What is delayed breast reconstruction for breast cancer patients?

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  A Dr. Michele A. Manahan, MD , Plastic Surgery, answered on behalf of Johns Hopkins Medicine

  A delayed breast reconstruction takes place after all of the recommended therapies to treat the cancer are completed. One benefit of waiting for reconstruction is that it allows enough time to make sure all of the cancer has been treated.
  Some women choose to delay breast reconstruction because they aren't comfortable weighing all the options at once when they are struggling with a diagnosis of cancer. Others need time to come to terms with losing one or both of their breasts. Women who are overweight, or who smoke or have high blood pressure, may be advised to wait for reconstruction as well.
  Here at Johns Hopkins, we specialize in complex breast reconstruction procedures like these, including revisions to other surgeries where complications have developed.
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  A Dr. Heather L. Karu, MD , Plastic Surgery, answered on behalf of Sanford Health

  

  If a woman doesn't have breast reconstruction at the time of her cancer treatment, she can still have it later. In this video, Dr. Heather Karu talks about why a woman may have delayed reconstruction and the options that can work best.
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  A Dr. Stuart A. Linder, MD , Plastic Surgery, answered

  There are several reasons to delay the reconstruction of the breast after a mastectomy. Patients that may be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy may delay the reconstruction with a tissue expander/implant or autologous tissue transfer to reduce incidence of wound infections and avascular necrosis of the tissue. Radiation to the chest with a prosthetic device has a significant incidence of capsular contracture (scar tissue formation). There are also psychological decisions to wait on the reconstruction until the healing has occurred from the mastectomy. 
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  A Dr. Katharine Yao, MD , Surgery, answered on behalf of NorthShore University HealthSystem

  Delayed breast reconstruction is when reconstruction is performed after the patient has completed all of her breast cancer treatment. For example, if you had a mastectomy and then had chemotherapy followed by radiation, the delayed reconstruction would occur after the radiation.
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  A Dr. Ajay K. Sahajpal, MD , Transplant Surgery, answered on behalf of Aurora Health Care

  Delayed breast reconstruction is reconstruction of the breast that occurs after the breast surgery.  Timing of breast reconstruction is dependent on the medical situation and your personal preference.
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  A Dr. Robert E. Ferguson, MD , Plastic Surgery, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Delayed breast reconstruction is recreation of the breast mound at a separate date than the mastectomy.  Immediate reconstruction refers to recreation of the breast mound at the time of mastectomy. 

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