We at The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction wish you and your family a holiday season full of peace and love!
Natural Breast Reconstruction on Slender Females
December 21, 2012 by
The below question is answered by Dr. Richard M. Kline, Jr. of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction.
I had a 4.6 cm lobular carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemo (ac+t). Five treatments to go scheduled to end on 1/17/12. Tumor had been reduced to 2.7cm thus far. Scheduled for bi-lat mast in early Feb. I am slim, 5’4″ and 112 lbs now. Normally about 120 lbs. surgeon here in nj is recommending expander and fills followed by radiation and several months later, an exchange. He says I may have enough abdominal fat for a tram flap for one breast. Could I come to you six months after radiation for a diep flap or some other procedure if I just have mast and do nothing else for six months following rads? Thank you
Hi,
Sorry to hear about your situation, but we would absolutely be happy to see you. If you have decided for sure you want to be reconstructed with your own tissue, I would strongly recommend that you stick to your guns and not have expanders placed, for the following reason. The expanders will create a “divet’ in your bony chest wall, which will not go away, and some of your flap volume will be required to fill the “divet,” and thus not be visible in the breast mound. If you were more “fuller-figured” this would not be an issue, but it is a huge issue for slender patients. We have encountered very few patients who cannot be reconstructed due to inadequate donor sites, although it’s not too uncommon for slim patients to not end up quite as large as they’d wished. If you’d like to send photos of front and back we could give you a preliminary assessment of your donor sites, although of course the absolute assessment is best done in person.
Good luck, and please feel free to call or email with any other questions.
Richard Kline
Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction
Would you like your breast reconstruction question answered? Just ask us!
10 Winter Skincare Tips
December 19, 2012 by
Image Above Taken From: www.prevention.com
If you’re like most people, you probably already know (and are possibly experiencing) the havoc winter inflicts on skin. From chapped lips to cracked, dry hands, your skin takes a real beating in the chillier months—even here in Charleston!
Make healthy skin a priority this winter with these tips to combat the cold and keep your skin nourished all season:
- Ask your doctor. First and foremost, when in doubt about your skin condition, it’s best to seek professional guidance. Going to an esthetician or dermatologist even once is a good investment because such a specialist can analyze your skin type, troubleshoot your current skin care regimen, and give you advice on the skin care products you should be using.
- Invest in a good moisturizer. Your skincare needs vary depending on the season. Even if you love the moisturizer that kept your skin silky-smooth all summer, your skin demands a more hydrating lotion in the winter. Opt for a moisturizer that’s oil-based, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion. You can also look for lotions containing “humectants,” a class of substances that attract moisture to your skin.
- Slather on the sunscreen. Sunscreen isn’t just for summertime. Exposure to the winter sun can still damage your skin, increase the signs of aging, and cause skin cancer. Try applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands (if they’re exposed) about 30 minutes before going outside.
- Give your hands extra attention. The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands, meaning it’s harder to keep your hands moist. In cold, dry weather, your hands are especially prone to itchiness, dryness, and cracking. Be sure you have moisturizer at the ready when you travel, and always wear gloves when you go outside.
- Avoid wet clothing. Wet socks and gloves can irritate your skin and cause itching, cracking, sores, or even a flare-up of eczema. Keep your body warm and dry this winter, and add layers for more protection.
- Don’t forget your feet. Try finding thicker lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine—your feet will thank you. If your feet are dry, be sure to use exfoliants to get the dead skin off so that your moisturizer will sink in faster and deeper.
- Reconsider your facial cleanser. If you’ve been battling the dry-skin blues all winter, try avoiding peels, masks, or alcohol-based face cleansers—they’re likely stripping vital oil from your skin. Opt for foaming cleansers and masks that are “deeply hydrating,” rather than clay-based, to save your skin’s natural moisture.
- Plug in the humidifier. Humidifiers get more moisture in the air, which helps prevent your skin from drying out. To disperse moisture throughout your home, you may want to place several small humidifiers around the house.
- Protect your pout. Be sure you’re armed this winter with the most soothing lip balm you can find. Double-check to make sure it has sunscreen to keep your lips nourished and smooth.
