According to the American Cancer Society, the breast reconstruction procedure can be done simultaneously as the mastectomy or any time afterward.
Traditionally, breast reconstruction was carried out months or years after the mastectomy. However, evidence of the benefits and the procedure's safety make immediate breast reconstruction the most common option in recent years.
The advantages of immediate breast reconstruction (also called direct-to-implant reconstruction) in contrast to delayed reconstruction are:
• cost reduction.
• better aesthetic results.
• less psychological effects.
However, the diagnosis of breast cancer can be overwhelming. Thus, some women don't feel up to deciding on the reconstructive process while coping with radiation treatment. In these cases, the best alternative is to do a delayed reconstruction to devote all the initial care to cancer treatment.