Are breast implants an option for post-mastectomy patients?

Doctor's Answers 1

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Dr Terence Goh

Plastic Surgeon

A mastectomy is a surgery we do for patients with breast cancer. That’s when you remove parts of your breast or the whole breast.

Yes, we do use implants and we use them immediately. So you can have a mastectomy and we can use the implant to do a reconstruction, or it can also be used in a delayed fashion.

Some patients have a mastectomy done but no reconstruction and they come back at a later date for a reconstruction. So yes, implants are always an option.

Similar Questions

Is there a limit to how much volume/ccs of breast implant we can request?

There is no limitation, because like I mentioned, when it comes to breast implants, it really depends on what you buy off the shelf. But in practice, of course, there are certain sizes that are more ideal that suit your frame, your height, your breasts, like whether you have sufficient tissue to contain this volume. In short, you can pretty much pick any volume that you want, but it is important that it is an appropriate volume for you. And the truth is that the larger the implant is, the higher the chance of problems and complications.

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Answered By

Dr Terence Goh

Plastic Surgeon

Are more people choosing fat grafting over breast implants because of the risk of ALCL?

There are more and more patients considering implant removal. And when they remove the implants they can either change them to other implant types or replace them with fat. The truth is that breast implants are not meant for life. They’re all man-made devices so as with any man-made device, there’s a shelf life. Of course, nowadays the technology has gotten better, so now there are 6th generation breast implants. The implant shell is better, the gel is better, and the chance of implant ruptures are all reduced and the complications are lower.

Photo of Dr Terence Goh

Answered By

Dr Terence Goh

Plastic Surgeon

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