Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy
Table of Contents:
- Your Breast Reconstruction / Mastectomy Timing Options:
- Immediate Breast Reconstruction with Mastectomy
- Staged Immediate Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy
- Surgical Delay Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy
- For Specific Cases:
- The Delay Phenomenon – Surgical Delay for Patients with Low Abdominal Fat
- Preventive Mastectomy – With Natural Tissue Breast Reconstruction
- Breast Reconstruction After Radiation Therapy
- Cost Of Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy / Insurance Coverage
- Questions / Schedule a Consult – Contact Us Form
Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy – Timing Options
Timing can be everything when it comes to optimal breast reconstruction. Our patients have every available option in choosing services with Dr. Levine.
The decision of “when” is highly personal with factors to consider with your treating physicians. Women may elect to reconstruct their breast(s) at the same time as mastectomy (immediate breast reconstruction) or postpone to a later time (delayed breast reconstruction.) or facilitate a combination of the two (staged-immediate). Breast reconstruction can also be delayed until months, if not years, later.
- Immediate: Breast reconstruction is done at the same time as mastectomy with one of our expert breast surgeons.
- Staged Immediate: Breast reconstruction is done separately, generally within two weeks of mastectomy.
- Surgical Delay: (for women with low abdominal fat) The surgical delay procedure is an invaluable preemptive procedure that increases the reliability and the amount of tissue we can harvest from the abdomen with either a DIEP, SIEA, DCIA Flap procedure. As a result of this preemptive procedure, patients who may have been told that the abdomen is not available as a donor site may now be candidates. After doing this short outpatient procedure approximately one week prior to the free flap breast reconstruction.
Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy – Timing Options
Timing can be everything when it comes to optimal breast reconstruction. Our patients have every available option in choosing services with Dr. Levine.
The decision of “when” is highly personal with factors to consider with your treating physicians. Women may elect to reconstruct their breast(s) at the same time as mastectomy (immediate breast reconstruction) or postpone to a later time (delayed breast reconstruction.) or facilitate a combination of the two (staged-immediate). Breast reconstruction can also be delayed until months, if not years, later.
- Immediate: Breast reconstruction is done at the same time as mastectomy with one of our expert breast surgeons.
- Staged Immediate: Breast reconstruction is done separately, generally within two weeks of mastectomy.
- Surgical Delay: (for women with low abdominal fat) The surgical delay procedure is an invaluable preemptive procedure that increases the reliability and the amount of tissue we can harvest from the abdomen with either a DIEP, SIEA, DCIA Flap procedure. As a result of this preemptive procedure, patients who may have been told that the abdomen is not available as a donor site may now be candidates. After doing this short outpatient procedure approximately one week prior to the free flap breast reconstruction.
The Delay Phenomenon – Surgical Delay for Patients with Low Abdominal Fat
We know from many years of experiments and studies that if part of a blood supply to a certain area is cut off, the blood vessels that remain will become larger and more robust in order to continue to supply blood to that tissue. This is called the delay phenomenon.
In applying the delay phenomenon to the DIEP flap, a surgical delay is done prior to the reconstructive surgery. We select and identify the blood vessel that we want to use and train it to supply the tissue by removing the other blood vessels from the surrounding areas. This forces the remaining vessel to grow and perfuse the surrounding tissue where blood supply has been diminished. The entirety of the tissue perfused by this enlarged blood vessel can now be harvested and used for reconstruction, whereas before we would have been limited to the smaller amount of tissue that the original blood vessel could supply.
This means that patients who would not have had enough abdominal tissue to reconstruct their breasts can now be candidates for DIEP flap reconstruction. We have found the surgical delay to be an extremely useful and powerful adjunct to routine flap procedures.
The Delay Phenomenon – Surgical Delay for Patients with Low Abdominal Fat
We know from many years of experiments and studies that if part of a blood supply to a certain area is cut off, the blood vessels that remain will become larger and more robust in order to continue to supply blood to that tissue. This is called the delay phenomenon.
In applying the delay phenomenon to the DIEP flap, a surgical delay is done prior to the reconstructive surgery. We select and identify the blood vessel that we want to use and train it to supply the tissue by removing the other blood vessels from the surrounding areas. This forces the remaining vessel to grow and perfuse the surrounding tissue where blood supply has been diminished. The entirety of the tissue perfused by this enlarged blood vessel can now be harvested and used for reconstruction, whereas before we would have been limited to the smaller amount of tissue that the original blood vessel could supply.
This means that patients who would not have had enough abdominal tissue to reconstruct their breasts can now be candidates for DIEP flap reconstruction. We have found the surgical delay to be an extremely useful and powerful adjunct to routine flap procedures.
