Board-Certified Plastic Surgeons Serving Denver, Lone Tree, Colorado & Nationwide
Placing a breast implant is the most common way to reconstruct a breast after mastectomy or lumpectomy. An implant can restore the shape of your breast and help alleviate the emotional discomfort commonly experienced after breast cancer surgery.
Implant reconstruction is one of the two main breast reconstruction options available. To learn if implant reconstruction is the ideal strategy for your needs, call 303-706-1100 to schedule a private consultation with our board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeons. The Breast Center Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery serves patients from Lone Tree and Denver, Colorado as well as across the nation.
What is Implant Breast Reconstruction?
There are two types of breast implants that can be used for implant-based reconstruction:
This is a procedure that uses a saline or silicone device to reshape the breast after cancer surgery. Our surgeons will work with you to select the implant size, shape, projection, and style that will best meet your needs.
Saline implants have two basic components: an outer shell made of silicone polymer and an inner fluid made of a saltwater solution. This solution is similar to fluid naturally present in your body. One advantage of saline implants is that they have a flexible fill volume, so our surgeons can adjust them during the procedure.
Silicone breast implants contain a silicone gel contained in a silicone shell, and closely resemble the look and feel of breast tissue once placed. Women who prefer silicone breast implants favor the natural appearance they provide. These implants are not prone to rippling or wrinkling, as can sometimes be the case with saline implants.
Our surgeons most often recommend silicone gel implants because they provide patients with the most natural look and feel. With silicone implants, the recreated breasts move much more like normal breast tissue does.
What are the Benefits of Breast Reconstruction Using Implants?
Implant reconstruction has numerous advantages that make it an appealing choice, including that it:
- Is widely available and something many surgeons are trained to perform
- Is a relatively short procedure
- Is highly customizable
- Limits surgery to the chest, as opposed to other areas of the body
- Generally involves a shorter recovery than other reconstruction methods
- Allows you to change your mind and pursue autologous reconstruction later
- Is ideal if you do not have enough excess tissue for autologous reconstruction
As with all surgical procedures, implant reconstruction comes with a few considerations that you must weigh when deciding if it is the appropriate solution. One thing to be aware of is that breast implants are not lifetime devices. They will likely need to be replaced at some point down the road, typically after 10 to 15 years.
Am I a Candidate For Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction using implants is an appropriate option for many women. However, since implant reconstruction candidacy depends on so many individualized factors, you will need to meet with our surgeons to find out if it is right for you.
You may be a candidate for this procedure if you are interested in enhancing the fullness, contour, and femininity of your breast shape after undergoing one of the following surgical breast cancer treatments:
- Mastectomy
- Double mastectomy
- Prophylactic mastectomy
- Lumpectomy
It is important to know that the nature of your cancer treatment may affect your candidacy for implants and the results that implants can offer. For example, radiation therapy performed before or after implant placement results in significantly higher reconstruction complication rates. For that reason, many surgeons view autologous reconstruction as the ideal method in the case of radiation.
Stages of Implant Reconstruction
Implant reconstruction can be performed at any time after your breast cancer surgery. Reconstruction timing is split into three categories: immediate (also known as single-stage or direct-to-implant), staged, and delayed.
Immediate reconstruction is done immediately after your mastectomy; you will wake up with a new breast mound and skip the tissue expansion process. Staged reconstruction begins at the time of mastectomy and is completed at a later date. Delayed reconstruction is done months or years after mastectomy surgery.
Many patients undergo staged reconstruction, which is completed in three phases:
- First stage: A tissue expander is placed beneath the skin to create space for an implant. Our surgeons will fill the expander with a sterile saline solution to gradually increase the size of the breast pocket over time.
- Second stage: Once enough space has been created, the tissue expanders are removed along with any scar tissue. Then, our surgeons will place the breast implant. The implants are usually allowed to settle for several months prior to the final phase of reconstruction.
- Third stage: Shaping techniques finalize the results so that the breasts look as natural, beautiful, and feminine as possible. Fat grafting may be recommended, which uses injections of your own fat cells to smooth out any surface irregularities or volume differences. Nipple reconstruction and areola pigmentation are also often performed in order to re-create the appearance of a nipple-areola complex.
Implant Reconstruction with Alloderm®
The surgeons at The Breast Center Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery have partnered with Lifecell™ to offer our patients Alloderm® Tissue Matrix as part of every breast reconstruction procedure. Alloderm® is a biologic mesh material that offers numerous advantages when used with a tissue expander and implant.
