Before and after bilateral breast reconstruction revision in a 56-year-old woman who was a twenty-year breast cancer survivor. She had previously undergone bilateral mastectomies, chemotherapy and implant reconstruction, with removal of her right nipple due to her tumor details.
She experienced chronic pain and tightness due to her under-the-muscle placement of implants for her breast reconstruction. She called her breasts her “jumping footballs” and wanted relief of her symptoms and a nicer looking result.
Her revision involved reopening her old incisions, removal of her old implants, separation of her pectoralis major muscles from the undersurface of her breast skin and reconstruction of their muscular attachments to the sternum and the ribs. Her aesthetic goal was to be slightly fuller and rounder than her current breast reconstruction outcome.
New smooth round silicone gel breast implants were placed on top of the muscle, in the prepectoral position. Liposuction removed excess fat from her armpits and bra rolls. Her left nipple-areolar complex, which was abnormally low and lateral (off toward the outside), was relocated higher up on the breast as a free nipple-areolar autograft.
Follow up photos are shown 6 months after surgery. Her animation deformity is gone, as seen when she contracts her chest muscles. She is ready to plan her final procedure, which will involve 3D nipple-areolar reconstruction via paramedical tattoo.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
