Autologous Tissue Breast Reconstruction Following the Application of Tissue Expander

Breast reconstruction is usually performed with autologous tissue or mammary prostheses, and a single mothod is generally selected for the most reconstruction cases. We combined these two methods of breast reconstruction. In the first stage, a tissue expander was applied to maintain space for the breast, and in the next stage the space was replaced with autologous tissue. This combined method was performed in 7 cases with good results. Some advantages of this method became clear, especially in the case of immediate breast reconstruction: 1) the patient has time to objectively consider breast reconstruction using autologous tissue after the emotional trauma of mastectomy had subsided 2) no additional surgical scar remains on the chest wall 3) the exact site and the exact amount of autologous tissue can be ascertained by measuring the volume of the tissue expander 4) there is no breast-less period, and 5) the patient's daily life is unaffected. We believe this combined procedure will contribute to a better quality of life for those who experience breast cancer and mastectomy as well as other conventional reconstructive procedures.