Lindsay,

Having breast reconstruction after a mastectomy is very different than just having breast implants. After a mastectomy all the breast tissue and fat is taken out and you're left with only thin skin. The result is that the implant is not covered by a thick layer of fat/breast and it is pretty obvious. From that point of view this is not as pretty as a breast enlargement. However, after a mastectomy, the goal of the surgery is to make you look good in clothes, not on a nudist beach.

Finally, how others (men and women) feel about your breast implants is completely irrelevant. It's what you feel when you look in the mirror that matters. Too many women are discouraged from breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Perhaps I am biased, but in my opinion every woman should have the opportunity to return as close to normal as possible after her cancer surgery!

Martin Jugenburg, MD