A breast implant will be placed under the breast muscles, which will create a cover for the implant.
In the majority of cases an inflatable tissue expander will be used to stretch the skin on your chest first before placing the final implant as this allows for a more natural looking breast. This method is especially suitable for patients who do not wish to undergo a major surgical procedure with additional scars.
Recovery time tends to be quicker using an implant rather than your own tissue. This procedure is usually a good option for young and active patients, but less effective for patients who have had their breast tissue damaged due to radiotherapy or still need to receive radiotherapy or expect frequent changes in body weight.
[Read more about breast enlargement here.]
It is possible your consultant surgeon will use your own fat, skin, muscle and tissue from either your back, tummy (abdomen), or from the inner thigh in some patients. In a few cases skin may also be taken from the buttocks to help recreate a breast.
This is a reconstruction for life as there is no implant used, therefore no revision surgery is necessary in the future.
The benefits of using your own tissue is that, in most cases, no foreign tissue or artificial device is
needed to recreate a natural looking breast. The method is particularly useful if the skin on the chest wall has been damaged by radiotherapy making it impossible to use an implant based reconstruction.
As the tissue is natural the reconstructed breast will act as normal breast and grow or shrink as the patient gains or loses weight unlike a breast implant. However this method requires a major operation and will mean the patient will need to spend more time in hospital than they would if they were having a breast implant reconstruction.
Additional scarring will be present where the tissue has been removed from the donor site, and it’s possible that you will suffer some discomfort in this area.
Using your own tissue is a favorable option if you are in good health, and a useful option if you tend to gain or lose weight frequently as the natural tissue will continue to gain or lose weight with you.
A flap operation (TRAM flap – Transverse Rectus Abdominal Muscle or DIEP flap – Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery) has a higher risk of complications or failure in those patients who smoke or who have diabetes.
Breast Surgery · McIndoe Surgical Centre