Skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction.

Skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction has become popular with patients because compared to delayed reconstruction it improves the cosmetic result and reduces cost and anesthetic risk. In one stage, it completes most of the surgical treatment the patient will ever require for treatment of her breast cancer. It eliminates the need to live with the deformity caused by mastectomy and thereby contributes to a more positive body image. It does not increase the risk of local or regional recurrence and when properly performed, especially with autogenous tissue, does not interfere with adjuvant therapy. We believe strongly that skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is a significant advance in the treatment of breast cancer: it provides patients an improved cosmetic outcome with less emotional trauma and morbidity. We encourage qualified surgeons to use this method of breast reconstruction whenever possible.