As a board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Goldberg is passionate about providing women with the most cutting-edge breast reconstruction procedures available. She uses the most up-to-date microsurgery methods as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Santa Monica to achieve natural results and fully restore your pre-mastectomy breast shape. Whatever stage of the process you are in or the kind of reconstruction you want in Torrance, Santa Monica, or the greater Los Angeles geographical area, Dr. Goldberg is looking forward to improving your mental and physical well-being so you can feel beautiful and confident.

Candidates in Torrance, Santa Monica, and the greater Los Angeles area for breast reconstruction surgery may have:

• Had a lumpectomy or mastectomy for breast cancer
• Had a prophylactic mastectomy as a result of an inherited genetic mutation (BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene) that predisposes an individual to breast cancer.
• Breast reconstruction following breast explantation because of BII or Breast Implant Illnesses 
• Congenital breast deformities that they would like to correct

While mastectomy-related breast reconstruction is the most typical case, transgender patients can also be suitable candidates for the procedure. They may be able to affirm their true selves through this procedure, and their appearance will more closely reflect who they are.

Your concerns about the condition of your breasts and your surgical objectives will be covered during your initial Santa Monica plastic surgery consultation with Dr. Goldberg. She will discuss your breast reconstruction options after assessing your health and looking at your breasts. She will then offer suggestions for your course of treatment and work with you to determine what is best for you.

To create a surgical plan that is oncologically sound, Dr. Goldberg might collaborate with your oncologist or oncologists. This guarantees that your breast reconstruction in Santa Monica and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles will not only be emotionally empowering and aesthetically pleasing, but will also be supportive of your general health.

The 34-year-old patient above went in for a breast augmentation procedure and received 520 cc implants more than 10 years ago. Unfortunately, she was not satisfied with the result, particularly her breasts’ new size and shape.

Surgery: During the patient’s breast augmentation procedure, she first underwent a Bilateral Implant Removal and followed it with Bilateral Capsulectomy and Bilateral Mastopexy (also known as Breast Lift).

• DIEP flap reconstruction of left breast lumpectomy defect using abdominal tissue.
• Breast augmentation on the right breast to achieve symmetry

Following your surgery, Dr. Goldberg and her team will provide you with detailed post-care instructions. If you have any questions regarding your recovery period, you can reach the team directly at the contact detail they provide.

After surgery, gauze or bandages will be applied to your incisions. This will minimize swelling and give additional support to the reconstructed breast(s) during your healing process. A thin tube may be placed under the skin to drain any excess fluid as you heal.

Most patients will remain in the hospital for 1 to 3 days depending on the reconstructive techniques. On average, patients may return to work at 4 weeks after a breast reconstruction.

Patients might experience discomfort and swelling in the treated area for several days after their reconstructive procedure. Pain medication can alleviate discomfort and make swelling, irritation, and bruising manageable.

Dr. Goldberg will provide clear instructions on caring for your breasts following surgery, taking medications, and looking for specific concerns. The breast reconstruction recovery process will continue for several weeks while swelling decreases and the breast shape and position settle. Patients should continue to follow recovery instructions and attend follow-up appointments.

After your procedure, you must have someone to drive you from the facility to your home. You cannot drive a vehicle on your own (this includes riding a taxi or any public transportation). You cannot be left alone once you get home; an adult must stay with you for at least 24 hours after you are discharged from the facility.

• Dressings need to be kept clean and dry. Dr. Goldberg will advise you when it is okay to remove them.

• Scarring is a common side effect of surgery and can last up to a year before it fades.
• Use sunscreen with an SPF of 25 or higher to protect the tissues in the area.
• Scar gel can be applied after the incisions have healed completely.

Modern breast reconstruction methods like direct-to-implant (DTI) combine mastectomy and reconstruction into a single procedure. In this procedure, Dr. Golberg places a silicone gel breast implant right after a breast cancer surgeon has removed the breast tissue with a mastectomy. Dr. Goldberg applies mesh products (acellular dermal matrix) to aid in the regenerative process of the tissue.

For those women who can have mastectomies without removing the nipple and those with early-stage breast cancer, DTI breast reconstruction is the best option. DTI breast reconstruction is extremely advantageous for attaining a faster return to a healthy body image. This is due to the simplicity of the procedure, which also avoids multiple surgeries and recovery times.

The 2-stage breast reconstruction method uses 2 surgeries (stages) to recreate breasts after a mastectomy. In the first stage, the surgeon performing the mastectomy removes the breast tissue. During that same surgery, Dr. Goldberg will place a tissue expander (balloon-like device) into the breast pocket to create a new breast shape. This is similar to DTI reconstruction, except a tissue expander is placed initially instead of a permanent implant.

In the second stage, the tissue expander will be removed and replaced with permanent silicone breast implants.

It is common for patients to require minor adjunct procedures, such as:

• Capsulotomy (opening the capsule)
• Capsulorrhaphy (tightening of the capsule)
• Fat grafting (fat injections)
• Removal of excess skin

For patients who want larger breasts than their natural size, the 2-stage method of breast reconstruction is ideal. This is because, during the final stage of the reconstruction, the tissue expander enables stretching of the skin of the breast and the placement of larger implants.

Prepectoral breast reconstruction can involve a single stage or two stages of implant placement. Traditionally, implant reconstruction involves submuscular placement, which involves placing the implant or tissue expander entirely beneath the chest muscle or partially beneath the muscle and an acellular dermal matrix (dual-plane placement). After surgery, this can cause excruciating pain and animation deformities.

