Breast Reconstruction Gold Coast
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Breast Reconstruction · Gold Coast
Rebuilding your breast and supporting you after mastectomy.
Facing a mastectomy is one of the most challenging moments in any breast cancer journey, and the decisions that follow are deeply personal. For many women, reconstruction becomes an important part of healing.
Understanding your breast reconstruction Gold Coast options starts with an honest conversation about your diagnosis, your body, and your goals, and that is exactly what Dr John Gault offers.
Reconstruction can sometimes be performed at the same time as your mastectomy, or as a planned procedure months or even years later. This page explains how breast reconstruction works, the techniques Dr Gault performs, what recovery involves, the risks to understand, and how to take a confident next step.
Implant-based reconstruction
Latissimus dorsi reconstruction
Immediate or delayed reconstruction
Follow-up and aftercare
14+ years' experience
Breast surgery on the Gold Coast
BreastSurgANZ member
Member since its inception in 2010
Public & private care
Gold Coast treatment pathways
Breast Care Nurse support
Guidance throughout your care
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Understanding reconstruction
What Is Breast Reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction is the surgical rebuilding of a breast after it has been partly or completely removed, most often following a mastectomy for breast cancer. Modern surgery offers a wide range of approaches, and the right one depends on your body, your treatment plan, and what matters most to you.
Broadly, reconstruction falls into two categories. Implant-based reconstruction uses a breast implant to recreate volume and shape. Tissue transfer, or flap reconstruction, uses your own skin, fat, and sometimes muscle to form a new breast.
In some cases, these techniques are combined. Reconstruction can also be paired with nipple reconstruction as a later step to complete the appearance of the breast. Nipple preservation is also possible in some circumstances.
Two main approaches
Implant-based reconstruction
A breast implant is used to recreate volume and shape.
Tissue or flap reconstruction
Your own skin, fat and, in some techniques, muscle are used to form the reconstructed breast.
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Your reconstruction options
Breast Reconstruction Gold Coast Options with Dr John Gault
Dr John Gault focuses on implant-based reconstruction and latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction, and will help you understand which approach may suit your situation.
Where a different technique is a better fit, he will refer you to a trusted colleague so you always receive care appropriate to your circumstances.
Dr John Gault
Breast & General Surgeon
Implant-based reconstruction
Implant Reconstruction
Dr Gault performs implant-based reconstruction, which can be one-stage – direct to implant, pre-pectoral (in front of the muscle), or sub-pectoral (under the muscle).
This can also be a nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy – depending on the patient’s circumstances.
Expander + implant
Direct-to-implant
Pre-pectoral
Sub-pectoral
Fat grafting
Two-stage
Expander and Implant Reconstruction
The most common implant approach is a two-stage expander and implant reconstruction. It can be carried out immediately after your mastectomy or as a delayed procedure, and the timing is decided together with Dr Gault, as not every patient is suited to immediate reconstruction.
In the first stage, a tissue expander (a temporary implant) is placed beneath the pectoralis major muscle on the chest wall to create a soft pocket for the permanent implant.
The expander is partially filled with saline during this surgery. About three weeks later, the expansion process begins in Dr Gault's practice treatment rooms.
Each expansion takes around ten minutes. Saline is added through a filling port built into the expander, located and accessed with a fine needle through the skin.
The amount added at each visit is guided by the tightness of your skin and your comfort. Expansions are repeated every two to three weeks until the desired size is reached.
You may notice some heaviness or tightness afterwards, which usually eases within a day or two; Dr Gault will advise you on suitable pain relief.
Once expansion is complete, the second stage takes place. The expander is removed and replaced with a silicone implant, which aims to create a softer, more natural breast shape.
One-stage
Direct-to-Implant Reconstruction
Direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction is a streamlined procedure that allows a patient to undergo breast reconstruction immediately following a mastectomy, without the need for a temporary tissue expander.
In this approach, Dr Gault places a permanent breast implant at the same time the breast tissue is removed.
By combining these two surgeries into a single procedure, DTI can reduce the total number of operations, shorten the recovery time, and provide a more immediate aesthetic result.
While this method is not suitable for every patient - often depending on factors like skin quality, anatomy, and overall cancer treatment plan - it offers many women an efficient and effective path to restoring their breast shape in one step.
Supporting technique
Fat Grafting Use in Breast Reconstruction
Fat grafting is a technique used in implant-based breast reconstruction to improve the shape, contour, and feel of the reconstructed breast.
