Rebuild Chest Contours in the Vancouver Area
Breast reconstruction can be an immensely beneficial procedure for anyone who undergoes a mastectomy, restoring confidence in addition to a shapelier silhouette. Patients who retain enough breast tissue to potentially hold an implant have options, with the most popular being a two-stage expander-implant reconstruction. Richmond’s Dr. Robyn Watts performs this procedure, which works in stages to restore volume and curves over time.
Is the two-stage expander-implant reconstruction approach right for you? Any patient considering reconstructive options when faced with loss of breast tissue will first meet with Dr. Watts for a personalized and discreet consultation. She will assess the situation—including any breast cancer treatment-related steps along the way—and develop a recommended plan for restoring chest contours that can appear as natural as possible.
Get in Touch!
Find out how two stage expander-implant reconstruction with Richmond and Vancouver’s Dr. Robyn Watts can help you achieve a restored look. Call 604-273-1034. Note that a referral is required for this surgery.
What Is Two Stage Expander-Implant Reconstruction?
Patients who want to regain breast volume via implants typically find that their post-mastectomy breast tissue needs a little “help” before it’s ready to welcome an implant. Two stage expander-implant reconstruction handles this by breaking the process down into steps that allow for the gradual creation of a pocket to hold the desired implant.
First, a device known as an expander is inserted below the pectoralis muscle in an initial surgery. Two weeks later, the expander is filled with saline—which is the medical term for sterile salt water—which pushes against the tissue and causes it to expand. This process is repeated every two weeks for a month or longer and is performed in Dr. Watts’ office.
Once the tissue has expanded enough, the newly created skin envelope is allowed to relax for three months.
For the final step of two stage expander-implant reconstruction, with the pocket ready, another surgery allows Dr. Watts to remove the expander and insert the desired implant, with possible fat grafting to the area if required.
Dr. Robyn Watts
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Dr. Robyn Watts is a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, cosmetic breast surgery, and body contouring. Trained in Canada and the U.S., she leads plastic surgery at Richmond Hospital, practices at Cambie Surgical Centre, teaches at UBC, and is known for meticulous technique, compassion, and natural results.
When Is Two Stage Expander-Implant Reconstruction Recommended?
This reconstruction strategy is often required in patients who originally had a mastectomy and did not have immediate reconstruction (delayed), in patients who are expecting radiation, larger-breasted women, and in cases where skin flaps are thin (poor blood supply).
Patients who proceed with two stage expander-implant reconstruction in the midst of their cancer treatments should know that radiation therapy will require a longer wait between the insertion of the expander and its subsequent removal and implant insertion. Typically, the time between is about six months.
What Happens During a Two Stage Expander-Implant Reconstruction?
Patients will have the initial surgery to place the expander at Richmond Hospital under general anesthesia. Dr. Watts creates an incision just large enough to insert the expander, which features a port to allow for saline filling over the coming weeks.
Since the expansion process is not surgical, all of these visits happen at Dr. Watts’ office in Richmond.
The second surgery to remove the expander and insert either a saline or silicone implant will be a less invasive procedure and often involves fat grafting to refine edges and smooth out rippling or defects.
Each of the surgeries that make up a two-stage expander-implant reconstruction can take about 60 to 90 minutes, involving one or both breasts as needed and desired.
How Long Does Recovery Take After Two Stage Expander-Implant Reconstruction?
Patients typically return home the same day as their two-stage expander-implant reconstruction surgery, spending two to four weeks in recovery as bruising, swelling, and other side effects fade. Dr. Watts recommends about two weeks of refraining from vigorous activity after this, and six weeks avoiding heavy lifting and upper body or chest exercises.
What Alternatives Exist for Direct to Implant Reconstruction?
Patients who want to see their results much sooner than possible with two stage expander-implant reconstruction, who have relatively small breasts, and who are not undergoing radiation therapy near to their surgery time may be able to choose a direct to implant reconstruction, which involves the insertion of implants at the same time as the mastectomy surgery. This strategy often includes an eventual revision surgery for fat grafting to refine the results, but the initial volume from the implant is visible right away.
Another option aside from two stage expander-implant reconstruction involves the creation of a flap, which is made up of muscle, skin, and blood vessels moved from a different part of the body to the chest in order to create a breast mound. A latissimus dorsi flap is made up of tissue from the back tunneled via the underarm area, while a TRAM flap is made up of tissue taken from the lower stomach and tunneled upward.
Schedule your two-stage expander-implant reconstruction surgery with Richmond’s Dr. Robyn Watts. To get started with a personalized consultation, patients throughout the Vancouver area and beyond can call us at 604-273-1034. A consultation requires a referral from a general practitioner or general surgeon.
Before & After Photo Gallery
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See real patient transformations that highlight the artistry and precision behind Dr. Watts’ surgical approach. Each before-and-after showcases natural, balanced results tailored to individual goals.
- Results vary by individual, and no outcome is guaranteed.
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