Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for Dr. James Craigie

Why You Shouldn’t Neglect Your Mammogram

February 22, 2012 by

mammogramWhile healthcare agencies and government entities may disagree about when to start having mammograms and how frequently to schedule them, one thing is clear: mammograms are the best way to screen for early breast cancer. You don’t want to neglect your mammogram, and here are a few reasons why.

You’ll have peace of mind.

When you’ve had a mammogram, you know you’re doing all you can to detect breast cancer early and get it treated. You won’t have that nagging question in your head about whether your monthly self-checks are doing the job.

Mammograms are the best way to protect yourself.

Regular mammograms are your best defense against cancer, and if you do have it at some point, you can treat it as early as possible. According to the National Cancer Institute, when breast cancer is detected early, the five-year survival rate is 98%. Mammograms can detect breast cancer years before you can feel the lump, so it’s the best early-detection instrument available.

Insurance covers it.

Most insurance covers mammograms for women over 40 or younger women who have high risk for breast cancer. If you have first-degree relatives (mother or sister) who had breast cancer at a young age, start having mammograms a decade earlier than the youngest age of diagnosis. For example, if your sister was diagnosed at 42, start having mammograms at 32.

It only takes a few moments.

Yes, the machine will press on your breasts, and yes, it can be uncomfortable. But it only takes a few moments, and then you’re good to go for a year. To reduce discomfort, try not to schedule the mammogram near your period if you tend to have tender breasts at that time.

If you’re over 40 and haven’t had a baseline mammogram, or you haven’t had one in a few years, it’s time to schedule one. Call your doctor today.

 

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Latest Technology in Preventative Mastectomy Procedures

February 17, 2012 by

Today we are putting a twist on our usual Ask the Doctor series and sharing a video interview with our very own Dr. James Craigie. If a picture is worth a thousand words a video must be worth at least a million, right? With the discovery of the correlation between breast cancer and family history, more and more women and opting for preventative mastectomy procures. Watch as Dr. James Craigie highlights the latest advanced reconstruction techniques offered at The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction to restore a woman’s natural look.

As part of our weekly ask the doctor series we encourage you to submit your questions to our team or leave a comment below and we will get back to you! For more information on The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction visit our website. We’d love to hear from you!

Filed Under: Ask the Doctor Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How to Enhance Your Mood with Environmental Changes

January 30, 2012 by

Your mood is linked with your surroundings, and a change in your environment can make a tremendous difference in your feelings. To calm or enhance your mood, try some of these simple modifications to your environment.

Soothing colors.

Color has an amazing ability to affect mood. We know someone whose employer painted the office walls a deep reddish-burgundy color. She said it was far from calming; in fact, she noticed a difference in her stress levels compared with the previous color, which was pale lavender. The color also hurt her eyes until she was used to it. Soothing colors, such as pale blue and green, improve your mood and reduce stress. Think of how calm you are in nature and the colors you see.

You don’t have to repaint your home—adding splashes of soothing colors can be very helpful. For example, buy some blue pillows or green curtains, or find an art print of a relaxing scene. Bright artwork can cheer you up not only by its colors, but also by its design. If you work from home, perhaps a blue mouse or purple post-its will help your mood.

Relaxing music.

Sound affects us to our core, and our moods reflect the vibration of the music. If you don’t care for a particular type of music, your mood will change for the worse if you hear it, and then if you hear music you love, your mood will improve—and both changes happen very quickly.

To relax and soothe yourself, try listening to yoga music or to an instrumental radio or satellite TV station. Classical music can be intense for some, yet soothing for others.

Living things.

Watching living things move and grow is incredibly soothing and relaxing. If you don’t have a pet, perhaps now is the time to adopt one. Stroking a cat or a dog reduces blood pressure and increases endorphins. Watching fish is so relaxing that you may find yourself mesmerized.

If you’d rather not have a pet, surround yourself with live plants. Not only will they clean the air in your home, but they’ll also give you a touch of nature and a splash of color. Good choices are ferns, bamboo palms, spider plants, and African violets.

How do you create a soothing environment?

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Your Questions about DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction Answered

January 27, 2012 by

The below questions are answered by Charleston breast surgeon, Dr. Richard M. Kline, Jr. of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction:

What are the most common reasons a diep flap will fail?

