Is breast reconstruction painful?

Is breast reconstruction painful?

Steve Fallek (Plastic Surgeon & Medical Director, Face Focus Medical Spa, New York City) gives expert video advice on: How is a breast reconstruction procedure performed?; Is breast reconstruction painful?; Will I have to take time off from work after getting breast reconstruction surgery? and more...

Breast reconstruction can be painful. For the most part it is performed in an immediate reconstruction done at the same time as a mastectomy. You're talking about two significant surgeries done at the same time. There are a variety of treatments and pain options that we can use to limit the pain that's associated with breast reconstruction. It also depends on your type of reconstruction. If you're going to have an expander and an implant placed at the same time it'll be less painful than if you're going to have some of the more complex procedures, such as a tram flap or a liticimous flap where tissue is taken from another part of your body. In fact, you're talking about another incision site and muscle which can add to the pain levels of breast reconstruction.