Following a breast amputation the breast should ideally be built up in the same position. The patient should be offered the possible reconstruction procedures and a decision on the therapy should be arrived at together with the patient. An immediate reconstruction is not suitable for every patient, many are overwhelmed by the complexity of the procedure and want to have their oncological situation resolved first. In addition to patient motivation, other psychological, oncological, logistic and aesthetic aspects also play a key role in the decision on primary reconstruction.
A compromise must never be made in the oncology in favour of the aesthetics. However, if the prevailing oncological-surgical criteria are observed, primary reconstruction will have no negative influence on the risk of recurrence, the disease-free interval or even overall survival. Primary reconstruction requires an experienced oncology surgeon as well as an experienced reconstructive surgeon – ideally in one and the same person. In addition, adequate postoperative control must be ensured.
The aesthetic benefits of immediate reconstruction are obvious:
The skin  covering can be preserved to a large extent, the inframammary fold, as an important boundary of the breast unit, can remain, scars can be minimised, skin texture and skin colour correspond with the skin of the breast wall and symmetry can be retained or restored from the outset.  For the patient this means that the body contours are retained to a great extent, enabling her on the whole to resume normal social and professional activities without restriction. The problems frequently experienced after breast amputation relating to personal relationships with the partner are also reduced.