The last 25 years have seen the development of a number of techniques of use in the treatment of patients after cancer surgery and in those stricken with congenital abnormalities of the breasts. All of the techniques have use in certain clinical situations, and none is perfect. However, a careful evaluation of the patients health, her anatomy, and her goals, will allow the plastic surgeon to tailor the best treatment plan for the individual woman. Alloplastic Methods are those surgeries in which the physician employs an implant device to simulate a breast mound. Because the result will be round and prominent, alteration of the opposite, normal breast will often be needed to provide reasonable symmetry.
Implants are sterile plastic devices made from silicone rubber.
This rough surface is produced by stippling the silicone itself and does not change the chemical nature of the device. All available data have shown no cause and effect link between breast implants and any illness. In most cases, implant reconstructions will be accomplished in stages. Tissue expanders are implant-like devices placed within the body while empty and then serially inflated by the surgeon. The patient will usually make weekly visits to the doctor's office for the staged addition of fluid with a hypodermic syringe.