This toolkit provides clinicians with best practice guidance when caring for patients with breast implants, or considering breast implants.
The toolkit considers three clinical scenarios:
- Patients who present for breast reconstruction following cancer treatment or prophylactic mastectomy.
- Patients who present for cosmetic breast augmentation.
- Patients who have breast implants and are concerned about their future risk of adverse events.
The guidance supports shared decision making with patients about their options, and includes practical tools to inform patients about the benefits and risks of the surgery.
The following principles have shaped this resource:
- Empowering patients through shared and protected decision making.
- Transparency about potential conflicts of interest.
- Patient education on the risks, benefits and options for a variety of treatments.
- Managing patient uncertainty and anxiety.
- Ongoing duty of care and post-operative surveillance.
The toolkit was developed with input from consumers and patients with lived experience; clinical experts across surgery, radiology and pathology; and key regulatory bodies.
