Implant-based Breast Reconstruction
Implant-based breast reconstruction means using breast implants to reconstruct your breast. Very rarely, in the right patients, breast implants can be placed directly into the breast in the same surgery as mastectomy. More commonly, however, reconstruction is staged where a tissue expander is first placed. The tissue expander is like an empty balloon that is slowly filled with saline solution by Dr. Korus in her clinic in Edmonton over a period of a few months. It can be placed at the time of mastectomy (immediate reconstruction) or at a later time (delayed reconstruction). Once the expander has been filled to the desired size, a second surgery is required to replace the tissue expander with the permanent implant.
Occasionally this surgery is combined with taking skin and muscle from your back (latissmus dorsi muscle flap). This is done when more tissue is needed to help create the breast, such as in people who have had previous radiation treatment.
The addition of a latissmus dorsi muscle flap to your reconstruction normally means staying in hospital for a few nights after your surgery.
While this reconstruction requires more “steps”, each of the steps are easier to recover from than when using the belly tissue (autologous reconstruction).
The addition of a latissmus dorsi muscle flap to your reconstruction normally means staying in hospital for a few nights after your surgery.
While this reconstruction requires more “steps”, each of the steps are easier to recover from than when using the belly tissue (autologous reconstruction).