Breast Reconstruction Surgery
Making you feel like yourself again
Breast reconstructive surgery restores the look and feel of your breasts often after a long treatment journey. With experience in all forms of breast reconstruction, our plastic surgeons help you get back to feeling like yourself again.
Surgery occurs after you've had a mastectomy (breast removal surgery) or lumpectomy (lump removal surgery). Our surgeons will restore the shape of your breasts removed during treatment.
Plastic surgeons at IU Health are experts in the latest techniques for rebuilding breasts. Our team includes microsurgeons trained to repair the most complex cases. There are very few surgical needs that our breast surgeons have not encountered. We will provide you with the highest level of care.
Watch: Breast Reconstruction at IU Health
What are Breast Reconstruction Options?
There are two types of surgery: implant-based or tissue-based reconstruction.
Both processes can begin at the time of your mastectomy. Your surgeon will insert a tissue expander to prepare your skin for reconstruction. You may have this while receiving more cancer treatment.
Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction
For this procedure, your surgeon inflates or deflates the tissue expander like a balloon. This allows your skin to recover, and then your surgeon can stretch the skin into place slowly during weekly visits.
Once the skin is stretched to the breast size for your body, the surgeon will replace the expander. Your surgeon will use a gel silicone or saline (saltwater) breast implant during an outpatient procedure.
What are the Benefits and Risks of Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction?
Implant-based reconstruction allows for quicker surgery and recovery. But it also carries the risk of complications with implant later in life.
Scar tissue around the implant can become firm over time. Infection also can develop due to the implant’s presence in the body. This requires additional surgery.
How Long Does an Implant Last?
Implants can last a lifetime. They only need to be replaced if they are causing a problem.
Tissue-Based Breast Reconstruction
In this surgery your physician uses your own tissue, or a “flap,” from one part of your body to rebuild your breasts.
There are several different types of tissue-based surgery. Many patients begin with a tissue-based expander placed after mastectomy, including those who ultimately have flap reconstruction.
Before your surgery, your physician will do a CT scan of your body. This scan shows a road map of the blood vessels of the belly. Your physician will use this to determine where to gather your new breast tissue.
When you have tissue flap surgery, your surgeon will take intact skin, fat and blood vessels from below your belly button. He or she will re-connect the blood vessels of this flap to those in your chest. This allows the reconstructed tissue to have its own circulation in the breast.
Following this surgery, you will stay in the hospital for 2-4 days while your breasts and stomach area heal.
What are the Benefits of Tissue-Based Breast Reconstruction?
While this surgery takes longer to achieve and heal, it often has fewer complications. It also has the added benefit of your own tissue’s ability to fluctuate in weight along with the rest of your body.
Preventative Breast Reconstruction
If you carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, you may have decided to have a preventative mastectomy to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. In this case, you may be able to avoid having two separate surgeries for breast reconstruction.
Because there is no cancer treatment underway, you and your surgeon may decide to do tissue flap reconstruction at the same time as mastectomy.
What to Expect with Breast Reconstruction
Surgery occurs after you've had a mastectomy (breast removal surgery) or lumpectomy (lump removal surgery). Our surgeons will restore the shape of your breasts removed during treatment.
Plastic surgeons at IU Health are experts in the latest techniques for rebuilding breasts. Our team includes microsurgeons trained to repair the most complex cases. There are very few surgical needs that our breast surgeons have not encountered. We will provide you with the highest level of care.
Watch: Breast Reconstruction at IU Health
What are Breast Reconstruction Options?
There are two types of surgery: implant-based or tissue-based reconstruction.
Both processes can begin at the time of your mastectomy. Your surgeon will insert a tissue expander to prepare your skin for reconstruction. You may have this while receiving more cancer treatment.
Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction
For this procedure, your surgeon inflates or deflates the tissue expander like a balloon. This allows your skin to recover, and then your surgeon can stretch the skin into place slowly during weekly visits.
Once the skin is stretched to the breast size for your body, the surgeon will replace the expander. Your surgeon will use a gel silicone or saline (saltwater) breast implant during an outpatient procedure.
What are the Benefits and Risks of Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction?
Implant-based reconstruction allows for quicker surgery and recovery. But it also carries the risk of complications with implant later in life.
Scar tissue around the implant can become firm over time. Infection also can develop due to the implant’s presence in the body. This requires additional surgery.
How Long Does an Implant Last?
