Breast reconstruction surgery

If you’re interested in breast reconstruction, Dignity Health Medical Foundation’s Plastic Surgery Center can help.

A woman's appearance often has an effect, whether negative or positive, on her feelings of confidence and self-worth. Uneven breasts, breast injuries or mastectomies can severely alter a woman’s physical look, thus robbing her of self-assurance. In these situations, breast reconstruction surgery can be a solution, restoring the breasts to proper form and improving a woman’s confidence.

While mastectomy due to breast cancer may be the most common condition leading to breast reconstruction surgery, it's not the only reason. At Dignity Health Medical Foundation, breast reconstruction is often elected to:

• Restore breast shape following mastectomy
• Restore breast shape after an injury that resulted in either partial or total loss of the breast
• Balance the appearance of breasts that differ in size or shape
• Correct a birth defect

There are two types of breast reconstruction surgeries offered: implant-based reconstruction and autologous tissue reconstruction, which utilizes the patient's own tissues. For breast cancer patients, we can perform these surgeries immediately, along with the mastectomy operation, or we can offer delayed reconstruction, which will take place after the cancer treatment has been completed. You and your plastic surgeon will discuss these options, as well as your individual condition and concerns, before scheduling your surgery.

Prior to making a decision, you may consider consulting family members, friends, breast implant, and/or breast cancer support groups to help you in making this decision.