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1. Many women who undergo a mastectomy to remove or prevent breast cancer choose to undergo breast reconstructive surgery, but not all women make this choice. Overall, about 56,176 women chose to have breast reconstructive surgery in 2006, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

2. There are two main forms of breast reconstructive surgery: breast reconstruction with breast implants, which involves the surgical implantation of a saline-filled or silicone gel-filled envelope under the chest muscle, and autologous (tissue flap) breast reconstruction, in which a woman's own skin, fat and, in most instances, muscle, are used to create a new breast. This tissue comes from the upper back, lower abdomen, thighs or buttocks.

3. Under federal law, all health insurance policies must cover breast reconstruction after mastectomy, although there may be limits on the type of breast reconstructive surgery covered.

4. Many women are eligible for an immediate breast reconstruction at the same time they undergo mastectomy. Studies find that immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy is safe and doesn't delay chemotherapy or increase the risk of complications.

5. Women who undergo immediate breast reconstructive surgery tend to feel better emotionally than women who wait.

6. You can have breast reconstructive surgery years after your mastectomy, if your health allows.

7. Immediate breast reconstruction is less expensive than delayed reconstruction, less disruptive to a woman's life and may provide better cosmetic results.

8. There are two types of breast implants available—silicone gel-filled and saline-filled. Most surgeons think that women get a more natural-looking breast with silicone gel-filled implants. After 14-years of restricted usage, the FDA has approved the use of silicone gel-filled implants for breast reconstruction in women of all ages and for breast augmentation in women 22 and older.

9. If possible, women who undergo mastectomy should involve a plastic surgeon as part of their medical team, even before the mastectomy occurs.

10. Autologous breast reconstruction is a more complex operation and requires a longer surgery and recovery than breast reconstructive surgery with breast implants. However, it can result in a more natural-looking breast than breast implants.

11. Women who smoke or have diabetes or other conditions that affect the health of their blood vessels are generally not good candidates for autologous transplant. Neither are thin women or those who have previously had surgery in the area from which the tissue will be removed.

12. The two most common types of autologous reconstruction are latissimus dorsi flap, involving tissue from the upper back, and TRAM flap, involving tissue and muscle from the abdomen. Newer versions of the TRAM flap preserve the abdominal muscle, but they require greater surgical skill and may have a higher complication rate.