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Tissue Expander to Implant

A temporary expander is placed first, then filled gradually through a small port, usually with saline and at visits every week or so. Some newer expanders use air instead and can be filled at home, which cuts down the trips. Where the expander sits determines what has to stretch: under the chest muscle it stretches the muscle as well as the skin, while over the muscle it stretches skin alone, usually with a supportive mesh or tissue matrix placed around it. The chest is typically ready two to six months later, when a second, shorter operation swaps the expander for a permanent implant.

Sources: American Society of Plastic Surgeons; National Cancer Institute; American Cancer Society.