (such weight, chest dimensions), health status (such smoking history?), and cancer treatment plan (did or will you require radiation therapy?), your surgeon will recommend several reconstructive options. Although your plastic surgeon will strive for the best cosmetic results, please remember that he/she is reconstructing something from nothing. So there is a saying in breast surgery - we strive to achieve close sisters - but never identical twins.... more

Achieving symmetry after breast reconstruction

While the goal of breast reconstruction is to achieve symmetry between both breasts after reconstruction, it is rarely going to be perfect. Many factors will play a role on how many surgeries will be necessary and how close the two breasts will look. These factors may include your anatomy (most women are not symmetrical pre-operatively, and you may require a symmetry procedure on your non-cancer breast), the type of mastectomy performed, whether the reconstruction is an immediate... more

Expectations for breast reconstruction

No two women are identical and no two breasts are truly mirror images. While it is always the goal to reconstruct a breast to match the opposite one, there are a large number of variables that must be taken into account. Often a lift, reduction, or augmentation of the opposite breast is beneficial. Touch-ups to the reconstructed breast may include fat grafts under local anesthesia or other tweaks. There is also the type of mastectomy to consider, with a trend now to skin and... more