Breast reconstruction after breast cancer

Only one in four women opts for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, often for lack of information. However, several surgical techniques (placement of a breast implant, lipomodeling or microsurgery) offer good aesthetic results, and Institut Curie practitioners specialize in this field. 

The most common solution is to have a breast implant - simple and scarless, it nevertheless needs to be replaced every 10 to 15 years and results in asymmetry of the chest over time. It is also possible to resort to lipomodeling, which involves taking fat from elsewhere in the body (from the hips, abdomen or thighs), centrifuging it, and reinjecting it into the breast to restore volume while contributing to tissue regeneration. Finally, microsurgery uses tissues from other parts of the body (skin, fat and muscles) to reconstruct the breast. 

These last two solutions involve two to three interventions, usually three to six months apart. Each of these techniques can begin either at the same time as the mastectomy (we are talking about immediate reconstruction), or afterwards (here we are referring to secondary or delayed reconstruction), depending on the needs of the patient. Additional surgeries can also be proposed to reconstruct the nipple and areola. Again, the choice depends only on the needs and desires of the patient. 

Because reconstruction after a mastectomy is not only surgical, the institute has created the Breast Info group that brings together patients and caregivers. This group is at the origin of the film titled " Healing Our Perceptions", which collects testimonies from patients and caregivers to help women affected by a mastectomy to choose their path of reconstruction, surgical or not.