Breast reconstruction following mastectomy

Carcinoma of the breast is a formidable disease in which early detection is of paramount importance. Treatment is aimed at effecting cure and survival, but as the quality of life is also of great importance every effort should be made to rehabilitate the mastectomized patient. Breast reconstruction is discussed in some depth to include issues such as the proper selection of cases, the role that adequate discussion with the patient should play, the timing of the operation, the role played by the opposite breast and, in brief, the methods used to reconstruct an absent breast, the areola-nipple complex and the pectoralis major muscle.