Whether or not you’re a good candidate for breast reconstruction with Dr. Jason Roostaeian will depend on a number of factors. Dr. Jason will work closely with your breast care team to determine whether breast reconstruction is right for you.

When searching for the best breast surgeon to perform your breast reconstruction, Dr. Roostaeian advises you to consider several key factors:

1. Credentials and Certifications: Research your prospective breast surgeon online – not just on their website, but on industry credentialing sites such as www.surgery.org, which lists board certified plastic surgeons. Do not choose a cosmetic surgeon who is a member of the ABCS – they do not receive the extensive training and oversight that plastic surgeons do. Look for plastic/cosmetic surgeons like Dr. Roostaeian, who are ABPS and ASAPS members.
2. Before and After Photos: The doctor you choose to perform your breast reconstruction should be happy to show you an extensive array of standardized before and after photographs. Scrutinize them carefully, making sure the lighting is consistent and the various views are shown with detail. View enough breast reconstruction pictures to determine whether or not the work is of high quality, with an aesthetic that matches your personal goals. Dr. Jason strives to provide patients with the highest quality of standardized breast surgery photographs so you can feel confident in your choice. Click here to view Dr. Jason’s gallery of before and after breast reconstruction photos. [LINK]
3. Office and Surgery Facility: Before choosing a reconstructive surgeon to perform your breast surgery, closely evaluate the office staff, as well as the surgery facility. All of the staff should be helpful and friendly, and pleased to provide you with detailed information about their operating rooms and equipment. Dr. Jason and his staff are proud to be affiliated with UCLA, world renowned for state-of-the-art surgical facilities and patient care. Click to learn more about our top-ranked hospital.[LINK]
4. Personal Connection: Seeing eye to eye with your breast reconstruction surgeon is just as important as assessing their operating skills. Plastic surgery is a very personal endeavor, and Dr. Jason strongly believes in creating a connection with all of his patients prior to heading into the OR. 

Click to read Dr. Jason’s blog post How to Find the Best Plastic Surgeon.

The exact price for breast reconstruction will vary depending upon the type of reconstruction that works best for you. Breast reconstruction with Dr. Jason Roostaeian may be covered by your insurance. Please contact Lili in our office, 310-825-8827, to learn more.

When planning your breast reconstruction with Dr. Jason Roostaeian, he’ll help you decide what type of implant to choose. Both silicone and saline implants are considered safe and are available in similar shapes, sizes, and textures.

Silicone implants are made of a silicone rubber shell filled with silicone gel. Silicone implants feel more similar to natural breasts and are less likely to ripple due to its consistency.

Saline implants are also made of a silicone rubber shell, however they are filled with a sterile saline solution.  Saline is a salt water solution and therefore feels relatively firm and is more likely to cause rippling.

Another major difference between saline and silicone implants is in the detection of a rupture. If a saline implant ruptures, it is easily detected as the salt water is soon absorbed by the body leaving the breast deflated. Silicone implants on the other hand can be difficult to detect ruptures and often require imaging of the breast to do so.

During your initial consultation, Dr. Jason Roostaeian will work with you to determine the right size and shape of implants for your body type. Dr. Jason specializes in natural looking breast reconstruction.

It is important to remember that while Dr. Jason will strive to achieve your aesthetic reconstruction goals, your breast reconstruction is dependent upon your anatomy and your individual treatment concerns.

During your breast reconstruction planning, Dr. Jason will help you decide where to place the implant. Breast implants can be placed either behind the mastectomy flap tissue but in front of the pectoral muscle, or behind the muscle.

Placing an implant behind the mastectomy flap tissue and in front of the muscle is referred to as prepectoral placement. Placing an implant partially behind the pectoralis muscle, wherein the lower portion of the implant is not completely covered by the muscle, is referred to as subpectoral or dual plane placement. Partial muscular coverage is ideal for many post-mastectomy patients  because the muscle helps hide the implant and provides a more natural look.

Dr. Jason will help patients who desire pre-pectoral implant placement to determine whether this is a feasible option for their breast reconstruction.

Yes – Dr. Jason Roostaeian is fellowship trained in microsurgery, which allows him to use a patient’s own tissue to create a new breast mound. Tissue is taken from a donor site (most typically the abdomen) and essentially transplanted to the chest, where it is reconnected and shaped into a breast that looks and feels more like a natural breast than an implant would.