Specifics may vary from case to case and practice to practice, but all failures involve interruption of the blood supply. This can be caused from a clot forming at the arterial or venous anastomosis, or from a conformational change in the blood vessel which produces “kinking” and subsequent interruption of blood supply. Most surgical teams experience dramatically lower failure rates as their experience expands, and it can get very difficult to determine precise reasons for failure (and ways to prevent it) when failure is a very rare event, i.e., success rates of 98-99%, which is typical for experienced surgeons. The best teams will nonetheless strive, whenever they have a failure, to find some “take home message” which they can use to hopefully further minimize their failure rate.

If you had a failure with Diep on one side does that increase your chances of failing again if another flap procedure were done in the future?

In our experience, no, although in a large enough series it may. We have always been able to use the internal mammary vessels, supplied through collaterals, to successfully supply blood to a second flap after an initial flap failed. Generally speaking, the collateral supply to the internal mammary from one intercostal artery is probably sufficient to supply a new flap. I do think that it is advisable, however, to wait at least 3 months following an initial flap failure before attempting a second flap, as this gives time for tissue edema to resolve, and serum protein levels to return to normal.

My Diep Flap failed on one side. I wound up with a silicone implant on the right side, and it is not healing quickly. What should I be watching for ?

That depends on what you mean by “not healing quickly.” If you have an unhealed wound, then something is really wrong, and you should see your surgeon. If it simply hurts or “doesn’t feel right,” then it may improve with time, or you may be developing capsular contracture (a common problem with implants), which may not go away. If you still want a flap, you may well still be able to have one from your buttock or elsewhere.

Do you have a question for the Charleston breast surgeons at The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction? We’d love to hear from you.



 

Filed Under: Ask the Doctor Tagged With: , , , , , ,

5 Ways to Reduce Sudden Anxiety

January 25, 2012 by

Sudden anxiety can be frightening and challenging to deal with, and if you’ve ever had it happen, it’s something you hope never to repeat. Following are five ways to deal with a moment of sudden anxiety.

Don’t squelch the first twinges of anxiety, but try to identify their source.

If you feel severe or sudden anxiety begin, you’ll be tempted to ignore the feelings and keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t try to ignore or resist the feelings, but step into them. The moment the anxiety begins, ask yourself what’s happening, and see if you can identify what’s causing the sudden anxiety. If you can, fix the immediate problem; if not, get away from what you’re doing and find a quiet place until the anxiety goes away.

The sooner you can identify and remedy the immediate problem, the faster the anxiety will fade.

Breathe.

Many people tend to hold their breath when they have sudden anxiety, which makes the problem worse. Take a deep, cleansing breath in through your nose—you should feel your abdomen expand—and blow it out forcefully and completely through the mouth. Keep on deep breathing, and you’ll feel your anxiety lessen.

Let the anxiety wash over you.

If the first twinges develop into a full-blown bout of anxiety, let it happen. When you can accept the anxiety, it will go away much faster than if you try to fight it. Think of it as a rush of water that will envelop you for a moment and then fade away.

Don’t leap to conclusions.

Often, people having sudden anxiety let their minds wander and imagine all kinds of possible scenarios. They may think about someone dying, or losing everything they have, which of course increases the anxiety. Clear your mind, as much as you can, and don’t let your thoughts move to places or circumstances that frighten you.

Remember that it’s not forever.

Anxiety passes on its own, but you need to make sure you don’t cause yourself greater harm. Relax as much as you can. That is easier said than done, and if you have frequent anxiety, practicing these steps will become second nature over time.

Do you have any tips for dealing with sudden anxiety?

 

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

3 Trending Gym Classes that Will Get You Excited and Toned

January 23, 2012 by

If you enjoy getting out of the house to exercise, you may want to try one of these trendy gym classes.

Zumba

Created by Beto Perez of Colombia, Zumba is a high-energy dance program that gives you amazing fitness benefits. One day, Beto forgot the music for an aerobics class he was teaching, so he improvised with his own music—and Zumba was born. Today, you can choose from Zumba dance, Zumba toning, Zumbatomic for kids, Zumba in the Circuit, and Aqua Zumba classes. You can also purchase DVDs and dance at home.