How do you keep your skin healthy all winter long?
Delicious Low-Fat Holiday Desserts
December 17, 2012 by
Image Above Taken From: www.Health.com
During the holidays, a little indulgence is the status quo. But who says the holidays have to compromise your healthy diet?
With these recipes, you can have all the flavor of your favorite holiday desserts, minus the guilt or added fat. Give them a whirl, and enjoy!
Whole-wheat sugar cookies
This year, keep your heart healthy with these whole-wheat sugar cookies topped with a delicious lemony glaze.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
Icing
- 2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions: For cookies, whisk together first 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars together in a separate medium bowl until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, and add the egg white and vanilla and almond extracts, and beat until just combined.
Add flour mixture, and stir until incorporated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 325°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust a work surface with flour. Turn out chilled dough directly onto work surface. Roll dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes in dough, and gently transfer them to baking sheets. Bake cookies for 12 minutes or until set but not browned. Remove cookies from oven, and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the icing, whisk together all the icing ingredients in a large bowl until completely smooth. Mixture should have consistency of a glaze. (If it’s too thin, add a bit more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a few more drops of lemon juice.)
Transfer icing to a pastry bag (or a zip-top plastic bag with a small hole in one of the bottom corners). First, outline the cookie or desired design, then fill it in. Let icing harden before serving. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Buttermilk Pralines
Enjoy a rich holiday treat that won’t do much damage to your diet! With a base of pecans, you’ll get plenty of good fat as well.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup whole buttermilk
- 1 ½ tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Dash of salt
- ⅔ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions: Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Continue cooking over low heat until a candy thermometer reads 234° (about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes.
Stir in nuts, butter, and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to lose its shine (about 6 minutes). Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let stand 20 minutes or until set. Note: Store pralines in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Banana pudding
This simple Southern classic is one of our personal favorites around the holidays! Slim up the traditional pudding by using low-fat milk, fat-free sweetened condensed milk and reduced-fat cookies.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- Dash of salt
- 2 ½ cups 1% low-fat milk
- 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups sliced ripe banana, divided
- 45 reduced-fat vanilla wafers, divided
- 4 large egg whites (at room temperature)
- ¼ cup sugar
Directions: Preheat oven to 325°. Combine flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milks and yolks; stir well. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Arrange 1 cup banana slices in bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Spoon one-third of pudding mixture over banana. Arrange 15 wafers on top of pudding. Repeat layers twice, arranging the last 15 wafers around edge of dish. Push cookies into pudding.
Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue evenly over pudding, sealing to edge of dish. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until golden. Note: Banana Pudding may be a bit soupy when you first remove it from the oven. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.
Try out these recipes for your family this holiday season, and let us know what you think!
DIEP Flap Procedure: Is this covered by my insurance?
December 14, 2012 by
The below question is answered by Charleston breast surgeon, Dr. Richard Kline of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction.
I had a double mastectomy last month and am considering the DIEP procedure. My insurance is Aetna PPO and I wanted to know if this is covered. Also, I keep reading about stage 11 follow up to do lipo on the upper abdomen so it is flat like the bottom half ( after surgery) . Is that part of the reconstruction and is it covered by insurance? Thanks
Hi,
I’m almost sure we are in-network for you, but our office will let you know for sure.
We use liposuction to help correct some donor site deformities, such as bulging of the upper abdomen, or fullness of the “muffintop” areas. Often, that fat can be used as graft to enlarge the DIEP flaps, or improve little areas of asymmetry. If we place fat in the breast, we add a code for fat grafting for the insurance company, but we never bill anyone for liposuction per se.
Hope this helps, and thanks for your question.
Richard Kline
Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction
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Experience the Holiday Festival of Lights
December 12, 2012 by
What better way to get in the holiday spirit than by touring the decorated houses and the gazing at the twinkling Christmas lights?
The James Island County Park embodies the essence of the season with its 23rd annual Holiday Festival of Lights—one of Charleston’s most beloved nighttime events. Amidst the illuminated wonderland, you and your family will be delighted by the fantastic displays that truly capture the magic of the holidays.
