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Ask The Doctor-What surgery would you recommend for me and why?

June 26, 2015 by

yellow flowerThis week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I was diagnosed and attempted to have reconstruction surgery following a double mastectomy in October 2013, after 2 infections following expander attempts. I finally gave up, and asked them to be removed until chemo and radiation completed. My last rad was done in September 2014. Most doctors where I’m located recommend latissimus surgery. What surgery would you recommend for me and why?

Answer: I’m sorry to hear you have had problems with your breast reconstruction. After having implant problems, I would recommend starting over and using your own natural tissue. Specifically your own fatty tissue and skin. This can be done without sacrificing any of your important muscles. Unfortunately, the Latissimus procedure sacrifices the back muscle and may not be enough tissue to rebuild your breast without using an implant. For this reason, I would consider using the skin and fatty tissue from either your tummy, thigh or buttock areas depending on your body shape and where you might have enough tissue. These procedures require removing the tissue from the donor area (without removing or sacrificing any of your muscles) and moving the new breasts to the area that was removed during the mastectomy. The procedure requires reconnecting the new breast to the blood vessels that normally nourish the breast. We call this microsurgery and is what our practice specializes in. If you would like more information, let me know. Thanks for your question!

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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Ask The Doctor- I’ve had two radiated breasts, now what?

June 19, 2015 by

blue flowerThis week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I’ve had two radiated breasts, now what?

Answer: Thanks for the question. If your breasts have been radiated, then I’m assuming you have not had mastectomy and would not need breast reconstruction. If you have had radiation following mastectomy ( surgery to remove the breasts), then you can undergo breast reconstruction when you have recovered from the radiation (minimum of 6 months after last treatment).  After radiation, using your own tissue would be the best option because radiation increases the risk for problems with implants.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

 

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Ask The Doctor-I’m unhappy with my reconstruction results. Is it possible for it to be improved?

June 10, 2015 by

Screen Shot 2015-05-01 at 1.11.58 PMThis week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I had breast cancer in 2011, and the surgeon who did my reconstruction did a wack job on me. I was a DDD before surgery, and I told him I wanted to go down to single D cup. When I woke up from surgery, things just didn’t look right. When I took my bandage off, he had taken so much off that I had breast the size of man’s chest. I was horrified. I had them redone later, but they are still way to small for my body frame. Can I have them redone again? Or am I stuck with this? It has affected my life so much, I’m depressed, and I hate going out. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer: Thanks for your question. I’m sorry you have had problems with your reconstruction. The best approach to helping you depends on several factors. Did you have reconstruction using your own tissue or did you have implant reconstruction? Both approaches can be adjusted or redone to hopefully get an improvement. If you had radiation treatments, then it is likely that implants are not your best option. If you used your own tissue, it is possible to add more. It is important to remember that breast reconstruction always requires more than one step. When patients see their results after the first stage and only after one surgery, it is important to know the next step may make things much better. The most important achievement is to have the breast cancer removed.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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Ask The Doctor- How do I know if I have enough fat to use to reconstruct my breasts?

June 5, 2015 by

pink and white flower This week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: My implants (30 years old) have ruptured. Can I have the implants removed and use my own fat to reconstruct the breasts? How do I know if I have enough fat to do this (pretty thin)?

Answer: Thank you for your question.  Were your breast implants used for reconstruction or do you still have your normal breast tissue? Either way if the implants have ruptured they need to be removed. If they are silicone then the silicone would need to be removed as well. If you decide not to replace the implants then it is possible to replace the implants with your own fatty tissue. This can be done different ways. Fat grafting is possible and involves liposuction of fat from multiple areas and injecting the fat into the breast to replace the implant. This procedure requires multiple steps  and it depends on how much fatty tissue you have and how big your implants are.  Even if you are “pretty thin” it is usually possible to get enough fatty tissue taking it from multiple areas of the body. I would need to know more about your situation to be more specific.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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Ask The Doctor-Is it common to not be able to have reconstruction surgery with a low immune system?

May 29, 2015 by

white flowerThis week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I have had three surgeries already. 2 to remove cancer and 1 reconstruction. I can’t have the last one because of infection in left breast where the cancer was—plus I keep getting sick because my immune system is low. Is this common if I just had radiation in the infected area?

Answer:  I’m sorry you are having problems. If you are having an infection after radiation, it would definitely be best to hold off on your reconstruction until your immune system has recovered and the infection is gone. Radiation treatments definitely increase the chance of getting an infection. If you have an implant in place already, it may need to be removed to resolve any infection. Once that has occurred you can still proceed with breast reconstruction at a later time when you have recovered.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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What’s New In Breast Reconstruction: Online Event

April 21, 2015 by

logo pink flowerRound up the girls, bring the cheese and wine, and join our doctors, Dr. Kline and Dr. Craigie, on Thursday, April 30, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern to hear all about what’s new in breast reconstruction and have your burning questions answered LIVE by the doctors.

We understand all the information on breast reconstruction out there is overwhelming. Our commitment at The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction is to provide you with the information you need so you can decide if natural breast reconstruction is right for your unique situation.

When you register for this online event, we will update you on the latest options for breast reconstruction, answer your specific questions, and help you understand all of your options.

During this hour-long, no-cost event, you will discover:

  • What’s new in natural breast reconstruction, including new donor sites and tissue expanders.
  • Exactly how fat can be removed from your body and used to reconstruct your breast.
  • How natural breast reconstruction can correct implant problems and help women who have undergone mastectomies and who are unhappy with the results.
  • The concept of multiple donor site breast reconstruction, and if this is an option for you. 

