Reconstruction of a breast following mastectomy

Abstract

Breast reconstruction has become an available option for most patients undergoing mastectomy. Breast reconstruction has been shown to lessen the psychological disturbances associated with mastectomy. Reconstruction with a silicone breast prosthesis is selected when the preserved tissues after subcutaneous mastectomy, total mastectomy or modified radical mastectomy, have an adequate quantity and quality for insertion of the prosthesis. Frequently these tissues are quantitatively deficient. In these cases the use of tissue expanders allows the expansion of deficient soft tissues. Anatomically shaped expanders produce breasts with a natural appearance, adequate ptosis and a well-defined submammary fold. When the skin has poor quality or has been irradiated, or when a radical mastectomy has been performed, additional autogenous tissue needs to be brought to the breast area with a flap. The two most commonly used musculocutaneous flaps are the latissimus dorsi and the transverse rectus abdominis flap (TRAM). To get a good result nipple-areola reconstruction is necessary, and it is often necessary to modify the contralateral breast.