The journey begins with a three-mile drive through hundreds of breathtaking light displays and millions of bulbs glowing through the night. Once you park the car, the whole family can experience exciting attractions designed expressly for holiday cheer, such as…
- The Festival Express
- Photos with Santa
- 2012 Festival Ornament
- Winter Carnival
- Gift Shops
- Light Display Design Contest
- Giant Greeting Cards
- Marshmallow Roasting
- Enchanted Forest Walking Trail
- 50-Ton Sand Sculpture
- Carousel Rides
The Holiday Festival of Lights is open seven days a week from November 9, 2012 through December 31, 2012. For more information about the hours and admission, please visit www.ccprc.com/index.aspx?NID=1555.
What is your favorite holiday event in Charleston? Share in the comments section below!
Holidays on a Shoestring Budget: How to Give Great Gifts Without Breaking the Bank
December 10, 2012 by
During the holidays, it’s natural to want to give your loved ones the perfect gift…yet doing so may leave your wallet considerably lighter. Not to mention, trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday list can be time-consuming and frustrating. Unfortunately for some, holiday shopping means maxed out credit cards—which is a stressful way to start off the New Year.
But the holiday season doesn’t have to be a time to go into debt or to overstretch your means. Take advantage of these easy, low-cost ways to spread the holiday cheer without running up your credit lines:
Use your talents. Take an inventory of your basic talents and skills to see which ones you could put to use to create holiday gifts. Most people appreciate a gift that someone put time and effort into and personally made for them. With an investment of just a few dollars for ingredients or materials and some basic skills, you could:
- Bake some holiday treats and decorate them just for the recipient.
- Knit or crochet a scarf, mittens, or a hat—or a blanket for your friend’s pet!
- Scrapbook an album of special photos, or craft a beautiful greeting card.
- Paint or draw a picture the recipient can display in their home.
- Complete household repairs for someone.
Use your imagination, and get creative! The beauty of using your talents is that you can customize your gifts especially for your loved ones.
Give the gift of your time. Another easy way to manage your holiday budget is to give the gift of time. Offer to do a specific chore for someone in place of a store-bought gift. Some ideas could be:
- Make a home-cooked meal.
- Do a week’s worth of laundry.
- Clean their house.
- Wash their car.
- Do an afternoon of yard work.
- Babysit their kids.
- Walk their dogs.
Remember, you can tailor the offer to the gift recipients needs, and if you know them well, you should have a pretty good idea of what offer would be most appreciated.
Get your family involved. Consider discussing cost-saving strategies with family members, such as:
- Setting a spending limit on individual gifts.
- Doing a gift exchange where you each draw a name out of a hat, instead of exchanging individual gifts with each family member.
- Going in together on a family gift, like a family vacation or a season pass to an amusement park or zoo.
When your whole family can agree on basic gift-giving guidelines, you can save money and ensure your family is on the same page, so everyone can enjoy a happy, stress-free holiday!
Have more ideas? Share your tips for staying on budget during the holidays!
Implant Procedure Without Expanders?
December 7, 2012 by
The below question is answered by the Charleston breast surgeons at The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction.
Is it possible to have a simple implant procedure without expanders if you have a lot of skin tissue left?
Yes, absolutely, if you are willing to have Alloderm (acellular dermis) used to help support the implant. We specialize microsurgical reconstruction using your own tissue so we don’t actually do this procedure in our practice but there are plastic surgeons in every metropolitan area who do. If you are in or near the Charleston area we can give you names of surgeons who are especially good at this procedure. We know many out of our area too if you’d like to identify where you are located we can see if we know anyone to suggest you consult.
–The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction Team
Would you like your breast reconstruction question answered? Just ask us!
Music of the Season
December 5, 2012 by
Now that it’s finally December, the sounds of the festive season have finally begun! Everywhere you go, the holiday spirits infuses the air…a carol here, the Linus and Lucy theme song there!
