Fighting cancer is an uphill battle that can leave patients with battle wounds.
Breast reconstruction allows our patients to heal their physical scars using techniques that restore the natural look and feel of their breasts.
Houston Breast Reconstruction board-certified plastic surgeons, Dr. Downey and Dr. Bullocks, who have decades of combined experience in helping women across Houston restore their confidence after cancer through safe and long-lasting breast reconstruction techniques.
Breast Reconstruction also known as: \ brest REE-kun-STRUK-shun \
Surgical addition of tissue, breast implant, or a combination of both to the breast after a mastectomy or lumpectomy
Procedure options: Implant Breast Reconstruction, DIEP Flap, BreastTissue-Based Flaps, Fat Transfer
Addresses Loss of tissue in one or both breasts, Mastectomy, Lumpectomy
Procedure Time 1-6 hours
Eligibility Female & Male, 18+, Non-Smoker, Diagnosis (past or present), of breast cancer or strong risk for breast cancer requiring prophylactic removal of the breast
Possible Side Effects Soreness, Swelling, Bruising
Our highly personalized approach to breast reconstruction surgery in Houston means that women across East Texas and beyond can trust us to restore a natural shape and feeling to their breasts.
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If you're a patient in Houston breast reconstruction could be a great option for you. First, you’ll meet with a physician for a one-on-one consultation. We take the time to get to know you—your goals, medical and cancer history, existing surgical scars, amount of remaining tissue in the breast, and more.
Dr. Downey and Dr. Bullocks collaborate on every patient case to best advise you on the best breast reconstruction approach for your unique needs. We build a highly personalized treatment plan that may include a combination of surgical techniques to achieve the best possible results.
At Heights Plastic Surgery, our mission is to give you the information you need to decide what will work best for your desires, timeline, and budget. After we make recommendations, we give you the space and time to make your own decision.
We will schedule your breast reconstruction for a day and time that works best for you. Your surgery will take place in a specialized outpatient facility or hospital depending on the surgery elected and in coordination with your breast oncologic, if indicated. You'll want to factor in about 2 to 8 weeks of downtime from everyday activities and work after your procedure.
We will provide you with all of the ways you can best prepare for the procedure well in advance of your breast reconstruction surgery in Houston. When you arrive, we will escort you to our state-of-the-art surgical suite, review our process in detail once more, and administer general anesthesia.
Your highly skilled surgeon will be in the operating room from start to finish, executing every detail of your agreed-upon breast reconstruction plan. Plan on staying in the surgical facility up to 3 nights following your procedure, depending on the modality of reconstruction.
Following your breast reconstruction Houston plastic surgeons at Heights Plastic Surgery will also book you for follow-up visits to meet with your surgeon to monitor your healing. This important step ensures you are healing properly, safely, and efficiently over the correct period of time.
Heights Plastic Surgery, led by board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Downey and Dr. Bullocks, is proud to offer state-of-the-art surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures to residents of Houston and beyond. Our ultimate goal is to offer you a welcoming environment, a phenomenal patient experience, and cutting-edge technology that you won’t find anywhere else in Texas.
At Heights Plastic Surgery, we elevate your experience by bringing highly focused specialists together under one roof. Your aesthetic goals are guided by a team of board-certified plastic surgeons who have collectively published over 60 peer-reviewed medical papers and lectured around the world.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Cara Downey (who has been featured in Vogue) blends deep clinical knowledge with a vital female perspective to deliver elegant, beautifully natural-looking outcomes. Dr. Jamal Bullocks is a board-certified plastic surgeon and reconstructive surgery expert who pairs extensive research with international leadership, bringing absolute precision to every procedure. Dr. Megan Swonke is a fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon and an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, whose unique background allows her to focus deeply on balance and harmony for the face and neck.
Our private, in-house surgery center offers the highest levels of safety, comfort, and privacy, and our comprehensive skin and wellness care ensures your aesthetic journey is entirely seamless. When you choose Heights Plastic Surgery, you are giving yourself the highest caliber of collaborative care from trusted experts who elevate beauty and empower confidence.