Exhilarating and fun, Zumba burns hundreds of calories an hour, tones and tightens the body, and makes you feel like you’re at a party.

Pure Barre

Pure Barre’s website claims it to be the fastest, most effective way to change the shape of your body by using small isometric movements while standing at the ballet barre. Pure Barre clients typically see results within a few weeks.

Dancer and choreographer Carrie Rezabek Dorr created Pure Barre 10 years ago to help women and men achieve a strong, lean body. The Pure Barre technique does not involve any high-impact jumping and requires intense focus to do properly, much as yoga and meditation do. The exercises work the abdominals and lower body. Classes are small, and the exercises move along swiftly, driven by the music.

Spinning

The ideal way for bicyclists to stay in shape in the off-season, spinning is indoor cycling that anyone can do. It’s adaptable to every level of fitness and experience. Most spinners burn about 500 calories per class, and spinning differs from simply riding an indoor bike in the energy and enthusiasm of the instructor, the support from the group, and the motivating music.

According to the website, spinning has five core movements. Seated flat builds your stamina, seated climb works your lower body, and standing flat helps improve core strength.  The standing climb defines leg muscles, and jumps help you become more coordinated.

Have you tried any of these gym workouts?

 

 

Filed Under: Health and Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Charleston Breast Surgeon Answers Your Implant and Insurance Questions

January 6, 2012 by

charleston breast surgeonsThe below questions are answered by Dr. James Craigie of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction

Should a woman have an MRI follow up every two years after implants to check on things? I’ve been told this.

Let’s go to the source of that information for the best answer . . .

This is from the product insert data sheet included with Mentor Corporation Memory Gel Implants . . .

“Rupture of a silicone gel-filled breast implant is most often silent (i.e., there are no symptoms experienced by the patient and no physical sign of changes with the implant) rather than symptomatic.  Therefore, you should advise your patient that she will need to have regular MRIs over her lifetime to screen for silent rupture even if she is having no problems. The first MRI should be performed at 3 years postoperatively, then every 2 years, thereafter. The importance of these MRI evaluations should be emphasized. If rupture is noted on MRI, then you should advise your patient to have her implant removed. You should provide her with a list of MRI facilities in her area that have at least a 1.5 Tesla magnet, a dedicated breast coil, and a radiologist experienced with breast implant MRI films for signs of rupture.”

You can read the entire product insert data sheet here: http://www.mentorwwllc.com/Documents/gel-PIDS.pdf

Does insurance generally cover redoing of nipples and tattooing?  I’m not completely satisfied with the result of my nipple reconstruction procedure.

Great question . . . Let’s address the insurance portion first. If your health insurance covers mastectomy, it must cover reconstruction throughout all phases. There are some that do not have to abide by this rule, (WHCRA 1998) but they are few and far between. Some may limit the number of times you can undergo a procedure at their expense. The best way to assure they will pay for your procedure is to call the insurance company each time and make sure you have benefits available for the procedure you desire.

Nipple reconstructions can deteriorate over time. Those that seem a little too prominent at first tend to flatten out after a while and may no longer project enough to suit a patient.  Tattoos fade, especially when applied to skin that has a large amount of scar. This being said, repeat nipple reconstructions are a quick procedure routinely performed with local anesthesia and it’s not unusual to require a touch up tattoo.

—James E. Craigie, M.D.

Filed Under: Ask the Doctor Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

How One Woman Discovered the Positive Outcomes of Reconstruction Surgery and Cancer

November 30, 2011 by

Today’s In Her Words post comes to us from a past patient of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction, Jakki Grimball. Jakki is a breast cancer survivor who lived in Columbia, SC and traveled to Charleston to receive her DIEP reconstructive surgery. Today, her and her husband live in Charleston where her husband is the director of The Neighborhood House, an organization providing services for people in need, including food pantry, soup kitchen, emergency assistance, sewing classes, resume writing, and more.

See below for our interview with Jakki:

What type of reconstruction surgery did you have and how do you feel about the results?

I had the DIEP flap procedure done October 2007 by Dr. Craigie. The outcome far outweighs the surgery and recovery time. I am very pleased with the results and having a tummy tuck as an added benefit!

Would you make the same decision again if you could go back?

I would definitely make the same decision. I had a friend who had implants and she now wishes she had done the DIEP flap procedure. She’s had several complications. Of course, I believe I had the best plastic surgeon in South Carolina perform my surgery.