Alloderm® helps minimize complications and provide a more aesthetically pleasing result by:
- Forming an “internal bra” for the implant to sit in, keeping it in the preferred position
- Providing a scaffold or framework that helps your body heal itself
- Helping to cover and cushion the implant
- Behaving like your own tissue and integrating with the breast area
- Masking visibility of the implant through the skin
- Reducing other potential problems such as bottoming out and symmastia
What is Single-Stage Breast Reconstruction?
Some women are good candidates for direct-to-implant reconstruction (single-stage breast reconstruction). In this procedure, the tissue expander is not needed and the breast implants are placed immediately after the mastectomy. If you are a good candidate for single-stage reconstruction, there are a couple advantages: First, you will be able to enjoy immediate results without a waiting period. Secondly, you will spend less time in surgery because the number of procedures is reduced.
Planning Your Implant-Based Reconstruction
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time, or if you have been diagnosed as BRCA positive (placing you at a high-risk for developing breast cancer), then implant-based breast reconstruction may be a good option for you. As part of discussing your candidacy, our plastic surgeons will also discuss with you a plan for completing surgery.
Prior to reconstructing your breasts with breast implants, a skin-sparing mastectomy or a nipple-sparing mastectomy may be an option. These techniques conserve breast skin and the nipple-areola complex. Whether these types of mastectomy are an option in your case will depend on the details of your cancer and your general surgeon's input. Nipple reconstruction and areola pigmentation can be performed if a nipple-sparing mastectomy is not an option for you.
Why Choose The Breast Center at Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery in Denver, CO for Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction?
Implant-based breast reconstruction is performed by Dr. Christopher G. Williams and Dr. Jeremy Z. Williams, both board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeons with extensive training at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Christopher Williams completed eight years of advanced training and pursued additional specialization in microsurgical breast reconstruction and peripheral nerve surgery. He has also contributed to tissue engineering research and holds multiple medical patents.
Dr. Jeremy Williams graduated with honors from The University of Texas Medical School and completed seven years of plastic surgery training at Johns Hopkins, including a dedicated research year.
Their background in cancer reconstruction and aesthetic surgery allows them to focus on both safety and refined outcomes. As leaders of their accredited surgical facility in Lone Tree, they provide coordinated care from consultation through recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Recovery depends on whether your reconstruction is performed in a single stage or in multiple stages with a tissue expander. Most patients experience soreness, tightness in the chest, swelling, and fatigue during the first one to two weeks. Prescription pain medication is typically needed for a short period, followed by over-the-counter options as discomfort improves.
If a tissue expander is used, you will return to the office periodically for expansion appointments. Most patients can resume light daily activities within a couple of weeks, but strenuous exercise and heavy lifting are restricted for several weeks. Your surgeons will give you specific guidance based on your treatment plan and overall health.
As with any surgery, implant-based reconstruction carries potential risks. These may include:
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Delayed wound healing
- Fluid accumulation (seroma)
- Changes in sensation
- Capsular contracture
Implants are not lifetime devices, and future procedures may be needed to replace or adjust them. The risk of complications can be higher in patients who have undergone radiation therapy.
In most cases, yes. Federal law under the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act requires insurance plans that cover mastectomy to also cover breast reconstruction, including procedures to achieve symmetry between breasts and revision surgery if needed.
Coverage details vary depending on your insurance provider and plan. Our team will help verify benefits ahead of time so you understand any out-of-pocket costs before surgery.
Yes, many women who previously had cosmetic breast implants can still undergo implant-based reconstruction. The surgical plan may need to be adjusted depending on the type of implants you had, their placement, and whether scar tissue is present.
In some cases, existing implants can be removed and replaced during reconstruction. Your surgeons will evaluate your breast tissue, implant history, and cancer treatment plan to determine the safest and most appropriate approach for you.
Implant-based reconstruction typically involves a shorter procedure and recovery and does not require surgery on another part of the body. However, implants are not lifetime devices and may need to be replaced in the future. Complication rates can also be higher in patients who have had radiation.
Autologous reconstruction uses your own living tissue to form the breast. It often provides a more natural feel over time and does not require implant replacement. That said, it involves a longer surgery, longer recovery, and healing at a donor site such as the abdomen.
The best choice depends on your body, cancer treatment history, and personal preferences, which we can go over during your consultation.
Schedule Your Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction Consultation in Lone Tree
If you would like to learn more about implant-based reconstruction, please contact The Breast Center Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery at 303-706-1100 today to schedule your initial consultation with our Colorado breast reconstruction team. We serve patients from Denver, Lone Tree, and across the United States.