Achieving symmetry in the tissue-expanded breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction has become such a commonplace procedure over the last ten years that we as plastic surgeons are no longer content to simply create a mound. Today's goal is to create a mound that not only looks like a breast, but also matches the opposite breast. The most commonly used procedures today include simple augmentation if adequate tissue exists, flap reconstruction with either the latissimus dorsi or the tram, and, finally, tissue expansion. Each technique has its own highlights and pitfalls. It is the purpose of this article to deal only with tissue expansion and to present a simple technique to produce symmetry with the opposite breast.