Breast implant reconstruction after bilateral mastectomy for breast cancer or BRCA-1 positivity can be challenging.
After a mastectomy, there is less blood flow to the skin and there less soft tissue coverage available for an implant. Some patients may experience cellulitis, gross infection, or significant capsular contracture after mastectomy reconstruction. In some patients that experience this we remove the implants for one year to allow the soft tissue to recover and for the skin to reestablish a health blood circulation. Once this is established, reconstruction can be undertaken and usually with a smaller implant size.
The photograph demonstrates before and after mastectomy breast reconstruction with silicone gel implants.
