One of the most common questions that we receive from patients in consultation, is “Can I have my breast reconstructed after a lumpectomy and radiation therapy?”. The answer to this question is “yes”. However, the degree to which breast tissue can be rearranged might be limited, but there are definitely options. Radiation tends to cause capsular contracture when an implant…
Breast reconstruction is an extremely challenging aspect of plastic and reconstructive surgery. Not only does the cancer need to be appropriately addressed, but implants are also placed in less than optimal environments. During a mastectomy, the breast tissue is removed and the only soft tissue that remains is a skin envelope. Tissue expanders and implants are placed beneath the pectoralis…
Rhinoplasty is a common procedure to change the shape of the nose. Common reasons for a patient to want rhinoplasty is to remove a dorsal hump. Many patients who have a prominent dorsal hump also have underlying nasal septal deviations or turbinate hypertrophy. In the same procedure as the rhinoplasty to change the shape of the nose, patients can undergo…
There are many different ways to successfully treat or prevent breast cancer in genetically susceptible individuals. In some patients, one of the first steps is to create the best possible shape of the breast for a future mastectomy. In some patients, implants are removed and a mastopexy is performed to place the nipple areola complex in a higher and more…
Breast cancer reconstruction and aesthetic breast surgery share many similar principles. Removing breast implants and performing a breast lift (mastopexy) is a common procedure and may be a component of breast cancer treatment. In a patient with significant breast ptosis who undergoes a mastectomy for breast cancer, the nipple areola complex cannot often remain viable nor can it reliably be…
The lower face and neck lift is one of the most effective procedures for facial rejuvenation. We use the latest 360 OVIO Photograph System for our facial surgery pre-operative planning. This is a tool we use for our rhinoplasty and facial rejuvenation surgery planning. The 360 video demonstrates before (left) and after (right) lower face and neck lift for facial…
The lower face and neck lift is one of the most effective procedures for rejuvenation of the face. As we age and or gain or lose weight, we accumulate aging changes of the face and neck. In the neck, there are three components that affect aging: 1. Excess or redundant skin of the neck. 2. Excess fat of the neck.…
Breast reconstruction can be done in an immediate setting at the time of mastectomy or can be accomplished in a delayed setting after mastectomy. When an immediate breast reconstruction with flaps is to be performed it is important that the quality of the mastectomy flaps is considered. During the DIEP flap harvest, the skin and fat from the abdomen is…
Breast cancer reconstruction can be challenging for the Plastic & Reconstructive surgeon as well as the patient. In the patient with “ptotic” breasts, where the nipple areola complex is significantly below the inframammary fold or breast crease, the nipple cannot be safely kept during a mastectomy based on significant impairment in blood supply. In these cases, when the nipple is…
Breast cancer can be treated with lumpectomy. The same patterns that are used for a mastopexy (breast lift) can be used to facilitate breast cancer treatment. If a cancer lies outside of traditional patterns, then the breast lift pattern can be modified to remove the skin above the tumor when necessary. One component of breast cancer treatment for lumpectomy is…
