Breast Reconstruction Before & After Photos

This 57-year-old woman wanted to undergo reconstructive surgery after her mastectomy. She made an appointment with Dr. Smith's Irvine office to talk about the various breast reconstruction techniques in California that plastic surgeons can use to create a more natural-looking result. After examining her, he suggested the tissue expansion approach for reconstructing her breasts.

In his immediate reconstruction procedures Dr. Smith typically work very closely with the surgeon performing the mastectomy so that both the mastectomy and the placement of the tissue expander will complement the patient's frame appropriately. For this patient he inserted adjustable tissue expanders below the pectoral muscle on each side and, in subsequent visits, slowly filled the expanders with saline solution. Given time, the tissues expanded enough to create an implant pocket, and in a second surgery he replaced the patient's tissue expanders with silicone gel implants. She chose implants very close to her original breast size to give her a similar, very natural look.

At the time of her "after" photo, this patient's results were still not complete because she had yet to undergo surgery to reconstruct her nipples and areolas. However, her breasts are healing nicely and their reconstructed shape looks very natural. She still has some healing time left, and the incision scars that still show in her "after" photo will fade gradually. She is already satisfied with the look of her Newport Beach area breast implants and looks forward to seeing the final outcome.

Patient Age: 57
Patient Gender: Female