During your breast reconstruction consultation, Dr. Jason will help you determine whether this flap-based type of reconstruction is right for you.

Whenever possible, Dr. Jason Roostaeian will place your breast reconstruction implant incisions using your existing mastectomy incision sites to minimize scarring.

Incisions for flap based reconstruction procedures are determined by the donor site and the extent of the flap. 

When preparing for a breast reconstruction procedure, follow all instructions issued by Dr. Roostaeian, his office, your breast surgery team, and the staff at the UCLA. These guidelines include, but are not limited to:

• No food or drink prior to surgery
• Shower/cleanse the area with Hibiclens prior to coming in for surgery
• Avoid certain drugs and supplements before and after surgery
• Arrange transportation
• Ensure you will have help around the house for the first few days
• Obtain prescription and non-prescription medications ahead of time, including pain meds
• Choose to wear loose, comfortable clothing
• Plan out sleeping and resting arrangements (Which side of the bed is easiest to navigate to/from? Do I have enough pillows to make sleep/rest comfortable?)
• Have frequently used items handy – you won’t be able to lift or strain right away

Your exact instructions will depend upon your unique treatment plan.

Although you will be able to notice your reconstructed breasts immediately after surgery with Dr. Jason, the final result will emerge after the implants have settled (if applicable) and the swelling has completely subsided. The scars from your incisions will typically fade to thin, slightly discolored lines over several months. It is important to realize that your breasts will continue to change shape over time as they normally would. 

For the first 2 weeks following your breast reconstruction surgery, Dr. Jason wants you to avoid getting your blood pressure or heart rate up as it can lead to bleeding and the development of a “hematoma” (a collection of blood that requires surgical drainage). After 2 weeks, it is important to avoid motions that lead to excessive strain or stress on your incisions to get the best scar possible. By 3 months, your incisions are strong enough to handle most strenuous activities.

Dr. Jason is very meticulous about his incision placement and suturing. Whenever possible, he uses existing mastectomy incisions to minimize scarring.

The number and placement of your breast reconstruction scars will depend on the type of reconstruction you choose: tissue flap reconstruction produces more scars than implant reconstruction, as there is an incision at both the reconstruction and the donor sites.

Your scars will typically fade to very thin lines over several months.

Please visit Dr. Jason’s breast reconstruction gallery to view examples of breast reconstruction scars.

If you opt for implant reconstruction with Dr. Roostaeian, you should be ready to go home the same day (usually within two to four hours after surgery). Before you leave the operating room we dress you with a support bra that you can remove after 2 days. You can take a shower at that point but baths, swimming, or soaking of your incisions should be avoided for 4 weeks.

There is no significant downtime after breast reconstruction with implants. Most patients do not require very much if any prescription narcotics, but we prescribe them just in case your pain is greater than expected. Often only Motrin is necessary for pain control. You can drive if you’re not taking prescription narcotics and most feel up for it within a few days after surgery. You can return to work within a few days as long as it doesn’t require any significant physical activity or lifting.

Breast reconstruction using tissue flaps requires a longer hospital stay, so that Dr. Jason and his team can monitor the health of the flap. Downtime is also increased, because flap reconstruction requires multiple incision sites.

While everyone heals at a different pace, there are general guidelines to help determine how much work or school you’ll miss after a nose job. To promote proper healing, Dr. Roostaeian recommends taking a few days off after breast reconstruction with implants.

Tissue flap reconstruction patients should plan to take off about two weeks from work.

After being discharged, most patients are able to work from home or do homework after a few days of rest. If your work requires significant physical activity you want to wait at least 14 days to prevent any increases in your blood pressure that can lead to bleeding while your breasts are still in the early stages of healing.

Implants do not need to be changed or altered unless a problem occurs. On average, 50% of implants are exchanged or removed for various reasons by 10 years. A patients’ desire for a size change, or switching from saline to silicone are some of the more common reasons. With the newest generation of implants, ruptures are more rare. Capsular Contracture, the formation of a tight or painful capsule around the implant, is one of the most common complications that can require removal or exchange of your implant. The risk of capsular contracture developing, on average, is approximately 2%/year based on the latest FDA data.