Alexander Monro Hospital, Bilthoven: Reconstruction after breast cancer
At the Alexander Monro Hospital in Bilthoven, I work as a plastic surgeon in a hospital that specialises entirely in breast care, including breast cancer. All the expertise and attention here is focused on diagnosing, treating and caring for people with breast cancer and other breast conditions.
Treatment for breast cancer can have a big impact on your body and how you see yourself. A breast reconstruction can help restore the shape of the breast, but it is always a personal choice.
Together with the other specialists, I discuss which reconstruction options suit your medical situation and your wishes. We look carefully at what is possible, what the limitations are and what recovery involves.
What makes the Alexander Monro special
- Specialist care for breast cancer and other breast conditions
- Quick answers and well-coordinated tests
- Close teamwork between specialists
- Personal attention and support
- Second opinions are possible
- Attention to quality of life and aftercare
I also carry out preventive operations for women with a high inherited risk, such as BRCA gene carriers. Breast reconstruction after breast cancer is covered by the Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering), although your insurer sets the exact conditions.
Visit the Alexander Monro Hospital website (in Dutch)
Three choices we make together
Now or later
A reconstruction can be done during the mastectomy or at a later stage. Both are good choices. It depends on your treatment and on what you want.
Implant or your own fat
An implant is less demanding on your body. Your own fat feels more natural, and the fat that takes well usually stays. After radiotherapy, your own tissue is often the better option. I do not perform reconstruction with tissue from the tummy (DIEP) myself; if that suits you best, I will refer you to a colleague.
No reconstruction is also a choice
Some women choose to stay flat or to wear an external prosthesis. We can talk about that too, without judgement.
Your options
- Breast reconstruction with an implantA new breast after a mastectomy, straight away or later on.Read more
- Breast reconstruction with your own fatBuilding a complete breast from thin layers of your own fat.Read more
- Correction after breast-conserving surgeryA dent, a difference in shape or a tight scar after breast-conserving treatment.Read more
Research into reconstruction with your own fat
I worked on the BREAST trials I and II. This Dutch study, led by Maastricht UMC+, compared a complete breast reconstruction with your own fat with a reconstruction with implants, in 193 women in 7 hospitals. I am now involved in the EVE study and BREAST-R. Because the Alexander Monro specialises entirely in breast care, our team provides a large share of the data for this research.
Women in the fat transfer group had a higher quality of life, and no evidence was found that the technique is unsafe. The results were published in the medical journal JAMA Surgery in 2023.
More about the research
Would you like to discuss your options?
Most patients come to me through their treatment team or with a referral from their GP (huisarts) or specialist. If you have questions, please contact the secretary's office at the Alexander Monro Hospital.