Breast reconstruction

One in nine women in the United Kingdom will develop breast cancer. 1 The surgical treatment of these patients will involve either breast conserving surgery or mastectomy, both of which can result in considerable asymmetry of the breasts. Breast reconstruction offers restoration of breast symmetry to such women, achieved by creating a breast mound that is similar in size, shape, contour, and position to the opposite breast. Women thus gain the freedom to wear a variety of clothing, without needing external breast prostheses, and have been shown to have less psychological morbidity than those who have mastectomy without reconstruction. ere we review the indications, timing, principles, and techniques of breast reconstruction in patients who need tumour ablative surgery. We concentrate predominantly on women who have had mastectomies.