Table 1.

Timing of breast reconstruction: Immediate versus delayed.

TIMING	DEFINITION	IDEAL CANDIDATE	ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Immediate	Reconstructive procedure is started during the same operation as the mastectomy or lumpectomy	Healthy Low-grade cancer Less likely to require postsurgical radiotherapy In more advanced or unknown breast cancer stages, part of the breast reconstruction can start immediately	Preservation of native skin and possibly nipple Fewer procedures Considerable psychological benefit (avoids breast deformity)	Longer surgery Longer recovery Unknown tumour biology with variability in the need for postoperative adjuvant therapy
Delayed	Reconstructive procedure occurs months to years after mastectomy or lumpectomy	Cannot tolerate a longer surgical procedure and recovery Requires radiotherapy postoperatively Multiple important risk factors (smoking, diabetes, vascular disease, etc)	Increased time to make reconstructive decisions Decisions can be based on final tumour pathology More time to prepare for recovery	Need for multiple operations More complicated operations (owing to missing skin envelope and possibly nipple) Psychological effects of breast deformity until reconstruction is performed