Preventive Mastectomy – With Natural Tissue Breast Reconstruction
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are inherited gene mutations that increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The most common risk-reducing surgery is bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (also called bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy).
Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy may involve complete removal of both breasts, including the nipples (total mastectomy) or it may involve removal of as much breast tissue as possible while leaving the nipples intact (nipple-sparing mastectomy).
Following the mastectomy, natural tissue perforator flap breast reconstruction can be done to restore a more natural look and feel without sacrificing muscle.
Dr. Levine is a world-renowned perforator flap breast reconstruction surgeon. All of Dr. Levine’s breast reconstructions are true muscle-preserving procedures, using your own natural tissue to restore your breast’s natural look and feel.
Preventive Mastectomy – With Natural Tissue Breast Reconstruction
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are inherited gene mutations that increase the risk of developing breast cancer. The most common risk-reducing surgery is bilateral prophylactic mastectomy (also called bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy).
Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy may involve complete removal of both breasts, including the nipples (total mastectomy) or it may involve removal of as much breast tissue as possible while leaving the nipples intact (nipple-sparing mastectomy).
Following the mastectomy, natural tissue perforator flap breast reconstruction can be done to restore a more natural look and feel without sacrificing muscle.
Dr. Levine is a world-renowned perforator flap breast reconstruction surgeon. All of Dr. Levine’s breast reconstructions are true muscle-preserving procedures, using your own natural tissue to restore your breast’s natural look and feel.
Breast Reconstruction After Radiation Therapy
Breast reconstruction is usually completed about 4 to 6 months after radiation. Radiation therapy is usually done over the course of several weeks with a small dose applied daily or every several days. Breast reconstruction is best done after the radiation therapy is completed, to reduce the risk of complications and to provide the patient the best possible outcome.
For women seeking reconstruction after radiation, it is important to research the benefits of autologous natural-tissue breast reconstruction, as compared to reconstruction using implants. Potential problems from implants can include severe hardening of scar tissue around the implant, chest wall discomfort, changes in implant position, and even implant loss. View our breast reconstruction implant failure page for more information.
Breast Reconstruction After Radiation Therapy
Breast reconstruction is usually completed about 4 to 6 months after radiation. Radiation therapy is usually done over the course of several weeks with a small dose applied daily or every several days. Breast reconstruction is best done after the radiation therapy is completed, to reduce the risk of complications and to provide the patient the best possible outcome.
For women seeking reconstruction after radiation, it is important to research the benefits of autologous natural-tissue breast reconstruction, as compared to reconstruction using implants. Potential problems from implants can include severe hardening of scar tissue around the implant, chest wall discomfort, changes in implant position, and even implant loss. View our breast reconstruction implant failure page for more information.
Cost Of Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy / Insurance Coverage
We understand that navigating insurance can be time-consuming, stressful, and even intimidating. Our patients leave all of that to us.
- We investigate your benefits, provide personal case management and manage all of your insurance carriers requirements for pre-certifications or pre-determinations.
- Where applicable, we submit all of the billing on your behalf, and work directly with your insurance carrier on any appeals to ensure that you receive the full benefits to which you are entitled.
- We have worked successfully for more than 10 years with numerous insurance companies and plans including commercial, self-funded, union, international, Medicare Advantage, Medicare and Medicaid as an out-of-network provider.
Please use the form below to tell us more about your coverage, and we’ll reach back out to discuss helping you navigate your patient rights to natural tissue breast reconstruction.
Cost Of Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy / Insurance Coverage
We understand that navigating insurance can be time-consuming, stressful, and even intimidating. Our patients leave all of that to us.
- We investigate your benefits, provide personal case management and manage all of your insurance carriers requirements for pre-certifications or pre-determinations.
- Where applicable, we submit all of the billing on your behalf, and work directly with your insurance carrier on any appeals to ensure that you receive the full benefits to which you are entitled.
- We have worked successfully for more than 10 years with numerous insurance companies and plans including commercial, self-funded, union, international, Medicare Advantage, Medicare and Medicaid as an out-of-network provider.
Please use the form below to tell us more about your coverage, and we’ll reach back out to discuss helping you navigate your patient rights to natural tissue breast reconstruction.
Patient Results: Natural Tissue Breast Reconstruction Photos
Each patient has given consent to share her images and related case information online. Photos are intended solely to assist those considering our breast reconstruction services. The photographs are for general information and educational purposes ONLY. Individual results will vary based on body type, breast size, age, medical and surgical history, lifestyle and other factors.