Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re undergoing breast reconstruction after cancer treatment or a procedure that’s deemed medically necessary, such as a breast reduction due to back pain, then your insurance should cover your surgery. In fact, The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) of 1998 requires insurance plans that cover breast cancer surgery (mastectomy) to cover reconstruction surgery as well. But purely aesthetic and elective procedures generally aren’t covered. Whatever you’re considering, we’ll discuss your payment and financing options.

Yes, our staff is trained to help you figure out what’s covered by insurance and how to submit the proper paperwork. We work with patients all the time to ensure their insurance paperwork is submitted correctly.

Cost will depend on the procedure itself, how extensive it is, and whether your insurance plan covers some or all of the procedures. Some procedures, like breast reconstruction, are required by law to be covered by your health insurance provider.

The risks of any surgical procedure include infection, bleeding, scarring, and anesthesia complications. Transferred tissue also needs to take hold in its new location. There is a rare condition called breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), which affects immune cells rather than breast tissue. However, it’s uncommon, and when detected early, is typically treatable. During your consultation, we’ll explain all the risks of the procedures you’re considering.

We suggest you make a consultation with us ASAP after you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer so you can make an informed decision on timing. If you decide to have reconstruction at the same time as your breast cancer treatment, Dr. Stalder can collaborate with your oncologist to plan your surgery. Multiple factors determine whether it’s better to do both at the same time, and that’s something we’ll discuss as part of your treatment plan.

We recommend you wait 6 – 12 months after your initial breast reconstruction before considering a secondary procedure. This allows your body to fully heal and the results of the first surgery to stabilize. We’ll assess your specific situation to determine the best timing for a secondary reconstruction.

For procedures such as breast augmentations and breast lifts, we’ll take nipple position and areola size into account. We’ll be sure you understand how the procedure impacts your nipples and what adjustments may be necessary. For breast reconstruction procedures, we’ll consider whether the nipple will be spared or if solutions like 3D nipple tattooing are necessary.

Most patients can still successfully breastfeed with implants, provided the procedure is performed using appropriate surgical techniques and implant placement. But pregnancy and breastfeeding can change your breasts’ appearance, so many women wait until they’re done having children before exploring breast augmentation.

This depends on the procedure. Breast implants typically need to be replaced every 10-20 years. But autologous reconstruction and fat transfers come without those drawbacks. Procedures such as lifts typically last for several years with proper care, although things like age may eventually become a factor.

Performing multiple procedures during a single surgical session is possible, depending on your health and the complexity of the procedures. And it can minimize your overall recovery time. We’ll discuss your goals and build a plan that’s both safe and optimized for the best results.

No matter what procedure you’re getting, our team works to ensure any scarring is as minimal as possible. After your procedure, we can suggest a variety of creams and other solutions to decrease scarring. In some cases, we can use lasers to reduce or minimize scars. During your consultation, we’ll discuss where various incisions might be made, what that might mean for scarring, and why choosing certain locations could be more beneficial to you personally.

Recovery times vary widely depending upon the procedure. For instance, a breast reconstruction could take 4-6 weeks to heal initially, whereas liposuction might only take 1-2 weeks. During your consultation, we’ll discuss your expected recovery time as well as any activities you should avoid during your recovery.