Breast cancer is the most common tumor of female breast. In recent years, the incidence rate of breast cancer in China has been increasing year by year, accounting for 7-10% of all kinds of malignant tumors in the body, and it has become the first place of malignant tumor incidence among women, and the age of incidence tends to be younger. With the increasing awareness of breast cancer, the early detection rate of breast cancer patients has also increased significantly, coupled with the improvement of treatment and the application of adjuvant treatment methods, the survival rate of breast cancer patients has been greatly improved, and at the same time, the quality of life after surgery also has higher requirements. However, post-operative breast cancer patients have missing breasts, “flat” breasts, or even “clothespin”-like deformity of chest wall, subclavian depression deformity, and anterior axillary crease deformity, which not only cause physiological defects, but also make patients have a strong sense of inferiority. In addition, it is a great psychological burden for young women, who are reluctant to socialize, lose interest in life and have their family life affected. Therefore, breast reconstruction is of great importance for women with mastectomy. Generally speaking, there is no strict age limit for breast reconstruction. For women in China, breast reconstruction can be done before the age of 60 without serious organic lesions. Pre-operative preparation: The first thing to determine is whether you really want to have breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction is a relatively large operation with certain risks, so you should have some psychological preparation before surgery. Secondly, you should prepare information about your previous breast diseases, including previous surgical treatment, pathological type of breast mass, tumor stage, surgical method, whether lymphatic drainage was performed, whether radiotherapy was given before and after surgery and its specific process, and whether there is any family history, etc. Which method should I choose for breast reconstruction? Doctors choose the best breast reconstruction plan according to the amount of missing tissue, individual’s height, weight, volume of contralateral breast form, amount of local tissue, local radiotherapy and other specific circumstances. Generally speaking, breast reconstruction is divided into three surgical procedures: autologous tissue transplantation, implantation, and a combination of autologous tissue transplantation and implantation. The choice of procedure is a complex one, depending on your acceptance of breast implants and the condition of your own torso. If the abdominal wall is very lax and can provide sufficient tissue volume, you may consider an abdominal donor area for autologous tissue grafting, while if you have a flat abdominal wall or post-liposuction abdominal wall, you may consider the back, buttocks, or lower extremities as a donor area, for example. Should I choose immediate reconstruction or second-stage breast reconstruction after excision? Immediate reconstructive surgery means that your oncologist removes your breast while your plastic surgeon reconstructs your new breast. This approach allows you to avoid the trauma of a second surgery and the psychological stress of breast loss, while also reducing the financial burden, but it is less widely available than second-stage breast reconstruction. Second-stage breast reconstruction refers to the reconstruction of the breast after the surgical removal of the breast for a period of time. The specific choice of breast reconstruction depends on the specific condition of your disease and your physical condition. How long after mastectomy can I have breast reconstruction? In general, we recommend that you undergo breast reconstruction one year after radiotherapy, but the main thing is that you should undergo breast reconstruction with adequate psychological preparation. Is breast reconstruction very risky? In the case of breast reconstruction, the more serious complication is partial or total necrosis of the flap, which we have extensive experience with and therefore will take appropriate measures if it occurs. Will breast reconstruction affect the review and treatment of breast cancer and increase the risk of recurrence? In general, the transplantation of autologous tissue will not affect the review and recurrence, and our preoperative examination of you will leave a control for postoperative review. You will still need to follow your oncologist’s recommendations for regular review and continued treatment.