During the procedure, Dr Gault removes a small amount of fat—often from the abdomen, thighs, or hips - using liposuction, then carefully injects it around the implant. This can help smooth visible implant edges, correct minor irregularities, and create a more natural appearance. Fat grafting may be performed at the time of reconstruction or as a later procedure, depending on your individual needs and treatment plan.
Flap reconstruction
Latissimus Dorsi Flap Reconstruction
The latissimus dorsi flap uses muscle, fat and skin taken from the back and moved around to the chest. It can rebuild the breast entirely, but is more commonly combined with an implant.
This technique can be useful for women who have had both a mastectomy and radiotherapy, where the chest skin may need additional healthy tissue to support the reconstruction.
Other tissue-transfer techniques
Tissue Transfer and Free Flap Techniques
Tissue transfer reconstruction uses your own tissue rather than an implant, which means the appearance of the breast is less likely to change with body weight. It is generally performed as either an attached flap or a free flap.
With attached flaps, muscle and fat from the back or abdomen are moved through the body (a process called tunnelling) to the chest. With free flaps, tissue is fully detached from the abdomen and reconnected to a new blood supply at the chest using microsurgery.
Two well-known abdominal techniques are the TRAM flap (Transverse Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous), which uses skin, fat and muscle and offers a modest tummy tuck effect, and the DIEP flap (Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator), which uses skin and fat but spares the muscle and usually involves a slightly shorter recovery.
These procedures involve longer surgery and recovery, leave scarring on the abdomen or back, and can reduce strength where muscle is used.
Important: Dr Gault does not perform TRAM or DIEP free flap surgery. If this is the direction you would prefer, he will refer you to a surgeon who performs these microsurgical techniques so you can proceed with confidence.
Later-stage reconstruction
Nipple Reconstruction
For many women, nipple reconstruction is the final step that completes the look of the rebuilt breast. It is usually performed as a separate, minor procedure once the reconstructed breast has healed and settled. See our dedicated nipple reconstruction page for more detail.
Tattooing of the reconstructed nipple's areola is then performed to complete the procedure. This is performed in our practice with our tattoo artist approximately 3 months later.
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When reconstruction happens
Immediate or Delayed: Timing Your Reconstruction
Reconstruction can be performed at the time of mastectomy or planned for a later stage.
Immediate Reconstruction
Reconstruction is most commonly performed at the time of the initial mastectomy.
Immediate reconstruction means fewer operations and waking with a breast mound already in place, which many women find reassuring.
Delayed Reconstruction
Reconstruction can also be delayed by weeks, months, or years afterwards.
Delayed reconstruction can be the safer choice when radiotherapy is planned, or when you simply want more time to consider your options.
There is no single right answer.
Dr Gault will help you weigh what is best for your health and peace of mind.
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After your procedure
What to Expect: Recovery and Aftercare
Recovery depends on the technique used and varies from person to person.
Implant-based reconstruction generally involves a shorter recovery than flap surgery, while procedures using your own tissue take longer and involve additional healing at the donor site.
In every case, you will receive clear aftercare guidance, follow-up appointments, and support throughout your recovery.
Many women gradually return to everyday activities over several weeks, easing back into exercise and lifting as advised by Dr Gault.
Support throughout your care
Your Breast Care Nurse
At Gault Surgery, our dedicated breast care nurse is here to support you throughout your journey.
From your initial consultation through to treatment and recovery, she provides guidance, reassurance and a friendly point of contact to help you feel informed and cared for every step of the way.
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Making an informed decision
Understanding the Risks and Possible Complications
All surgery carries some risk, and Dr Gault will discuss these with you fully before you decide.
Drawing on guidance from the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, the possible complications below are provided so you can make an informed choice.
Your individual risks and circumstances are discussed during consultation.
General surgical risks
General surgical risks can include bleeding from the operated site, fluid accumulation around the wound, infection that may need antibiotics or further surgery, allergic reaction to sutures or dressings, a haematoma (blood clot under the incision) that may require further surgery, rare but serious clot related events such as heart attack, pulmonary embolism or stroke, pain, bruising and swelling, slower healing (particularly in people who smoke or have diabetes), and short term nausea or other effects related to general anaesthesia.
