There is no single "right" timeline; it depends entirely on your cancer treatment plan and personal readiness. Immediate Reconstruction is performed at the exact same time as your mastectomy, which often provides a psychological benefit because you wake up with a breast mound already in place, and it reduces the total number of surgeries. Delayed reconstruction is performed months or even years after your mastectomy. This is often recommended if you need radiation therapy (which can affect healing and the final cosmetic result) or if you simply need time to focus purely on your cancer recovery first.

You will meet the entire surgical team, including the nurses and anesthesiologists. Markings will be done with you standing or lying down. After implant-based surgery, you will go home. After autologous (your own tissue) flap reconstruction, you will be admitted to the ICU where the flaps will be monitored closely.

In general, there are risks of infection, scarring, bleeding, anaesthesia risks, or wound complications. For implant-based breast reconstruction, there are risks of capsular contracture, implant malposition/migration, rupture, asymmetry. For flap reconstruction, there are risks of flap necrosis, mastectomy flap complications, wound dehiscence, and abdominal bulge.

Reconstruction is rarely a single surgery; it is a staged process. While the first surgery creates the foundation, most patients require at least one or two additional, smaller procedures. These might include swapping a tissue expander for a permanent implant, performing a lift or reduction on the opposite breast to ensure perfect symmetry, and eventually, recreating the nipple and areola.

Yes. In Ontario, breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy or lumpectomy (whether for a cancer diagnosis or as a preventative (prophylactic) measure due to genetic risks like BRCA) is generally fully covered by OHIP. This includes surgery on the opposite, healthy breast to achieve symmetry.