Reconstruction of a breast that has been removed due to cancer or other disease is one of the most rewarding surgical procedures available today. New medical techniques and devices allow Dr. Taylor to create a breast that can come close in form and appearance to matching a natural breast.

            Most mastectomy patients are medically appropriate for reconstruction; many at the same time that the breast is removed. The best candidates, however, are women whose cancer, as far as can be determined, seems to have been eliminated by the mastectomy. Dr. Taylor may advise you to wait, particularly if the breast is being rebuilt in a more complicated procedure. Women with other health conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure, or smoking, may also be advised to wait for some time after the mastectomy.

            Breast reconstruction usually involves more than one operation. The first stage, whether done at the same time as the mastectomy or later on, is performed in the hospital.

            The first stage of reconstruction, creation of the breast mound, is almost always performed using general anesthesia, so you’ll sleep through the entire operation.

            Follow-up procedures may require only a local anesthesia, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy.

            If an implant is required, Dr. Taylor uses a silicone shell filled with salt water

            Frequently a special procedure, known as a "flap procedure," can be performed to bring tissue in from the lower abdomen or back area to reconstruct the breast, which avoids the need for any implants. This procedure can frequently be done at the time the breast is removed, or it also can easily be done at a later date.

           There are a number of issues involved in planning for a post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, and Dr. Taylor would be glad to fully discuss these and the reconstructive options available to you at a consultation appointment.