Richard A. Baxter, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Doctor Notes
The last picture is a flexion pose to illustrate the lack of distortion.

Doctor Notes
Her small chest and tight skin would make it essentially impossible to place a large enough implant. For this reason an expandable implant was placed. This implant has a special port positioned under the skin near the implant, into which injections of saline solution are placed every couple of weeks. This enables the skin and muscle layer to be gradually expanded until the desired final size is reached. It also allows for some flexibility in deciding on the final fill volume. Once the expansions are done, usually after 2 or 3 months, the fill ports are removed under local anesthesia. This requires that the incision be placed at the bottom of the breast rather than periareolar or axillary.

Doctor Notes
Implant Style: 15

Doctor Notes
This patient was referred to plan reconstruction of her right breast after mastectomy for cancer. Note the biopsy scar on the upper outer part of the breast. The mastectomy removed all of the breast tissue including the nipple and areola. The reconstruction was done immediately following the mastectomy, with a Transverse Rectus Abdominis Musculocutaneous flap. This operation uses skin and fat tissue from the lower abdomen, similar to a "tummy tuck," except that the tissue remains attached to the rectus muscle which carries the blood supple to keep the flap alive. The flap is delivered into the breast area through a tunnel under the skin and shaped to match the opposite breast. The nipple and areola were reconstructed later.