RESTORE. REBUILD. RECLAIM.
A surgical journey to restore the appearance and form of your breast after mastectomy or injury — tailored entirely to your anatomy, your treatment timeline, and what matters most to you.
ABOUT THIS PROCEDURE
Breast reconstruction is a deeply personal surgical journey. Its goal is to recreate a breast that looks and feels as natural as possible after mastectomy or injury — restoring not just physical form, but confidence, identity, and a sense of wholeness that loss can take away.
The procedure is carried out in a wide variety of ways, and no two reconstructions are the same. The right approach depends on your body, the nature of your treatment, the timing of reconstruction, and what matters most to you personally. Techniques range from implant-based reconstruction using silicone prostheses or tissue expanders, to autologous (tissue-based) methods that use your own body tissue to rebuild the breast from within.
You can explore each approach in detail within the dedicated reconstructive sections: tissue-based options including DIEP and LD Flap surgery, and implant-based reconstruction. This page is your starting point — a clear overview of what is possible and how to begin.
TIMING YOUR RECONSTRUCTION
There is no single right time — reconstruction is possible at every stage of your journey.
OPTION ONE
Reconstruction performed at the same time as the mastectomy. Patients wake from surgery with a breast mound already in place, avoiding a second general anaesthetic and reducing the period spent without a breast.
OPTION TWO
Reconstruction carried out months or years after the original mastectomy. This may be recommended when radiotherapy is part of the treatment plan, or when a patient simply needs more time before committing. There is no deadline.
OPTION THREE
Refinement or full revision of a previous reconstruction that has not achieved the desired result — whether due to implant complications, asymmetry, or an earlier procedure that no longer meets the patient’s expectations. Prof. Hindocha regularly takes on revision cases.
PROCEDURE AT A GLANCE
Specifics vary by technique and will be confirmed at your consultation.
Surgery Time
Anaesthesia
Hospital Stay
Initial Recovery
First Follow-up
The exact surgical approach — augmentation, reduction, lift or combination — is determined at consultation based on your individual anatomy and goals.
RECOVERY TIMELINE
Weeks 1–2
You will be monitored closely for several days following surgery. Pain is carefully managed, and any surgical drains remain in place until output is sufficiently low. Rest is the priority at this stage.
Weeks 2–4
Most patients return home and begin gentle movement. Remaining drains are removed at follow-up. Fatigue is entirely normal. Light daily tasks can usually resume by the end of this period.
Weeks 4–8
Energy improves and gentle exercise can resume. Most patients return to desk-based work during this window. Tissue-based reconstructions continue to soften and settle naturally into their final shape.
3+ Months
The reconstructed breast takes its final form as residual swelling resolves. Refinement procedures — such as nipple reconstruction or symmetry adjustments to the opposite breast — can be considered at this stage.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The goal of reconstruction is not perfection — it is restoration. Most patients experience a profound shift in how they feel in their own body:
WHY CONSIDER RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstruction can happen at the time of mastectomy or months and years later. Both are equally valid — the timing is yours to decide in consultation with your surgical and oncology teams.
No two reconstructions are the same. Technique, implant type, flap choice, and staging are all selected to suit your individual anatomy, tissue quality, and the result you want to achieve.
DIEP flap and other microsurgical approaches use your own tissue to build a breast that moves and ages naturally — no foreign material, and a result that improves year on year.
Research consistently shows that breast reconstruction has a significant positive effect on quality of life, psychological wellbeing, and long-term body image following mastectomy.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPTIONS
Implant-based reconstruction uses a silicone prosthesis or tissue expander to rebuild the breast mound. It involves a shorter operation and recovery, and suits patients who prefer a less extensive procedure or have limited donor tissue available.
Tissue-based (autologous) reconstruction — such as DIEP or LD Flap — uses your own body tissue to build a breast that behaves naturally over time. These procedures require a longer operation but often deliver the most natural long-term result.
Questions to Guide You
“
I was terrified going into reconstruction. Prof. Hindocha was calm, thorough, and genuinely caring throughout. I feel like myself again.
“
The DIEP reconstruction changed everything. It looks and feels completely natural. I cannot believe how far the results have come since my mastectomy.
“
I delayed my reconstruction for two years. I wish I had not waited so long. The support from the team and the outcome exceeded every expectation I had.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
A reconstructed breast will not be identical to your natural breast — and it is important to enter the process with honest expectations. What reconstruction achieves is a breast that, in clothing and everyday life, is barely distinguishable from your own.
Shape, volume and position are created to complement your opposite breast. Sensation may take time to return and for some patients does not fully return — though feeling in surrounding tissue often improves steadily over the first year.
IS THIS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Breast reconstruction is suitable for most patients who have undergone or are planning a mastectomy. You may be a good candidate if you:
EXPLORE FURTHER
Each technique is explored in full within its own dedicated section.
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
Tissue-based breast reconstruction using your own body's natural tissue.
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
Breast reconstruction using silicone implants or tissue expanders.
RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
Surgical restoration following injury, accident, or complications from previous surgery.
BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY
No pressure. Just clarity.
A private consultation with Prof. Hindocha is the first step toward understanding your options fully. There is no obligation — just the space to ask questions, discuss your concerns, and find the path that is right for you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Honest answers to what patients most want to know.
