Single Stage Reconstruction

Information for Canadian Women

During a mastectomy, the surgeon removes skin and breast tissue, leaving the chest tissues flat and tight. Before a long-term implant can be placed, the breast tissue needs to be stretched to make space for it. This process is called tissue expansion. It can typically be done in either two stages or in one stage (single-stage).

Mentor is one of the few companies that manufactures breast implants that can be used as both a tissue expander and a long-term breast implant. These implants are used in single-stage breast reconstruction. This procedure is becoming more popular with physicians because it means patients only need to have one operation to reconstruct their breast, instead of two or more.

How It Works

A combination expander/breast implant is placed in the chest at the time of mastectomy. The device has a small fill tube and dome that is placed near the implant. Over a period of weeks or months, saline is injected into the port to expand the implant and grow tissue. When the desired size is reached, the fill tube and port can be removed in a simple office procedure and the implant remains in place.

Expansion Procedure for Becker and Spectrum^® Adjustable Implants