Implants can last a lifetime. They only need to be replaced if they are causing a problem.
Tissue-Based Breast Reconstruction
In this surgery your physician uses your own tissue, or a “flap,” from one part of your body to rebuild your breasts.
There are several different types of tissue-based surgery. Many patients begin with a tissue-based expander placed after mastectomy, including those who ultimately have flap reconstruction.
Before your surgery, your physician will do a CT scan of your body. This scan shows a road map of the blood vessels of the belly. Your physician will use this to determine where to gather your new breast tissue.
When you have tissue flap surgery, your surgeon will take intact skin, fat and blood vessels from below your belly button. He or she will re-connect the blood vessels of this flap to those in your chest. This allows the reconstructed tissue to have its own circulation in the breast.
Following this surgery, you will stay in the hospital for 2-4 days while your breasts and stomach area heal.
What are the Benefits of Tissue-Based Breast Reconstruction?
While this surgery takes longer to achieve and heal, it often has fewer complications. It also has the added benefit of your own tissue’s ability to fluctuate in weight along with the rest of your body.
Preventative Breast Reconstruction
If you carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, you may have decided to have a preventative mastectomy to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. In this case, you may be able to avoid having two separate surgeries for breast reconstruction.
Because there is no cancer treatment underway, you and your surgeon may decide to do tissue flap reconstruction at the same time as mastectomy.
Both implant and flap surgery require at least two surgeries to complete, unless you are not currently undergoing treatment.
It’s understandable to be looking forward to feeling “normal” again. But it’s important to take the time needed to fully treat your cancer first. That way, you can ensure your body is prepared for reconstruction.
Preparing for Breast Reconstruction Surgery
Both implant and flap surgery require at least two surgeries to complete, unless you are not currently undergoing treatment.
It’s understandable to be looking forward to feeling “normal” again. But it’s important to take the time needed to fully treat your cancer first. That way, you can ensure your body is prepared for reconstruction.
You can expect the tissue expanders to be in place for about three months. During this time, you may feel some tightness in your chest as the tissue stretches and heals.
Reconstruction is a journey with your care team. This is a multi-stage treatment. Your best results may not happen in one surgery.
After Your Breast Reconstruction Surgery
You can expect the tissue expanders to be in place for about three months. During this time, you may feel some tightness in your chest as the tissue stretches and heals.
Reconstruction is a journey with your care team. This is a multi-stage treatment. Your best results may not happen in one surgery.
IU Health plastic surgeons are experienced in the latest techniques for reconstructive surgery. We provide all types of reconstruction and can care for the most complex needs. Our microsurgeons are specifically trained in tissue-based reconstruction. Our goal is to help you feel like yourself again.
Our surgeons provide just as many complex tissue-based procedures as implant-based. In fact, IU Health plastic surgeons complete 60 to 90 tissue-based procedures a year. Rarely, do these procedures have with rare circulation complications.
Why Choose IU Health for Your Breast Reconstruction Surgery?
IU Health plastic surgeons are experienced in the latest techniques for reconstructive surgery. We provide all types of reconstruction and can care for the most complex needs. Our microsurgeons are specifically trained in tissue-based reconstruction. Our goal is to help you feel like yourself again.
Our surgeons provide just as many complex tissue-based procedures as implant-based. In fact, IU Health plastic surgeons complete 60 to 90 tissue-based procedures a year. Rarely, do these procedures have with rare circulation complications.
As you consider your options for breast reconstruction surgery, consider asking your physician:
- What experience do you have with the various types of breast reconstruction surgery?
- What are the success rates of a particular surgery?
- Which are my options for each type of surgery?
- If certain problems arise with my reconstruction, what are my alternative options?
Questions to Ask Your Provider About Breast Reconstruction Surgery
As you consider your options for breast reconstruction surgery, consider asking your physician:
- What experience do you have with the various types of breast reconstruction surgery?
- What are the success rates of a particular surgery?
- Which are my options for each type of surgery?
- If certain problems arise with my reconstruction, what are my alternative options?
Jul 11
Danniel spends most of her time with her husband, their baby and their dog. In the summer of 2020, with the world in lockdown, she was diagnosed with cancer.
Patient Stories for Breast Reconstruction Surgery
Jul 11
Danniel spends most of her time with her husband, their baby and their dog. In the summer of 2020, with the world in lockdown, she was diagnosed with cancer.