Immerse yourself in the music that makes the holiday so enchanting. Here are a few of Charleston’s most exciting concerts, symphonies, and ballets for you and your family to enjoy:
- Nutcracker Ballet: From December 12 to December 13, the Charleston Ballet will be performing the classic ballet, The Nutcracker. Come to the Theatre Gaillard Auditorium on 77 Calhoun Street, and experience the magic of this holiday tradition! For more information, call 843.723.7334, or go to www.CharlestonBallet.com.
- Charleston Christmas Special: Broadway performers, Brad and Jennifer Moranz, take the stage at the Charleston Music Hall, with 20 talented performers, in this Christmas time tradition in the Lowcountry. Join them at 37 John Street on December 8 through December 22 for a holiday performance you won’t forget! Ticket prices range from $34 for adults, $31 for seniors and military, $19 for students with ID, and $16 for kids 12 & under. For more information, visit www.bradandjennifermoranz.com .
- Charleston Harbor Sleigh Ride Aboard “The Thriller”: Take a one-hour tour aboard the Thriller Charleston, a speedboat with seating for 43 people. Dress warm, sip on hot chocolate, listen to Christmas carols, and cozy up with warm waterproof blankets for this unique Charleston, SC Christmas event. These Shem Creek cruises will take place through the month of December in Charleston. Advanced reservations are available, and recommended! Call 843.276.4203 or visit www.thrillercharleston.com for more information.
- Holiday Choral Performances at Charleston Country School of Arts: Join in the holiday spirit as The Charleston Country School of Performing Arts hosts a series of concerts sure to please the entire family. Performance are held December 6 and December 14-15 at 6:30 pm. Tickets are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students. All shows are held at the Rose Maree Myers Theater for Performing Arts on campus. For tickets and more information visit their website at www.soavocal.com
- Charleston Symphony Orchestra: Join the Charleston Symphony Orchestra on December 14, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. for all of your holiday favorites with the CSO Chorus and conductor James Stephenson, whose arrangements have been performed by the Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, New York Pops, and more. It all takes place on the College of Charleston main campus in Sottile Theatre. Tickets may be purchased online at www.charlestonsymphony.org.
Which of these musical festivities will you attend this holiday season?
How to Reduce Stress During the Holiday Season
December 3, 2012 by
According to the American Institute of Stress, more than 110 million Americans already take medication for stress-related causes each week, and the holidays only tend to perpetuate anxiety. Even if you’re one of the lucky people who don’t ordinarily feel stressed under the pressure of deadlines or events, the holidays have a way of sneaking stress into the most carefree lives.
There are your children’s wish lists to tackle, the holiday expenses to wrangle, the gifts to wrap, parties to plan, cookies to bake and cards to write—all in addition to your normal responsibilities.
Don’t let stress ruin your holidays. Here are some quick tips for how to keep calm during the bustling festivities:
1. Take some “you” time. If there were ever a time to get a massage, this is it. Book one for December to diffuse the chaos of last-minute frenzies. If you’d rather stay in, pamper yourself with a little dark chocolate and red wine—and for solidarity, invite your best friend over to enjoy a much-needed break.
2. Focus on fitness. Not only is exercise good for the body, but it also releases endorphins that make you feel happier and more content. Frustrated that you couldn’t find that impossible gift for your niece? Take it on the treadmill! You’ll burn calories, improve your state of mind, and give yourself some time to gain perspective. Remember, a fast-paced walk through the mall also counts as an aerobic activity!
3. Volunteer. Consider volunteering at a local charity. In addition to benefitting from what experts identify as “helpers’ high,” you may also meet new friends and make lasting connections that will enrich your life throughout the entire year.
4. Rethink gift giving. Streamline the hectic process of gift giving by buying fewer gifts, doing all your shopping online, or making modest online donations to the favorite causes of friends and family. No matter what the catalogues tell you, the best gift you can give is your time—so spend it with your family and friends and relish every minute of it.
5. Don’t take on more than you can handle. Remember, you can always say “no.” Consider this an absolute necessity for protecting your health and sanity during the holidays. As a bonus, it works well the rest of the year, too! Stay positive, anticipate happiness, and you’ll make it through the holidays with the right attitude in place for the coming year.
What are some ways you combat your holiday stress?
