When Breast Reconstruction is Not Recommended

Breast reconstruction is an excellent operation for many patients who have undergone a mastectomy or have been in a traumatic accident which resulted in the loss of a significant amount of breast tissue but for some patients breast reconstruction is not recommended. Specifically cancer patients who do not have all of the cancerous cells removed during the mastectomy are not ideal candidates for breast reconstruction. In these cases it may be necessary to complete cancer treatments before attempting a breast reconstruction. Additionally, patients who are in poor health may not be ideal candidates for breast reconstruction. This may include patients suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity. Additionally, cigarette smoking may make a patient an unlikely candidate for breast reconstruction. In these cases the patient may have to wait until the other health concerns are alleviated before undergoing surgery for reconstruction of the breasts.