Before and after bilateral breast reconstruction in a 52-year-old woman. After a recent biopsy on her left breast showed invasive cancer involving her left nipple and multiples past breast biopsies for DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) on both breasts, she elected to have a bilateral mastectomy with removal of her nipples as well. Her goal was to be reconstructed slightly larger than her preoperative breast size.
For her breast reconstruction, smooth round permanent and postoperatively adjustable saline-filled implants were placed on top of the muscle, in the subglandular position.
They were fully inflated at the time of reconstruction. When she was ready for her final reconstruction procedure (six months later), she was offered fat grafting to the upper poles of her breasts and to switch to silicone implants, but she wanted to minimize surgery elsewhere on her body since she was satisfied with her saline implant reconstruction results.
At the time of the breast implant port removal, new nipple prominences were reconstructed using the local flap technique, and medical tattoo created two new areolar circles. Follow up photos are shown 1 year after surgery.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
