Background: 1-stage prosthetic breast reconstruction is gaining traction as a preferred method of breast reconstruction in select patients who undergo mastectomy for cancer or prevention.
Methods: Critical elements to the procedure including patient selection, technique, surgical judgment, and postoperative care were reviewed.
Results: Outcomes series reveal that in properly selected patients, direct-to-implant (DTI) reconstruction has similar low rates of complications and high rates of patient satisfaction compared to traditional 2-stage reconstruction.
Conclusions: 1-stage prosthetic breast reconstruction may be the procedure of choice in select patients undergoing mastectomy. Advantages include the potential for the entire reconstructive process to be complete in one surgery, the quick return to normal activities, and lack of donor site morbidity.
Keywords: Breast reconstruction; acellular dermal matrix (ADM); breast implants; direct-to-implant (DTI) reconstruction.