There are several ways to reconstruct a breast following mastectomy. One option is to use tissue expanders and implants (saline or silicone) and the other option is to use ones own body tissue or what is often called autologous reconstruction. One of the most commonly used sites for autologous reconstruction is the lower abdomen. The lower abdomen is often…
Lumpectomy Defects of the breast can be treated with oncoplastic reconstructive techniques to improve contour following resection. The same principles used for mastopexy and reduction techniques can be used to improve upon the appearance of the breast following the resection of a breast tumor. The recovery following these procedures tends to be standard. The first week following surgery consists of…
Hernia repairs are common. Larger hernias often require the repositioning of the rectus abdominus muscles to place the muscles back into anatomic position. When the rectus muscles are relocated this can often prevent the use of mesh to repair the hernia. In some cases mesh is necessary in addition to repositioning of the abdominal musculature. In patients with previous abdominal…
The deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap is an option for breast reconstruction in those patients who do not want to undergo reconstruction with breast implants. There are several reasons why patients do not want to undergo reconstruction with breast implants and would prefer to undergo reconstruction with their own body tissue. Reconstruction of the breast with one’s own body…
Central breast tumors can be common. Central breast tumors are those tumors that lie directly behind or in close proximity to the nipple areola complex. Patients often have questions or concerns regarding the appearance of the breast mound after the nipple areola complex has been removed. What determines when the nipple areola complex will be removed is how close the…
Breast cancer is common. In patients who have relatively larger breasts and smaller tumors, there may be several different options to treat the breast cancer from an oncologic perspective and there may be different options for reconstruction. Patients who are candidates for breast conservation therapy tend to be patients who have smaller tumors relative to the overall size of the…
Patients who undergo lumpectomy have different options for breast reconstruction. In patients who have relatively larger breasts, smaller tumors, and who have breast ptotis may be able to have their tumor excised with a lumpectomy and their breast reconstructed with the same patterns that we use for a cosmetic mastopexy or breast reduction. It is quite common for patients to…
Autologous breast reconstruction is when the body’s own tissue is used to reconstruct the breast. There are several different parts of the body that serves as donor sites for breast reconstruction. Common areas of donor site locations include the abdomen, the back, and the gluteal region. When the breast is ptotic the native nipple areola complex can not be utilized…
Hernia repairs are common. Often the hernis can be exposed through a lower abdominal incision. The lower abdominal incision is similar to an incision used in a standard abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck” operation. The lower abdominal incision gives access to the entire abdominal wall up toward the ribcage. Any mesh that is placed in a central defect is not located…
Breast Reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer can be broken down into two main classifications: 1) Tissue Expander and Implant Reconstruction and 2) Autologous Tissue Reconstruction. In patients with larger breasts, the maximum size of a silicone gel mammary prosthesis is 800 cc. Often in mastectomy specimens weighing more than 800 grams, the implant is not sufficient to fill the…
