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| An expander placed under the muscle is gradually inflated with saline |
In most implant reconstruction (unless you have nipple-sparing mastectomy and direct-to-implant reconstruction
) temporary saline implants called tissue expanders are used to gradually stretch the chest skin and muscle to make room for
a fixed-sized implant. Similar tissue expanders are commonly used by plastic surgeons to rebuild damaged facial features and
replace tissue damaged or burned.
Empty tissue expanders are first placed under the pectoral muscle after the mastectomy,
and a small amount of saline is then added. This pushes the muscle forward and creates a little bulge. Over a period
of several weeks, this "starter" breast grows as more saline is gradually introduced into the expander. Most women complete this process in six to eight weeks. Your own
interval may be shorter or longer, depending on how much your skin must stretch to accommodate your implant and how well
you tolerate the process. Once the expanders
are filled to the desired volume, the new breasts are allowed to "settle" for several weeks. Then, in a brief operation, the expanders are exchanged for the saline or silicone implants.
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Updated November 2011
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Note:
The information on this site is provided for educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as medical advice.
© 2003-2012 Carlo Press Publications PO Box 7019 San Carlos,
CA 94070 info@breastrecon.com
info@breastrecon.com
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