Breast Cancer Reconstruction

“It's exciting and rewarding to provide a new choice for breast cancer reconstruction. Reconstructing the breasts at the same time eliminates the risks of multiple surgeries and, more importantly, helps minimize the sense of loss.”
Dr. Lisa B Cassileth, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

When a woman undergoes surgery for breast cancer, she can expect to experience the removal of some or all of her breast tissue. Many women find that breast reconstruction after mastectomy is one of the most demoralizing, difficult, and disappointing parts of breast cancer treatment. If you, or someone you love, is facing surgery for breast cancer, then you will need to consider carefully as well your choices for breast reconstruction.

As a female plastic surgeon, Dr. Lisa Casselith understands the difficulties faced by women undergoing breast cancer treatment extremely well. Each year, she performs hundreds of breast reconstruction surgeries in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, enabling her patients to successfully get past their cancer surgeries and move on with their lives.

Select an option below to learn more about breast reconstruction for cancer patients.

- What are my options for breast reconstruction?

- How does Cassileth One-Stage Breast Reconstruction differ from traditional methods?

- Advantages of One-Stage Breast Reconstruction

- When should I make a decision about breast reconstruction?

- Photo Gallery: Before and After One-Stage Breast Reconstruction

To find out precisely what reconstruction options are available to you, and how best to achieve the reconstruction that you want, click here or call 888.465.5106 to make an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Cassileth.

What are my options for breast reconstruction?

The options available to you for breast reconstruction will depend in part on your own preferences, and in part on the type of surgery and other treatment that you undergo to remove the cancer. Your options may include:

- Traditional post-surgical breast reconstruction.
  With this type of reconstruction, tissue expanders are placed into the chest cavity during your mastectomy, to stretch the chest muscles and make room for breast implants. Saline injections are used over a period of months to inflate the expanders, and a second surgery is required to place breast implants.

- Cassileth One-Stage Breast Reconstruction.
  During this innovative procedure, a carefully constructed internal support allows Dr. Cassileth to place breast implants during the mastectomy surgery. The patient awakens from her initial surgery with breasts that are intact. Depending upon the type of mastectomy, additional procedures may be desired to reconstruct the nipple and areole.

- Post-surgical breast revision and reconstruction.
  Dr. Cassileth can also help women who have undergone mastectomies and experienced minimal or poor breast reconstruction. Unsightly scars, asymmetrical breasts or poor implants can easily be treated with currently available surgical techniques. Post-surgical treatment can also include reconstruction of the nipples and areole.

How does Cassileth One-Stage Breast Reconstruction differ from traditional methods?

Traditional reconstruction techniques have meant the placement of tissue expanders in the chest cavity at the time of mastectomy to stretch the chest muscles and make room for breast implants. Women would awaken from surgery without their breasts, and with the prospect of months of saline injections prior to a second surgery. And after two surgeries, women were left with reconstructed breasts disfigured by large, unsightly unsightly scars. Here is an example of the results of traditional, tissue-expander-based reconstruction:
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Thanks to Dr. Cassileth, there is now a better way.

Cassileth One-Stage Breast Reconstruction allows your breasts to be reconstructed at the time of your mastectomy surgery

This 54-year-old patient of Dr. Cassileth had her breasts reconstructed at the time of her right nipple/areola sparing mastectomy and left skin sparing mastectomy with Cassileth One-Stage Breast Reconstruction.

See more before and after pictures of of Dr. Cassileth’s One-Stage Breast Reconstruction Patients.

Dr. Cassileth's innovative technique allows women to awaken from mastectomy surgery with intact breasts, and minimal or no scarring. She performs more than 200 breast reconstructions each year, and over 100 of these cases are primary breast reconstructions done at the time of the mastectomy.

The Cassileth One-Stage procedures begins with a mastectomy that is performed through a very small incision rather than using the large across-the-breast scar used in traditional mastectomy surgeries. Dr. Cassileth places the breast implant during the mastectomy surgery itself, eliminating the need for painful and prolonged tissue expander appointments.

Dr. Cassileth supports the implant using a natural collagen substance called Alloderm. This provides an Internal Bra to support the implant. With this method, the breast can be recreated in a more natural position than typical reconstruction. It looks good even immediately after the surgery.

Dr. Cassileth's technique yields a very symmetrical cosmetic result, and can produce virtually any desired breast size. The final scar is minimal, or it may even be completely absent. The results are beautiful, natural-looking breasts.

The Advantages of Cassileth One-Stage Implant Reconstruction

- Only one surgery – lowers overall risk, decreases cost, and minimizes discomfort

- Avoids months of painful tissue expansion

- When you wake up from your mastectomy surgery, you will have whole breasts

- The risks are the same or better than traditional tissue expander technique

- Patients enjoy beautiful new breasts that look natural and full

To find out if you are a candidate for Cassileth One-Stage Breast Reconstruction, call our office at 888.465.5106 to make an appointment for a consultation with Dr. Cassileth.