When a patient undergoes a bilateral mastectomy, there can be several different options for breast reconstruction. One option is to reconstruct the breast with mammary prosthesis or breast implants. In patients who are not going to undergo radiation therapy implant reconstruction can be a viable option for breast reconstruction. In an implant reconstruction, often a tissue expander is placed first and the tissue is allowed to heal. After healing has taken place, the expander is expanded with saline over several office visits. The expander is then removed and exchanged for a mammary prosthesis or breast implant.
