Tissue Expander Reconstruction Before & After

Tissue expander reconstruction rebuilds the breast in stages. Dr. Li places a temporary, adjustable expander — often above the muscle — and gradually fills it during short office visits to restore the breast shape. Once the skin has adjusted, a second surgery exchanges the expander for a permanent implant.

Direct-to-implant reconstruction places the final implant in a single stage, usually at the time of mastectomy. A tissue expander stages the process instead — an approach used when reconstruction is delayed, when the skin needs time to stretch, or when a patient wants a different size than before.

Yes. This is called delayed reconstruction. In the case shown here, Dr. Li began reconstruction six months after a nipple-sparing mastectomy, preserving the patient's own nipple and restoring her original size in the first surgery before completing the final implant exchange.