**BONUS: You can ask questions before the webinar for the doctors to answer—or simply show up and ask your questions LIVE.

Ask your question here, and you’ll gain access to the live call and maintain access to watch the replay at your convenience!

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Ask The Doctor-Can I have reconstruction surgery with a low immune system and infection?

April 17, 2015 by

purple flowerThis week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: I have had three surgeries already: 2 to remove cancer and 1 reconstruction. I can’t have the last one because of infection in left breast where the cancer was, plus I keep getting sick because my immune system is low. Is this common if I just had radiation in the infected area?

Answer: I’m sorry you are having problems. If you are having an infection after radiation it would definitely be best to hold off on your reconstruction until your immune system has recovered and the infection is gone. Radiation treatments definitely increase the chance of getting an infection. If you have an implant in place already it may need to be removed to resolve any infection. Once that has occurred you can still proceed with breast reconstruction at a later time when you have recovered.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

*Before we post to the blog, we double check to ensure we respond to each person who submits a question personally so that you receive the information you need first.

 

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Whats New in Breast Reconstruction?


Are you overwhelmed with all the information on breast reconstruction, and have more questions than answers?

Have you just received your diagnosis, or are you unhappy with the results of your mastectomy, and want to know if breast reconstruction is right for your unique situation?

We understand how important it is to have all of the information available to you about breast reconstruction before making a decision.

That’s why we’ve created an online event that will update you on the latest options for breast reconstruction, answer your specific questions and help you understand all of your breast reconstruction options.

Whether you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and needs or wants to have a mastectomy, or you’ve had breast reconstruction or implants and have problems with your results…

Then gather your girlfriends, family, and loved ones together for a very special, 1-hour event hosted by Dr. James Craigie and Dr. Richard Kline of the Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction, and register today for…

What’s New in Breast Reconstruction?

Presented by The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction

* indicates required



Are you considering breast reconstruction?

 

*Note: should you want to remain anonymous, we will honor your privacy request.

Each year, more than 200,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast cancer. More than 30% of these women undergo mastectomies, even though many of them feel that they didn’t get sufficient information about the breast reconstruction options available to them.

We believe that every woman deserves the chance to feel natural, healthy, and beautiful after breast reconstruction.

Through education efforts and state-of-the-art microsurgical techniques, we have helped hundreds of women understand their breast reconstruction options and make informed choices that are right for their unique situation.

During this 60-minute telecall, we’ll provide you with the information you need to understand how natural breast reconstruction works, the various procedures and what they mean, and the chance to learn more about the exciting new advances in breast reconstruction.

Join us for this 1-hour telecall and discover…

  • What’s new in natural breast reconstruction, including new donor sites and tissue expanders.
  • How natural breast reconstruction can correct implant problems and help women who have undergone mastectomies who are unhappy with the results.
  • The concept of multiple donor site breast reconstruction, and if this is an option for you.
  • Exactly how fat can be removed from your body and used to reconstruct your breast.

Ask your question below, and you’ll gain immediate access to the telecall recording!

* indicates required



Are you considering breast reconstruction?

 

*Note: should you want to remain anonymous, we will honor your privacy request.

Ask The Doctor-Does lipomodelling make breasts more natural looking?

April 3, 2015 by

purple flowersThis week, James E. Craigie, MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: Do doctors do lipomodelling of the affected breast to make it more natural looking? Implant does not help. Thanks.

Answer: Thanks for your question. We perform fat grafting as part of the breast reconstruction process. If you had breast reconstruction with an implant and the results are not natural, fat grafting can help. There are some situations that require removing the implant in order to get a more natural result. Let me know if you need more info.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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Ask The Doctor-Is it possible to do a flap reconstruction after first surgeon tried expander on radiated breast on a smoker?

March 20, 2015 by

flowerThis week, Richard M. Kline, Jr., MD, of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction answers your question.

Question: Is it possible to do a flap reconstruction after first surgeon tried expander on radiated breast on a smoker who had quit 7 weeks before surgery? 4 weeks later I still have open wounds almost the size of a quarter.

Answer: Thanks for your excellent question.

Fortunately, previous breast surgery, no matter how extensive, rarely impacts our ability to do a flap reconstruction using your own tissue. In fact,  a healthy, non-radiated flap is often beneficial in improving the quality of the radiated tissue around it.

As you seem to already be aware, nicotine is an absolute “no-no” when having surgery, and also when trying to heal a chronic wound. Nicotine causes the microscopic blood vessels in your tissue to clamp down, just like shutting off a valve, which deprives the healing tissues of oxygen. Usually, however, nicotine levels are unmeasurable after a full month of exposure cessation.

We have treated several chronic wounds in patients with failed implant reconstructions, and we have always felt that it was best to get the wound healed before proceeding with flap reconstruction. Achieving healing in these situations is often not straightforward,  but we have thus far eventually been successful. Sometimes retained foreign material (such as Alloderm) can play a role in keeping the wound open, and sometimes there is just not enough skin left in the radiated area. Rarely, deep infection of the bone or cartilage can be an issue, although this is unusual.

If you wish, we can set up a phone consultation to discuss your specific circumstances in more detail.

Best of luck, and thanks again for your question.

Have a question about breast reconstruction or post-surgical you’d like answered from our surgical team? Just ask!

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