Risks specific to implant reconstruction
Risks more specific to implant reconstruction can include infection around the implant, capsular contracture (where firm scar tissue forms around the implant and affects its shape and softness), implant rupture or deflation, leakage of the implant contents, asymmetry between the breasts, calcium deposits in the scar capsule, granulomas (lumps in nearby lymph tissue) from leaked silicone, movement of the implant from its original position, and the possibility of further surgery to address any of these.
Risks specific to flap reconstruction
Risks more specific to flap reconstruction can include loss of blood supply to the reconstructed breast from clotting in the rejoined vessels (which can cause tissue to die, known as necrosis), small areas of firmness known as fat necrosis, fluid collection (seroma) at the flap site, a weakened abdominal wall that can lead to a hernia, asymmetry between the natural and reconstructed breasts, and temporary reduced movement of the arm on the treated side.
Further breast reconstruction information
Therapeutic Goods Administration
Breast reconstruction safety information
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Your surgeon
Why Choose Dr John Gault for Breast Reconstruction on the Gold Coast
Choosing your surgeon is one of the most important decisions in your reconstruction. Dr John Gault brings experience, care and a genuine commitment to helping each patient make the choice that is right for them.
What that means for you:
- A thorough, unhurried consultation where every option is explained in plain language
- Honest advice, including a referral to a colleague when another technique would serve you better
- An approach that aims for a natural-looking, balanced result, planned around your body
- Attentive aftercare and follow-up throughout your recovery
- Reconstruction performed at accredited Gold Coast hospital facilities
Above all, Dr Gault understands that reconstruction is about more than surgery, and that how you feel matters throughout your care.
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Local and regional care
Serving Women Across the Gold Coast and Rural Areas
Dr Gault invites patients from all rural areas for treatment – from QLD to northern NSW.
Our surgery cares for women from right across the Gold Coast, including Southport, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Bundall, Robina, Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach and Coolangatta, as well as the nearby hinterland and northern New South Wales communities.
Being local means your consultations, expansions and follow-up appointments are close to home, at a time when convenience and continuity of care truly matter.
The Gold Coast is well served by major public and private hospitals, so breast reconstruction and breast cancer surgery are available without the need to travel to Brisbane.
Gault Surgery
Benowa, Gold Coast
Clinic address
Suite 11, Pindara Place
13 Carrara Street
Benowa QLD 4217
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Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does breast reconstruction cost on the Gold Coast?
Costs vary depending on the technique, your hospital and your circumstances. Reconstruction following a mastectomy for breast cancer usually attracts Medicare rebates, and privately insured patients are generally covered for the hospital component through their private health fund.
Public patients can access reconstruction through the public system. Dr Gault's practice will give you a clear, itemised estimate of any out-of-pocket costs at your consultation.
Is breast reconstruction done at the same time as a mastectomy?
Sometimes. Immediate reconstruction, performed during the same operation as the mastectomy, suits many women, but it is not right for everyone, particularly when radiotherapy is planned. Delayed reconstruction can be carried out weeks, months or even years later. Dr Gault will help you decide on the best timing for your situation.
How do I choose a breast surgeon on the Gold Coast?
Look for a qualified, experienced surgeon who operates at accredited hospitals, explains all of your options clearly (including when another technique or surgeon would suit you better), and takes the time to answer your questions. A good surgeon supports your decision rather than rushing it. Arranging a consultation is the best way to find out whether a surgeon is the right fit for you.
How long does it take to recover from breast reconstruction?
This depends on the type of reconstruction and varies between individuals. Implant-based procedures generally involve a shorter recovery, while reconstruction using your own tissue takes longer because there is a second area to heal. Many women return to light daily activities within a few weeks and resume exercise gradually, guided by Dr Gault's advice.
Will my reconstructed breast look and feel natural?
The goal of reconstruction is to restore a natural-looking, balanced shape, and modern techniques can achieve good results for many women. That said, a reconstructed breast will not feel exactly like the original, and sensation may differ. Dr Gault will talk you through realistic expectations so you can make a confident, informed decision.
Can I have reconstruction years after my mastectomy?
Yes. Delayed reconstruction can be performed long after your original surgery, so it is never too late to explore your options.
Take the next step
Talk Through Your Breast Reconstruction Options
You do not have to navigate this decision alone. If you are considering breast reconstruction on the Gold Coast, arrange a consultation with Dr John Gault to discuss your options, ask your questions, and understand what is possible for you.
Contact our Gold Coast surgery today to book an appointment.
Gault Surgery, Suite 11, Pindara Place, 13 Carrara Street, Benowa QLD 4217. This page is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice from Dr Gault.