Breast reconstruction after cancer: 6 cases in before-and-after photos
This gallery shows real results of breast reconstruction after mastectomy or lumpectomy, carried out by Dr Benjamin Pulvermacker. It is organised into three categories: reconstruction with an implant, with a muscle flap, and reconstruction of the areola and nipple.
These photographs, published with the patients' consent, are offered for information: the final result depends on many factors specific to each patient.
To understand the full pathway, see the page devoted to breast reconstruction after cancer, or book a consultation.
How to read these breast reconstruction photographs
A reconstruction does not aim for a breast identical to the one before the illness, but for a volume, a shape and a symmetry that restore a balanced figure. Look at the symmetry with the other breast, the shape of the lower breast and, for the final stage, the position and colour of the reconstructed areola and nipple.
These photographs may correspond to different stages of a pathway that involves at least two operations and extends over six months to a year; the result of each stage is assessed at three to four months before moving on to the next. The scars remain visible: reconstruction restores a shape, it does not erase the trace of cancer surgery. On irradiated skin, an implant carries a higher risk of complications, which weighs in the choice between implant and flap.
Frequently asked questions
Are the photographs real results?
Yes. All the photographs shown are of patients operated on by Dr Pulvermacker and are published with their written consent.
Will my result be the same?
No. Every morphology, every skin quality and every process of healing is different: these images illustrate individual results.
