Women who are extremely active and want to avoid spending long periods recuperating tend to opt for the placement of tissue expanders leading up to implants. For most, this fits well into an active lifestyle, as implant surgery may be performed on an outpatient basis or with an overnight hospital stay. Even though patients have soreness and tenderness in the chest, they are able to return to their normal routines in a shorter period of time.

Before considering a flap procedure, athletically active women may want to be aware of the effect of cutting the rectus abdominus muscle. Because 10 percent of the initiation of an abdominal sit-up is begun using the rectus abdominus muscle, such women may find that it will take considerably more time after the surgery before they can exercise as usual. However, there are three other muscles that can be conditioned to carry the load of the rectus abdominus.

It may take up to six weeks for a woman to recover from a flap reconstructive surgery. The recovery may be even longer if the reconstruction was performed at the same time as her mastectomy. Patients should follow the physician’s instructions regarding stretching exercises and normal activities. In some cases, women may be referred to a physical or occupational therapist to help with muscle and arm function following a mastectomy. In general, women should refrain from overhead lifting and strenuous activities for three to six weeks following surgery.

Breast reconstruction can provide a cosmetically similar breast. However, the reconstructed breast has no nursing or sexual function.

Following reconstruction, there are normally several visits to the plastic surgeon to monitor the progress and healing at the surgery sites. Once the incisions have healed properly, subsequent follow-up visits most likely will be handled by the patient’s oncologist who will offer recommendations on the scheduling of any other tests, including clinical breast exams and the need for mammography.