Before and after bilateral prophylactic mastectomies and immediate prepectoral implant reconstruction in a 46 year old woman. She was BRCA gene positive and had finished having a family. She wanted to reduce her risk of breast cancer and get on with her life “without feeling like a ticking time bomb”.
Bilateral nipple sparing mastectomies were performed by an incision hidden in the fold under the breast. At the same procedure, smooth round saline filled adjustable breast implants were placed and completely inflated at surgery. No painful stretching of the pectoralis major muscle as occurs in tissue expanders was required.
We encourage patients to think about their breast reconstruction procedures, especially when elective, as their “makeover” procedures – whether they be Mommy Makeovers, “I didn’t get breast cancer makeovers”, “I’m doing this for me makeovers”, etc. This patient chose to be reconstructed slightly fuller than her deflated postpartum breast size and shape.
Six months later, at the time of implant port removal, she chose to switch her saline filled implants to silicone for the most natural look and feel. Follow up photos are shown 3 years after surgery.
She chose to keep her surgery private from most of her friends; no one has even noticed that she had surgery! The best Plastic Surgery result is one where a patient feels comfortable in their skin and the results are not obvious and proportional to the patient’s body.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
