Breast reconstruction by Dr. Shahin Fazilat restores a natural and symmetrical appearance to a female patient’s chest. It maintains your body’s proportion, enables your clothes to fit better, and most importantly, boosts self-confidence for women who have lost one or both breasts to mastectomy. Breast reconstruction can also repair asymmetrical breasts that may be caused by a congenital or developmental abnormality.
Dr. Fazilat has specialized training in oncoplastic microsurgery to offer his patients the best options for breast reconstruction, including free-flap breast reconstruction using the patient’s tissue from elsewhere in the body. He strives to create a new breast and nipple that resembles your natural breasts as closely as possible in shape, size, and position.
Our approach to breast reconstruction
During your breast reconstruction consultation with Dr. Fazilat, he will discuss the options and alternatives in great detail, providing you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about breast reconstruction. Prior to your consultation, Dr. Fazilat will usually have discussed the specifics of your case with breast / oncologic surgeon.
Before your surgery, Dr. Fazilat will discuss a number of important decisions to make when planning your breast enhancement surgery. He will personally walk you through your options and share recommendations based on the latest research, advances in the field, and what’s best for your particular case.
The SF | Bay Area Plastic Surgery difference
Once you have booked your surgery, Dr. Fazilat’s office will coordinate the location and time of your breast reconstruction surgery with you and your breast surgeon. You will receive a pre-operative appointment, which is typically two weeks before your surgery. During this appointment, you will be given instructions for your surgery, as well as any medical request forms for necessary blood work at nearby labs, and or any other related medical testing. Dr. Fazilat will also take any pre-operative photos and review your planned procedure(s), so you can ask any final questions. Our office will contact you by phone or by email to review your instructions and your health history.
Typically, first stage breast reconstruction surgery is performed in an in-patient setting under general anesthesia with a board certified anesthesiologist and your breast surgeon; surgical times vary, depending on the technique. Typically, most patients spend one to two nights recovering.
Most patients require a second, and in some cases, a third procedure to complete their breast reconstruction surgery. These procedures are performed in an in-patient setting under general anesthesia with a board certified anesthesiologist. During these subsequent procedures, if one side of the breast reconstruction is performed, modifications to the opposite breast are also addressed. These procedures can include breast reduction, breast augmentation, or breast lifts to achieve symmetry with the reconstructed breast.
Recovering from breast reconstruction at SF | Bay Area Plastic Surgery
It is typical for our patients to feel tired and sore; however, this soreness usually passes in a day or two with many patients returning to work within a week, though strenuous activity should be avoided for up to four weeks. The patient should also have an adult stay with them for 24 hours following the surgery to monitor their recovery.
Stitches are removed a week to 10 days after breast enhancement surgery. Any post-operative pain, swelling, and/or sensitivity will commonly diminish over the first few weeks. Finally, scars from breast reconstruction incisions begin to fade in a few months and continue to fade for months or years to come.
Dr. Fazilat will schedule a follow-up post-recovery office visit in Morgan Hill or Mountain View, California to discuss your progress. In some cases, when post-operative chemotherapy and/or radiation is needed, he will work closely with your oncologist and radiation oncologist to coordinate the scheduling of those procedures.
Request your consultation
We invite you to schedule your cosmetic consultation with SF | Bay Area Plastic Surgery today; we’d love to be a part of your journey to a more youthful you. To learn more about breast reconstruction surgery, please call us today at 650.964.2200, or complete the form on our website to request a consultation in Mountain View or Morgan Hill, California.
