- What Is Tissue Expander Implant Reconstruction?
- How Is Tissue Expander Implant Reconstruction Performed?
- What Are the Benefits of Tissue Expander Implant Reconstruction?
- Northwestern Specialists in Plastic Surgery Reviews
- Define Your Look Post-Mastectomy
- Get In Touch
- Related Procedures
- Related Posts
What Is Tissue Expander Implant Reconstruction?
Tissue expander implant reconstruction is one of the breast reconstruction techniques we offer at Northwestern Specialists in Plastic Surgery for Chicago, IL women who are planning or have undergone mastectomy (breast removal surgery). A tissue expander is a balloon-like device that can be placed in the breast tissue during your mastectomy or in a later surgery. These inserts are then slowly filled with salt water to gently expand the breasts, creating room for an implant to be placed later. Tissue expander implant reconstruction offers a gradual approach to breast restoration with fewer risks of complications and less visible scarring, making it a popular choice for many patients. Learn more about this procedure and find out if you're an eligible candidate by scheduling a consultation with the compassionate providers at our plastic surgery practice.
How Is Tissue Expander Implant Reconstruction Performed?
Tissue expanders can be surgically placed either during your mastectomy or afterward. To place the expander, our surgeons will open a small pocket underneath the skin or the chest muscle. We may add a small amount of sterile saline solution at this point to fill out the empty space. After the implants have healed, we'll add more saline solution over the course of several visits to slowly increase your breast volume until they've reached the desired size. Many women experience a sense of pressure as a result of the expanders, but pain or discomfort is rare. Once you have reached the size you want, we'll schedule an additional surgery to exchange your expander inserts for long-lasting saline or silicone implants.
What Are the Benefits of Tissue Expander Implant Reconstruction?
Tissue expander implant reconstruction is just one of the many approaches to breast reconstruction we perform at Northwestern Specialists in Plastic Surgery. Compared to other techniques, this method offers a variety of benefits for Chicago, IL women dealing with the loss of one or more of their breasts, including:
- Restores a sense of comfort and confidence to your life
- Reduces risk of complications
- Fewer visible scars
- Shorter procedure and recovery time
Northwestern Specialists in Plastic Surgery Reviews
I've lived in Chicago for 20 years, and have visited a handful of different med spas and have been under the care of a couple of other plastice surgeons in the Chciago Metro area. However, no experience was as wonderful as mine with Dr. Simon at Northwestern. I've lost and gained quite a bit of weight over the last 15 years or so and decided to have chin lipo, and couldn't be happier. I feel and look amazing, and will not go back to another Doctor now. His PA MoniKa is equally as lovely, and caring as Dr. Moradian himself. I would recommend Dr. Moradian, his staff, and his practice to everyone I know!
Five stars is not enough. I came to Dr. Moradian for an upper bleph - my results were phenomenal. I didn't want to look surprised or crazy; I wanted to look like I got a good night's sleep. And that is exactly what he delivered. He and NSPS also went the extra mile to make sure I was comfortable. Dr. Moradian is truly a talented surgeon and I was lucky to find him.
I visited Dr Fine and his team after a failed breast reconstruction after being treated for cancer with mastectomy, chemo and radiation. From the first visit, there were noticeable differences between my prior surgeon and him. He and his team are empathetic and make their patients feel at ease and cared for. At each visit, he and his team have spent a lot of time with me. The visits never feel rushed. At my first visit, he looked at my infected reconstructed breast with an exposed implant and calmly explained what was necessary to fix it. He then explained the procedure he thought would be helpful and showed me before and after pictures of patients who had undergone the suggested surgery. The end result was gorgeous, by the way, in all of these pictures---even in post radiation patients. In this visit alone, he spent more time with me than my prior surgeon had spent with me over multiple visits. He answered all my very detailed questions. In my first visit with my prior surgeon, before my mastectomy, my husband and I were left alone in an exam room for about an hour with a saline-filled implant and silicone-filled implant on the counter to look at. The surgeon I went to before spent about 20 minutes with me in that visit and did not go into detail. The choices presented to me were implant reconstruction with saline- or silicone-filled implants or an abdominal flap procedure that takes 2-4 months to recover from. I am very career-oriented and don't have 2 months to take off of work. Dr Fine, on the other hand, gave me the option of a latissimus dorsi flap with a significantly shorter recovery time, lower complication rate, and better aesthetic result. He gives you his honest opinion based on 30 years of experience. He tells you the hard truths: such as that 50% of implant reconstructions fail after radiation therapy. I wish I would have known that before I started on this journey because I would have made very different choices. The icing on the cake was when he took out the infected implant in his office, which makes a woman feel really terrible and ugly and scared, and his very kind PA told me I have beautiful eyes. Wow. What a caring team.
I visited Dr Fine and his team after a failed breast reconstruction after being treated for cancer with mastectomy, chemo and radiation. From the first visit, there were noticeable differences between my prior surgeon and him. He and his team are empathetic and make their patients feel at ease and cared for. At each visit, he and his team have spent a lot of time with me. The visits never feel rushed. At my first visit, he looked at my infected reconstructed breast with an exposed implant and calmly explained what was necessary to fix it. He then explained the procedure he thought would be helpful and showed me before and after pictures of patients who had undergone the suggested surgery. The end result was gorgeous, by the way, in all of these pictures---even in post radiation patients. In this visit alone, he spent more time with me than my prior surgeon had spent with me over multiple visits. He answered all my very detailed questions. In my first visit with my prior surgeon, before my mastectomy, my husband and I were left alone in an exam room for about an hour with a saline-filled implant and silicone-filled implant on the counter to look at. The surgeon I went to before spent about 20 minutes with me in that visit and did not show me any before or after pictures. The choices presented to me were implant reconstruction with saline- or silicone-filled implants or an abdominal flap procedure that takes 2-4 months to recover from. I am very career-oriented and don't have 2 months to take off of work. Dr Fine, on the other hand, gave me the option of a latissimus doors flap with a significantly shorter recovery time, lower complication rate, and better aesthetic result. He gives you his honest opinion based on 30 years of experience. He tells you the hard truths: such as that 50% of implant reconstructions fail after radiation therapy. I wish I would have known that before I started on this journey because I would have made very different choices. The icing on the cake was when he took out the infected implant in his office, which makes a woman feel really terrible and ugly and scared, and his very kind PA told me I have beautiful eyes. Wow. What a caring team.
Dr. Moradian performed an incredible job! He’s one of the sweetest and compassionate doctors/surgeons I’ve ever encountered. He made me feel incredibly comfortable and relieved, putting all my anxieties to rest. I underwent a transaxillary breast augmentation, and I’m thrilled with the results. All of my friends and family are blown away by my outcome. I have a new sense of confidence that has changed my life. While I was in my recovery room, Dr. Moradian not only took care of me but also spoke to my family and answered all their questions. He exudes a sense of safety and ensures that you receive the best possible outcomes. He took the time to personally check up on me and kindly encouraged me to reach out to him. Dr. Moradian genuinely cares about your concerns and takes the time to explain everything in detail. I am so fortunate to have found him!
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Define Your Look Post-Mastectomy
Take the next step toward reclaiming your confidence with tissue expander breast implant reconstruction at Northwestern Specialists in Plastic Surgery. Our experienced team is here to guide you through every stage of your journey, offering compassionate support and dedicated care at our office in Chicago, IL. Schedule a consultation today to discuss your options, and start your path to a renewed sense of self.