Breast reconstruction
Breast reconstruction at the Cannes Mougins aesthetic center
Reconstruction using implants
Implant reconstruction can be performed in 1 or 2 stages, depending on the quality and flexibility of the chest wall tissue.
Breast reconstruction with a 1-stage prosthesis is based on the removal of thoracic and abdominal skin. This skin is shaped to reconstruct the submammary fold and create a pocket into which the implant will be inserted.
Breast reconstruction with a 2-stage prosthesis involves the initial insertion of an expansion prosthesis, which will be progressively inflated from the 15th day after surgery.
Several in-office inflation sessions are required until the desired breast volume is achieved. Once this volume has been achieved, the second operation can be scheduled to place the definitive prosthesis.
Implant reconstruction can be combined, before or after implant placement, with fat injections to thicken tissues and improve cosmetic results.
Flap reconstruction (using the patient's own tissue)
Flap reconstruction can be performed using back tissue (Grand Dorsal flap) or abdominal tissue (DIEP flap).
Reconstruction using a Grand Dorsal flap involves harvesting the skin and the Grand Dorsal muscle. The harvesting scar is located in the back and positioned so as to be hidden by the horizontal bra strap. The flap is harvested from the back and brought down to breast level: the dorsal skin is used to reconstruct the skin envelope of the breast, and the muscle to create a pocket into which the prosthesis will be inserted. In some cases, an implant may be omitted. In these cases, the breast volume can be increased secondarily by fat injection (Autologous Large Dorsal Flap).
Reconstruction using abdominal tissue is based on the use of skin and fat from the lower abdomen. Abdominal skin and fat are harvested using a technique similar to cosmetic abdominoplasty. These tissues are harvested along with their blood vessels, which are connected to vessels in the reconstructed breast using microsurgical techniques. Once this stage has been completed, the flap is shaped to give it the morphology of a breast.
Whatever the reconstruction technique, it may be necessary to perform an operation on the other breast to obtain the best possible symmetry.
Further information on reconstruction with implants
General anaesthesia
Procedure duration: 1h30 to 2h30
In Mougins: 2 to 4-day hospital stay
Convalescence time: 15 to 21 days
Additional information on flap reconstruction
General anaesthesia
Operation time: 2H30 (Grand Dorsal flap) / 5-7H (DIEP flap)
In Mougins: 5 to 8-day hospital stay
Convalescence time: 21 to 30 days