Direct-to-implant breast reconstruction

The expectations for improved results in postmastectomy reconstruction for women have increased in the past decade. The modified radical mastectomy has given way to breast conservation techniques using principles of skin preservation. Skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomies have allowed plastic surgeons to perform breast reconstruction with the advantage of an intact skin envelope. Acellular dermal matrix is a biotechnological tissue prepared from either human or porcine skin. During processing, the cellular components that cause rejection and inflammation are removed, producing a structurally intact tissue matrix that serves as the biologic scaffold necessary for tissue ingrowth, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration.