Breast reconstruction is a medical procedure designed to restore breast shape and appearance following a mastectomy or lumpectomy. While its primary goal is reconstructive, the procedure often incorporates cosmetic surgical techniques, such as breast lifts, implants, and fat transfer, to create beautifully contoured, symmetrical, natural-looking breasts.
At The Peer Group in Florham Park and Somerville, New Jersey, our expert team of board-certified plastic surgeons performs both cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery. We understand that every reconstruction journey is personal and about more than rebuilding the breast. It is about restoring balance, shape, and confidence. Whether you are planning treatment or finished it years ago, our team is dedicated to understanding your goals and helping you build a plan around them.
To explore your breast reconstruction options, call our office at (973) 822-3000 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.
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About Breast Reconstruction
Breast reconstruction is a procedure that aims to restore the breast’s natural form, symmetry, and appearance after a mastectomy, lumpectomy, or preventive mastectomy. Rather than simply adding volume, our surgeons use cosmetic techniques to recreate a natural-looking breast with restored contour and symmetry. This comprehensive approach benefits both cancer treatment patients and individuals undergoing risk-reducing procedures. Rebuilding the breast’s physical structure through reconstruction plays a critical role in restoring a patient’s body image and long-term emotional well-being.
As the most common approach, implant-based reconstruction uses tissue expanders to hold the breast space after a mastectomy. A tissue expander is a temporary, adjustable implant that slowly stretches the skin to make room for the permanent implant. (1) After you complete any chemotherapy or radiation, the surgeon removes the expanders and inserts permanent implants in your chest. They then carefully shape the new breast to achieve the final size and desired aesthetic appearance. Placing the implants above the chest muscle, as our surgeons do, provides an important cosmetic benefit because it allows the breast to have better projection while also minimizing disruption to the anatomy. Another widely chosen method is autologous reconstruction, which recreates a natural breast shape using skin and fat harvested from your own body, such as the lower abdomen, thighs, or buttocks. The most common version, the DIEP flap, uses tissue from the lower abdomen and preserves the abdominal muscles. (1) Because this technique uses your own living tissue, it offers an extremely natural look, feel, and contour. When donor tissue is limited, some patients can receive a tissue flap combined with an implant to achieve the desired volume and overall shape. Regardless of the approach you choose, your surgeon will incorporate cosmetic techniques to design the optimal breast shape, symmetry, and overall balance.
Reconstructive vs. Cosmetic Breast Surgery
The fundamental difference between reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery is rooted in the reason for the procedure rather than the techniques involved. Reconstructive surgery aims to restore the breast following a medical event, such as a therapeutic or preventive mastectomy or a lumpectomy. Medical policies formally define this by the presence of an underlying health condition, most often breast cancer. Cosmetic surgery, on the other hand, is a personal choice a patient makes to alter a healthy breast’s size, shape, or position. For example, a cosmetic surgery can be an augmentation to add size or a lift to raise a breast that sits lower. Even when the same techniques are used, the distinction lies in whether the procedure restores the breast or serves as a personal aesthetic enhancement.
Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery share the same techniques, frequently incorporating implants, lifts, reductions, and fat transfers to alter and shape the breast. For instance, one woman may choose to receive a breast lift purely to achieve a more youthful, perky shape. In contrast, another woman may receive the same lift on her natural breast with the goal of it matching her newly reconstructed side following a mastectomy. (1) The Peer Group can perform both cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery, no matter the underlying reason for undergoing the procedure.
How Cosmetic Techniques Support Breast Reconstruction
Your surgeon plans for your final appearance from the very start of your reconstruction journey, carefully calculating the timing of your care. Some cosmetic techniques seamlessly fit into an already necessary stage of treatment, such as shaping the breast when your surgeon inserts your permanent implants. Other cosmetic refinement techniques come later, once the primary reconstruction has fully healed. (2) These later-stage cosmetic enhancements typically include symmetry surgery, fat transfer, and nipple and areola reconstruction.
Symmetry Surgery on the Other Breast
After reconstruction on one side, the natural breast often does not match the new one, sitting lower or appearing to be a different size or shape. To create balance, your surgeon can perform symmetry surgery on the natural breast using cosmetic techniques. Your surgeon may perform a breast lift to raise a lower breast and remove excess skin, or a breast reduction to reduce a larger natural breast to match the other. (2) In contrast, if the reconstructed breast appears fuller, a breast augmentation can add volume with an implant to match the fuller reconstructed side.
Fat Transfer for Shape and Contour
Fat transfer is a technique where your surgeon removes fat from another area of your body, such as the stomach or thighs, using liposuction. They purify the harvested fat and carefully inject small amounts into the breast to smooth contours and fill hollow areas. (3) This technique is also used in cosmetic procedures for aesthetic contouring. While this is not a weight-loss procedure, the donor site may look slimmer and more sculpted afterward.
Fat transfer is a key structural technique that can add volume or soften dents caused by lumpectomy and radiation. When performed after a mastectomy, fat transfer pairs well with implant-based and own-tissue reconstruction because it softens sharp edges and replaces lost volume. (3) Because the body naturally absorbs some of the transferred fat over time, some patients may require more than one session to achieve a desired, long-lasting result. Ultimately, fat transfer functions more as a specialized fine-tuning tool than a primary method for full breast reconstruction, making it ideal for small-to-moderate enhancements.
Nipple and Areola Reconstruction
Nipple and areola reconstruction is often the final step in the reconstruction process and helps the breast look visually complete. Your surgeon can build a physical nipple in the correct position to match the other side. However, some patients decide to skip this step and opt for a realistic 3D tattoo instead. (1) For patients who choose a built nipple, a tattoo adds color to match the other side several months after nipple reconstruction, once the area heals. While this combination of surgical shaping and cosmetic tattooing mimics the appearance of a natural nipple, it has no physical function.
In some cases, when your tumor is located far enough away from your nipple, your surgeon may perform a nipple-sparing mastectomy to keep your natural nipple and areola intact. (1) Your surgeon may use nerve-sparing techniques that aim to preserve or restore natural feeling and sensation in the area. This technique works with both implant-based and own-tissue breast reconstructions. By retaining your original anatomy, this option can eliminate the need for any nipple reconstruction or tattooing. It can deliver a highly natural result that can help you feel like your best self again.
Cost of Breast Reconstruction in New Jersey
The total cost of your breast reconstruction depends on your personal treatment plan. Cost factors include the approach you choose, the number of stages you need, whether your plan includes symmetry surgery, fat transfer, nipple reconstruction, and more. During your consultation, you will receive a comprehensive cost estimate tailored to your health profile. For questions about payment and coverage, please refer to our financing page.
To learn more about the cost of your breast reconstruction, call our office near Morristown, New Jersey, at (973) 822-3000 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.
FAQ
Can I have breast reconstruction years after my mastectomy?
Yes, it is possible to have breast reconstruction years, or even decades, after a mastectomy. This is a process known as delayed reconstruction, and it is a common choice for individuals who want to wait until they are emotionally or physically ready. (1)
How many breast reconstruction procedures will I need?
Although every patient’s experience varies, breast reconstruction often requires more than one procedure over several months to complete. The first procedure often takes place at the time of your mastectomy to create the initial breast mound or the space for it. The second procedure often happens months later to insert implants or tissue and fine-tune the breast shape. (1) Any additional procedures come at the end and are generally more minor. They typically involve nipple reconstruction, fat transfer, or scar revisions. The exact number of procedures ultimately depends on your aesthetic goals, whether you use implants or your own tissue, and whether your treatment plan includes radiation.
Can I have a breast reconstruction after a preventative mastectomy?
Yes, you can have breast reconstruction after a preventative mastectomy. You can also choose whether to have your surgeon perform it immediately during the same procedure or delay it until months or years later. Every patient’s options vary, but the choice ultimately depends on your medical eligibility, lifestyle preferences, and personal aesthetic goals.
References
- National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy. Cancer.gov. December 2, 2025. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/treatment/surgery/breast-reconstruction
- Lipman K, Nguyen D. Managing Asymmetry in Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy-A Systematic Review and Highlight of Clinical Pearls. J Clin Med. 2024;13(23):7189. doi:10.3390/jcm13237189
- Turner A, Abu-Ghname A, Davis MJ, Winocour SJ, Hanson SE, Chu CK. Fat Grafting in Breast Reconstruction. Seminars in Plastic Surgery. 2020;34(01):017-023. doi:10.1055/s-0039-1700959