Breast Reconstruction Surgery in San Antonio, Texas

Breast reconstruction surgery restores something that nature has provided but cancer has taken away. There is no age limit. Most women are candidates - as long as there are no medical conditions that make the surgery unsafe and the breast cancer is diagnosed at an early stage.

There are many breast reconstruction options available. These range from implants to "autologous" techniques which use the patient's own tissue to recreate a "natural", warm, soft breast. The nipple and areola (the darker area surrounding the nipple) can also be restored.

Immediate vs. Delayed Reconstruction

As the term implies, immediate reconstruction is performed immediately after the mastectomy while the patient is still under anesthesia. Once the general surgeon has completed the mastectomy, the plastic surgeon begins creating the new breast. Advantages of this approach include preservation of most of the breast skin ("skin sparing mastectomy") and a shorter scar. The patient also wakes up "complete" and avoids the experience of a flat chest.

Delayed reconstruction generally takes place several months after the mastectomy. It is important that patients discuss all treatment options with their surgeons to determine the best treatment plan. Patients required to have radiation after mastectomy may be advised to delay reconstruction in order to achieve the best cosmetic results. This delay may last several month to allow the chest tissues to recover as much as possible from the radiotherapy.

Breast Reconstruction Options

There are many techniques available for restoring a woman's breasts after mastectomy. Our board certified plastic surgeons are very experienced in performing all types of reconstruction and have been specially trained to perform the most advanced microsurgical procedures using the patient's own tissue. To find out more about the options available at our San Antonio practice, please click the links below:

DIEP flap

SIEA flap

GAP flap

TUG flap

Muscle-sparing free TRAM Flap

Latissimus Flap

Implant Reconstruction/Alloderm

Breast Reconstruction Surgery Publications

Our surgical results have been highlighted in several different medical journals including Seminars in Plastic Surgery, A New Decade in Breast Reconstruction which published our article "Breast Reconstruction in Private Practice."

This article documents the success PRMA has had with breast reconstruction surgery in a private practice setting.

Before and after Pictures

Please visit our Gallery to view breast reconstruction before and after photos.