A common technique for breast reconstruction involves the placement of a tissue expander at the time of your mastecomy.  Following your surgery the tissue expander filled with saline during routine appointments at our office.  The expansions take place over the course of a few months and are generally scheduled on a weekly basis.  Once the tissue expander has reached the desired size, a waiting period of two to three months is recommended before the tissue expander is removed and a permanent implant is placed.  This type of breast reconstruction requires two surgeries.

Tissue expansion usually begins two to four weeks after your mastectomy surgery in order to give your surgical site time to heal and to minimize the risk of your incision site opening.  Patients often experience pressure with the stretching of the skin and underlying tissue but in general the expension procedure is not painful but can be uncomfortable as the tissue expander reaches maximum fill capacity.