Breast Reconstruction in San Antonio, Texas

Immediate vs. Delayed Breast Reconstruction

Breast reconstruction can be performed as an "immediate" or "delayed" procedure. As the term implies, immediate reconstruction is performed immediately following your mastectomy while you are still under anesthesia. Once your general surgeon has removed one or both breasts your plastic surgeon will then take over and begin creating your new breast(s). Some advantages of immediate reconstruction include: preserving most of your breast skin ("skin sparing mastectomy"), having a shorter/less obvious mastectomy scar and waking up with your new breast already in place (and avoiding the experience of a flat chest).

Delayed breast reconstruction generally takes place starting several months following a patient's mastectomy. It is important that patients discuss all treatment options with both their general surgeon and plastic surgeon to determine the best surgical plan. Many times patients required to undergo radiation following their mastectomies are advised to delay reconstructive surgery in order to achieve the best results. It is common to wait several months after the last radiation therapy session before proceding with the surgery in order to allow the patient's soft tissues to recover completely 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 reconstructive breast surgery and have been specially trained to perform the most advanced microsurgical procedures, including the DIEP flap procedure (our preferred technique). To find out more about the reconstructive options available at our San Antonio practice, please click the links below:

DIEP flap

SIEA flap

GAP flap

TRAM Flap

Latissimus Flap

Implant Reconstruction

Breast Reconstruction Publications

We have furnished the results of surgeries performed by our San Antonio surgeons in several different medical journals. Recently, the journal Seminars in Plastic Surgery, A New Decade in Breast Reconstruction published one of our articles entitled "Breast Reconstruction in Private Practice." This article documents the success our practice has had with breast reconstruction surgery in a private practice setting.