USA Health offers new implants for mastectomy patients with larger breasts

By Carol McPhail
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A new breast implant line available at USA Health is expanding access to more personalized reconstruction options for mastectomy patients with larger breast sizes who are seeking breast reconstruction.

Previously, 800 cc was the largest implant size available, making it difficult for patients with larger body frames or extensive tissue removal to achieve proportional results and leading to lower reconstruction rates.

Ronald M. Brooks, M.D., a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon at USA Health, recently led the third surgery performed in Alabama in which a mastectomy patient received MENTOR MemoryGel Enhance Breast implants, the first and only implant line specifically designed for women with larger breasts following mastectomy. The bilateral breast reconstruction surgery was accomplished using a pair of 1030 cc implants at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile.

“The novelty of this procedure is that until very recently, reconstructive surgeons had no great options for reconstructing breasts for larger breasted women,” said Brooks, an associate professor of surgery at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama. “Now we have an innovative and unique line of MENTOR implants specifically designed for patients who have had mastectomies and require larger breasts to achieve body-proportionate results to meet their goals.”

More than 246,000 women undergo a mastectomy each year as part of breast cancer treatment or prevention, with many looking to pursue implant-based reconstruction. Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s MENTOR MemoryGel Enhance Breast Implants, approved by the FDA in November 2024, offer volumes ranging from 930 cc to 1445 cc. The company says the larger implants address the needs of about 15% of mastectomy patients who previously lacked access to appropriately sized implants.

Depending upon the case, some mastectomy patients may receive implants in the same surgery that treats their breast cancer, while others return to surgery months later for a two-stage reconstruction involving tissue expansion and implant insertion.

Brooks said mastectomy patients choose breast reconstruction for many reasons. “Whether to have reconstruction is a very personal decision,” Brooks said. “Some of my patients say they want to have their clothes fit better; they want to permanently regain their shape, or just feel better about their body. These larger implants can help more women reach these goals.”

Brooks’ practice is located at USA Health’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic at the Strada Patient Care Center, 1601 Center Street Suite 2A, in Mobile. To make an appointment, call 251-650-0561.

For more information about the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Clinic, visit www.usahealthsystem.com/locations/plastic-and-reconstructive-surgery.