Breast reconstruction options

If you are facing mastectomy, these are the main paths people choose between. Which are available to you depends on your anatomy, your treatment plan, and any previous surgery — a plastic surgeon can tell you which apply.

Delaying is always an option — but see a board-certified plastic surgeon before your mastectomy, not after. What waiting costs you depends on your own anatomy and treatment plan, and they are the one person who can tell you. If radiation is part of your treatment, say so early: it affects both which methods are open to you and when they can be done. You can search by area in the ASPS directory of member surgeons.

Implant-based

Using your own tissue

Refinements and other paths

This is general education, not medical advice, and it doesn't cover the risks and recovery of each option. Those are conversations to have with your surgical team.

Compiled from National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society and American Society of Plastic Surgeons patient information.