Before and after right delayed implant reconstruction in a 64 year old breast cancer survivor. Her old saline implant had deflated and she essentially “saw” her mastectomy defect for the very first time. She was thin, and her goal was to match her other natural breast.
The deflated saline implant was replaced with a smooth round low profile silicone gel cohesive implant. Her right nipple was reconstructed using a piece of the left nipple – known as “nipple sharing” or a free graft. Tattoo was done bilaterally to create symmetry of her areolas. Since she was very thin, she was a good candidate for free fat grafting to help fill in the hollow between the implant and her thin chest wall skin. She did not wish to have more surgery in other parts of her body to harvest the fat, and she declined fat grafting.
She DID agree to liposuction of a small amount of fat in her right axillary roll that had been left behind and was accentuated by her aggressive mastectomy. Liposuction permanently removed fat from her right axillary roll and created better symmetry with her left armpit.
Follow up photos are shown two months after surgery. The tattoo intensity will fade over time. She is very pleased with her reconstruction and is happy this will likely be her very last surgery! More surgery is only needed if she has a problem or decides she wants a change.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
