During my experience as a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, I’ve seen many changes in breast reconstruction technology. Even before my training at Duke University in 2002, more aggressive approaches to cancer removal were used, in which the breast was amputated. At Duke we made advances utilizing the body’s own tissues, to recreate new breasts, such as the “tram-flap,” where we would use abdominal tissue to replace in the breast area. This requires blood flow so we would microvascularly attach it into the new area of the patient’s body.
Newer modalities have developed including lumpectomy in conjunction with other treatments including radiation therapy. Depending on the size of the tumor as well as other factors including possible risk or involvement of lymph nodes, in one or multiple sites, can determine which reconstructive procedure is selected. Some treatments today also include oral medication which can be taken at certain age to help control the tumor. In some cases, Reconstruction can be done at the same time as the removal of the cancer.
Some of the newer ways of treating reconstruction after breast cancer that use your own body tissue can be done grafting fat. I’ve done this for patients as the example above, in which we used her abdominal fat to recreate new breasts in place of the former breasts.
Breast Implants are also used for Augmentation, which can also lift, enlarge, reshape or reduce the breast.
Nipple reconstruction is easy to do and often done in the office setting using a combination of tattooing and tissue rearrangement.
An important factor of reconstruction is that your Plastic Surgeon is boarded in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery with a strong background in Breast care. They also need to communicate with your cancer doctors, which allows them to make the best choice moving forward for healthy treatments and a natural outcome.
In conclusion is the breast cancer happens and one of every eight women and thousands of women per year make breast changes even without cancer. The Statistics show that reconstruction gives cancer patients a more positive attitude and are generally healthier.
Gunnar Bergqvist, MD
Dr. Gunnar Bergqvist is double board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He maintains his certification in both and in addition to his training, completed a chief residency in both plastic surgery and general surgery. Dr. Bergqvist completed his training in Plastic Reconstructive & Microvascular Surgery at Duke University, the leading program in the world for Surgery. He also has additional training in Hand & Micro-surgery from the Christine Kleinert Institute. He gained his inspiration from his father who is a world-renowned Pediatric Neonatologist, M.D., PhD in Sweden; his sister, a professor and a pediatric neurologist at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
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