This forty year-old Palmdale woman had had a left modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer at another hospital in the San Fernando Valley several years ago and was not offered any reconstruction at that time because she had to have radiation therapy. She did not want an autologous flap surgery. She initially wanted reconstruction with fat grafting only, however even with use of the BRAVA device (which is no longer available) we could not get good expansion of the radiated tissue. In the preop photo on the left you can see the square patch of dark skin discoloration from the radiation, and also the circular red mark where she was trying to wear the BRAVA. Although the radiated tissue would not expand, it did soften and improve dramatically after fat transfer and she was able to undergo a tissue expander placement and then replacement with a silicone implant. On the right she is several months out from the last step, the nipple reconstruction with a local flap. She still has not gotten the tattoo. The implant is an Allergan textured 400 cc "gummy bear" form stable (teardrop shaped) implant. On the right, where she had a DD cup breast and did not want a mastectomy, she underwent reduction and lift and placement of a 100 cc silicone round implant to give some upper pole fullness to match the left side. When the patient wears a bra she has symmetric volume of C cup breasts, and she is very happy because she did not have to have a flap or a second mastectomy. More

This forty year-old Palmdale woman had had a left modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer at another hospital in the San Fernando Valley several years ago and was not offered any reconstruction at that time because she had to have radiation therapy. She did not want an autologous flap surgery. She initially wanted reconstruction with fat grafting only, however even with use of the BRAVA device (which is no longer available) we could not get good expansion of the radiated tissue. In the preop photo on the left you can see the square patch of dark skin discoloration from the radiation, and also the circular red mark where she was trying to wear the BRAVA. Although the radiated tissue would not expand, it did soften and improve dramatically after fat transfer and she was able to undergo a tissue expander placement and then replacement with a silicone implant. On the right she is several months out from the last step, the nipple reconstruction with a local flap. She still has not gotten the tattoo. The implant is an Allergan textured 400 cc "gummy bear" form stable (teardrop shaped) implant. On the right, where she had a DD cup breast and did not want a mastectomy, she underwent reduction and lift and placement of a 100 cc silicone round implant to give some upper pole fullness to match the left side. When the patient wears a bra she has symmetric volume of C cup breasts, and she is very happy because she did not have to have a flap or a second mastectomy. More

This forty year-old Palmdale woman had had a left modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer at another hospital in the San Fernando Valley several years ago and was not offered any reconstruction at that time because she had to have radiation therapy. She did not want an autologous flap surgery. She initially wanted reconstruction with fat grafting only, however even with use of the BRAVA device (which is no longer available) we could not get good expansion of the radiated tissue. In the preop photo on the left you can see the square patch of dark skin discoloration from the radiation, and also the circular red mark where she was trying to wear the BRAVA. Although the radiated tissue would not expand, it did soften and improve dramatically after fat transfer and she was able to undergo a tissue expander placement and then replacement with a silicone implant. On the right she is several months out from the last step, the nipple reconstruction with a local flap. She still has not gotten the tattoo. The implant is an Allergan textured 400 cc "gummy bear" form stable (teardrop shaped) implant. On the right, where she had a DD cup breast and did not want a mastectomy, she underwent reduction and lift and placement of a 100 cc silicone round implant to give some upper pole fullness to match the left side. When the patient wears a bra she has symmetric volume of C cup breasts, and she is very happy because she did not have to have a flap or a second mastectomy. More

This forty year-old Palmdale woman had had a left modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer at another hospital in the San Fernando Valley several years ago and was not offered any reconstruction at that time because she had to have radiation therapy. She did not want an autologous flap surgery. She initially wanted reconstruction with fat grafting only, however even with use of the BRAVA device (which is no longer available) we could not get good expansion of the radiated tissue. In the preop photo on the left you can see the square patch of dark skin discoloration from the radiation, and also the circular red mark where she was trying to wear the BRAVA. Although the radiated tissue would not expand, it did soften and improve dramatically after fat transfer and she was able to undergo a tissue expander placement and then replacement with a silicone implant. On the right she is several months out from the last step, the nipple reconstruction with a local flap. She still has not gotten the tattoo. The implant is an Allergan textured 400 cc "gummy bear" form stable (teardrop shaped) implant. On the right, where she had a DD cup breast and did not want a mastectomy, she underwent reduction and lift and placement of a 100 cc silicone round implant to give some upper pole fullness to match the left side. When the patient wears a bra she has symmetric volume of C cup breasts, and she is very happy because she did not have to have a flap or a second mastectomy. More

This forty year-old Palmdale woman had had a left modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer at another hospital in the San Fernando Valley several years ago and was not offered any reconstruction at that time because she had to have radiation therapy. She did not want an autologous flap surgery. She initially wanted reconstruction with fat grafting only, however even with use of the BRAVA device (which is no longer available) we could not get good expansion of the radiated tissue. In the preop photo on the left you can see the square patch of dark skin discoloration from the radiation, and also the circular red mark where she was trying to wear the BRAVA. Although the radiated tissue would not expand, it did soften and improve dramatically after fat transfer and she was able to undergo a tissue expander placement and then replacement with a silicone implant. On the right she is several months out from the last step, the nipple reconstruction with a local flap. She still has not gotten the tattoo. The implant is an Allergan textured 400 cc "gummy bear" form stable (teardrop shaped) implant. On the right, where she had a DD cup breast and did not want a mastectomy, she underwent reduction and lift and placement of a 100 cc silicone round implant to give some upper pole fullness to match the left side. When the patient wears a bra she has symmetric volume of C cup breasts, and she is very happy because she did not have to have a flap or a second mastectomy. More