Unlike breast implants which are done to enlarge breasts, breast reconstruction is a surgery that is performed to rebuild a breast’s shape. Women receive breast reconstruction usually after a mastectomy. Women receive breast implants for cosmetic reasons. A breast reconstruction sometimes is medically necessary. However, a breast reconstruction will not be able to replace the natural breast. The doctors can make the reconstruction look like natural breast. The procedure is close to that of breast implants except it might involve more than one surgery. Each reconstruction is different depending on the patient’s age and cancer treatment.
Source: National Cancer Institute