Before and after breast cancer reconstruction by breast reduction and lift in a 57-year-old woman with left breast cancer. She elected to have a lumpectomy followed by radiation and chemotherapy rather than a mastectomy. She was a candidate for a breast reduction and lift even before her breast cancer diagnosis, as shown by her before photos. She was delighted that a breast reduction and lift was an option for her!
A combined lumpectomy and lymph node dissection by the breast cancer surgeon and bilateral breast reconstruction using the “local tissue rearrangement” technique was scheduled for three hours as an outpatient surgery. This reconstruction procedure involved filling the lumpectomy defect with the patient’s own breast tissue and reconstruction via breast reduction and lift. Additional liposuction of the axillary rolls (armpit fat, bra rolls) provided the most aesthetic results.
After surgery, she underwent left chest wall radiation treatments for five weeks starting at 6 weeks postop followed by several months of chemotherapy. Anticipating that radiation will shrink the breast, the left breast was left slightly larger than the right after surgery to account for expected shrinkage after radiation treatment. The last set of images shows the effect of radiation at the end of treatment. It takes six months up to two years to appreciate her final results after radiation therapy.
Follow up photos are shown two years after completion of radiation treatment. The left radiated breast is slightly paler than the right due to radiation effects on the areola and scars. Interestingly, radiated scars look nicer than non-radiated scars due to less collagen deposition. This patient was grateful to keep both of her breasts and to gain the benefit of a breast reduction and lift as part of her breast cancer reconstruction.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