Sometimes cancer requires that breast tissue be removed. For patients in Houston breast reconstruction may be an option to restore the chest. After healing from a cancer operation, a woman has an option at any point after that to decide to undergo breast reconstruction surgery.
Breast reconstruction may begin immediately following a mastectomy or lumpectomy or can be done months to years later, with the goal of recreating the breast mound and restores it to your desired size and shape. In breast reconstruction, there are three categories: are implants, tissue-based reconstruction, and a combination both of implants and tissue.
There are a variety of breast implant options to choose from and even different types of breast implant surgery. During one-stage immediate breast reconstruction, the implant is placed into the chest at the same time as the mastectomy is performed. However, two-stage reconstruction is commonly performed because it allows the breast skin to recover properly after a mastectomy and gives a better overall result. During this time, an expander will be placed under the skin and, in some cases, under the chest muscle. This expander will be gradually filled with a saline solution for about one to three months, giving your skin time to acclimate itself to the stretch in your breast area.
During the second stage of this process, the expander will be removed, and a permanent implant will take its place.
If radiation is needed, a delayed reconstruction may be an option. There may be temporary placement of a tissue expander, following by expansion and radiation. Six months following radiation, a tissue based option will be used to replace the expander, as implant reconstruction in the face of radiation is not a long term ideal option.
In this option, tissue from other areas of your body such as your stomach, back, thighs, or buttocks is used to reconstruct the breasts. Dr. Cara Downey and Dr. Bullocks are well-versed in DIEP flap surgeries (deep inferior epigastric perforator artery), which utilize tissue from the tummy and moves it to your chest. Because the tissue in tissue-based breast reconstruction acts as it would in any other part of the body, your flap procedure allows for the enlargement or shrinking of your breasts as you gain or lose weight. Replacements or ruptures aren’t a concern in this process, either. These procedures are offered as an option for women who do not have blood clotting disorders or those who do smoke, as it provides a natural look and feel to the breasts.
When considering a DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery, it is important to keep in mind that tissue from your belly for breast reconstruction can only be taken once. Undergoing the DIEP flap procedure will allow your stomach to lose some of its fat and excess skin, but will also leave a scar. Your chances of developing hernias are also minimized after a DIEP flap because your stomach muscles are no longer in use.
Good candidates for breast reconstruction have had a mastectomy or are planning on having a mastectomy, and desire restoration of their breasts. Ideal candidates for DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery have extra belly fat in the lower abdomen. Most prior abdominal surgeries may not exclude you from DIEP flap surgery, but we encourage you to mention these to Dr. Downey or Dr. Bullocks ahead of time.
The total cost for your breast reconstruction will depend on factors such as your insurance deductible, presence of out-of-network benefits, coinsurance, and other miscellaneous medical expenses. Breast reconstruction is often covered by all insurance plans.
Following your DIEP flap breast reconstruction, you may need to stay in a surgical facility for an average of three to five days. Luckily, you’ll be able to consume food the next day and will start moving around with assistance. Your DIEP flap surgeon, Dr. Cara Downey or Dr. Bullocks, will advise you against doing any heavy lifting or high-intensity activities for up to 8 weeks following your breast reconstruction surgery.
Soreness, swelling, and bruising are to be expected for about two to four weeks following your breast reconstruction. Dr. Downey will provide you with a detailed list of post-operative care instructions prior to your procedure so you can prepare for your breast reconstruction recovery in advance.
Heights Plastic Surgery Membership Plans
When skin maintenance and aesthetics-inspired wellness protocols become part of your regular routine, your body stays nourished, collagen production stays active, and you feel refreshed, day in and day out. Our Heights Plastic Surgery membership offerings remove the guesswork of your next visit, making it easy to stay true to your plan while enjoying preferred pricing on treatments.
The Diamond Club membership includes one clinical treatment each month (such as a Hydrafacial, chemical peel, or IPL photofacial), plus an exclusive 10% discount on surgical cases and additional medical spa services.
The Essex Society membership provides a personalized approach to longevity, offering comprehensive baseline lab panels, monthly body composition tracking, complimentary wellness injections, and tiered savings on peptide regimens and medspa treatments.
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