Dr. Golberg will use an acellular dermal matrix mesh to fully support the implant and place it beneath the mastectomy skin flap but just above the muscle. This lessens postoperative pain by maintaining the pectoralis major muscle’s and chest wall’s functional integrity.

The DIEP flap technique uses the patient’s abdominal tissue to reconstruct the breast. In order to rebuild the breast, skin, fat, and blood vessels (perforators) from the lower abdomen’s deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) artery are transferred to the chest. Since no muscle is cut or removed during DIEP flap reconstruction, recovery time and the chance of losing abdominal muscle strength are decreased.

Since the results are comparable to those of a tummy tuck, a DIEP flap is the best option for women who want to have a more flat and lean stomach area. The navel is reshaped and the remaining tissue is smoothened over the abdomen after the donor tissue has been removed. A horizontal scar across the hips may result from a DIEP flap, but it can be easily concealed by clothing below the bikini line.

One of the most cutting-edge methods of breast reconstruction used today is the profunda artery perforator (PAP) flap. It makes use of the profunda artery perforator blood vessel, inner thigh skin, and fat tissue. Modern microsurgery reconstructs the breast by rejoining the blood vessel and thigh tissue to the chest.

When a patient lacks sufficient abdominal fat for a DIEP flap, the PAP flap is the best option. A PAP flap is also a good option for patients who want to have an implant-free, entirely natural breast reconstruction.



One of the pioneers in introducing the PAP flap to patients in Los Angeles, California, was Dr. Goldberg (one of the leading reconstructive surgeons). As of late, it has risen to the top of her practice’s list of breast reconstruction procedures.

The extended abdomen flap reconstruction technique could be the best option for your breast reconstruction if you have love handles made up of extra tissue. Using this technique, Dr. Goldberg can reconstruct the breasts in a way that looks completely natural by using the tissues from the lower abdomen and love handles. Due to the combination of the DIEP flap and DCIA (deep circumflex iliac artery) flap techniques, the extended abdomen flap provides a great deal of flexibility.

An SGAP flap reconstructs the breast using the superior gluteal artery perforator blood vessel, skin, and fat from the upper buttocks and hips. In order to ensure the survival of the skin and fat tissue, Dr. Goldberg carefully reattaches the blood vessels of the flap to blood vessels in your chest using microsurgery.

The SGAP flap method is ideal for patients who want a tighter, more lifted buttock because the skin and fat are removed in the same way with a buttock lift. Women who lack enough abdominal tissue for a DIEP TRAM, or SIEA flap are ideal candidates for an SGAP flap. The SGAP flap leaves a tiny scar near the top of your buttocks that is easily hidden by a swimsuit or underwear.

A breast implant and a DIEP flap are combined in a hybrid breast reconstruction to give your breasts the volume and shape they once had. Compared to a breast reconstruction that solely relies on implants or tissue, this technique has a number of benefits. The autologous DIEP flap covers the implant with soft tissue, resulting in results that look natural and lowering the possibility of implant undulating through the skin. Additionally, because the implant can provide enhanced breast volume and projection, the newly created breast size is not constrained to the tissue volume produced from the donor site.

It is possible for candidates for hybrid breast reconstruction to have a small amount of extra abdominal tissue that can be augmented by an implant. This procedure uses healthy, non-radiated tissue from the abdomen, making it advantageous for those who still need radiation after a mastectomy. One of the few highly skilled reconstructive surgeons in the country who provides this breast reconstruction option is Dr. Goldberg.

One-stage (immediate) breast reconstruction is carried out concurrently with mastectomy for some patients. But after a mastectomy or lumpectomy, a delayed breast reconstruction can be done weeks, months, or even years later.

Patients may want to postpone reconstruction due to a medical condition, their current stage of breast cancer, or a personal lifestyle preference. Delaying breast reconstruction allows patients to continue receiving cancer treatment without disrupting the already-reconstructed breast (s).

It is never too late to seek breast reconstruction, regardless of how long you put off thinking about it. According to Dr. Goldberg, every woman should have access to breast reconstruction that meets her aesthetic needs and promotes her emotional health.

Patients suffering from gender dysphoria can start to feel better through gender-affirming surgery known as transgender breast reconstruction. The two main types of transgender breast procedures are top surgeries from male to female (MTF) and female to male (FTM).

Breast reconstruction technologies allow feminization of the chest in male to female breast reconstruction. Contrary to popular belief, breast augmentation in cisgender women is very dissimilar from breast construction for transgender women. Dr. Goldberg uses specialized techniques to meet your aesthetic needs because she is an expert who is aware of the distinctive variations in the chest anatomy.

Using your own tissue, Dr. Goldberg can reconstruct your breast to its original shape.

Patients who are dissatisfied with the results of their initial breast reconstruction can get a revision procedure from Dr. Goldberg. Patients may find that breast implant or tissue flap complications have altered the volume, shape, or symmetry of their breasts.

A capsulectomy, an implant replacement, and/or any additional procedures may be used during revision breast reconstruction to address complications arising from the initial procedure. The results of your revision breast reconstruction may be more aesthetically pleasing, satisfying, and harmonious than those of your initial reconstruction.

68-year-old woman came to see Dr. Goldberg for a revision of her breast reconstruction.

The patient was dissatisfied with the significant pain and asymmetrical breasts caused by the lumpectomy deformity.

Removing the left breast implant On the chest, the pectoralis major muscle was repositioned. To provide fresh, healthy tissue and to place a new implant for hybrid reconstruction (latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap plus an implant), Dr. Goldberg performed a latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap .

The patient is happy and her pain is gone.