The treatment of breast cancer has evolved significantly from the original surgical technique described by Halsted. The reconstruction of the breast has also been a large interest among surgeons and patients. The history of breast reconstruction dates back to the 1800s with an attempt to transplant a lipoma to a mastectomy site. Several techniques ranging from the ''walking flap'' of Gilles to the free perforator flap using autogenous tissue for recreation of a breast ''mound'' have been established and refined. The use of tissue expanders for breast reconstruction has also been perfected over the last three decades. Breast reconstruction, which was once admonished in the early part of the 20th century, has now become a routine choice for women undergoing breast cancer surgery. KEYWORDS: Reconstruction, breast, history, cancer, surgeryBreast cancer affects one of every nine women and accounts for at least one third of all new cancers yearly. Its incidence is highest among white women. Breast cancer rates increased 3.8% per year through the 1980s, but this increase has stabilized over the 1990s to the present.Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as the primary source of cancer deaths in women. In fact, the breast cancer death rate in women between the ages of 20 and 59 surpasses all other cancer-related deaths. As of last year, the breast cancer death rate remains the greatest in the African-American population. 1

Prolonged drain use was associated with postoperative infection and may represent an independent source of infection or may be an indicator of delayed healing. Early tissue expansion was associated with earlier drain removal and so may help avoid infectious complications and improve outcomes. Early expansion was not associated with an increase in complications. Results from this study have informed our current drain management practice. Whether this has led to a reduction in our infection rate is a future topic of study.