What advice would you give to women who have undergone a mastectomy or double mastectomy and are unsure about natural breast reconstruction?

I would and have advised women to have the DIEP flap surgery. It is far better to have natural breast reconstruction than to have a foreign substance placed in the body. I realize advances have been made in breast implants and there are fewer adverse effects; however, I believe that using my own tissue left little opportunity for infections and other complications. I have never regretted having the surgery or choosing Dr. Craigie as my surgeon.

In what ways has breast cancer both negatively and positively affected your life?

The only negative affect breast cancer had in my life was the mastectomy and the chemotherapy. I firmly believe God has a purpose for everything and having breast cancer made me more aware of how fragile life can be. Breast cancer brought my family and friends closer and I hate to say it, but it weeded out those who were truly not my friends. I found out I had breast cancer three days before my wedding and I gave my fiancé the chance to cancel the wedding. He told me he would marry me at my bedside if necessary. So the diagnosis also brought us closer together. I now cherish every moment and I don’t sweat the small stuff (sometimes not even the big stuff).

You and your husband recently relocated from Columbia, SC to Charleston, SC where your husband is the Executive Director of Neighborhood House. Tell us a little bit about this non-profit organization and how it helps the community.

Click here to view a document from The Neighborhood House, outlining their mission and daily services to the community.

Share this post with your friends on Twitter.

Filed Under: In Her Words Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Breast Reconstruction Surgeons Answer Your Questions About Reconstructive Surgery

September 9, 2011 by

reconstruction optionsThe question below is answered by Charleston breast surgeons Dr. James Craigie and Dr. Richard M. Kline, Jr., of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction.

What is the difference between breast reconstruction and augmentation?

Breast augmentation is when you increase the size of a normal healthy breast, almost always with saline or silicone gel implants.

Breast reconstruction is restoring the form of a breast that has been damaged, partially removed, or completely removed. Breast reconstruction is almost always done after treatment for breast cancer, although there are some birth defects that can result in the need for breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction can be performed with implants (the same ones used for breast augmentation), or with the body’s own excess tissue (usually from the abdomen or buttocks), thus avoiding the need to place foreign objects in the body.

What are the pros and cons of a DIEP versus a TRAM flap reconstruction?

The primary advantage of DIEP flaps over TRAM flaps is a far greater potential for preservation of rectus abdominus muscle function, since no muscle is removed with a DIEP, yet one or both rectus muscles is obligatorily completely sacrificed with every TRAM flap. Additionally, since the muscle does not need to be tunneled under the skin to reach the breast area with a DIEP, the shape of the inferior region of the breast can be better defined.

The primary advantage of the TRAM flap over the DIEP flap is that it can be done by one surgeon who does not have the skills or equipment (microscope and special instrumentation) to perform a DIEP flap. While TRAM flaps can sometimes be performed more quickly than DIEP flaps, this is not always the case, and is very dependent upon the skills and experience of the surgeon. In our practice, DIEP flaps are always performed with two fully-trained perforator flap surgeons present, which we believe contributes greatly to the success and timely completion of the surgeries.

Why don’t more plastic surgeons offer the DIEP procedure?

When the DIEP flap was originally presented by Dr. Robert Allen in the 1990s, it was frequently criticized as being too difficult for many surgeons to learn to perform easily. While many more surgeons now offer the DIEP flap, it is still more technically demanding for the surgeon than many other procedures, and can be quite difficult to learn without spending significant time with another surgeon who has considerable experience with the operation.

Do you have a question for the breast surgeons of The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Click here to ask us!

Filed Under: Ask the Doctor Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How One Entrepreneur Didn’t Let Breast Cancer Get In The Way of Her Success

July 25, 2011 by

Leslie with her girls.

When Grill Charms™ creator, Leslie Haywood, agreed to participate in a guest interview for our blog we were ecstatic to share her story with our blog readers. We KNOW you are going to love her story.

We’ve known Leslie Haywood for over a year now and, to date, she has been one of our favorite patients! When Leslie was diagnosed with breast cancer, she came to the team at The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction to receive a breast reconstruction procedure from Dr. Craigie. And something sort of funny happened. She made her first Grill Charms™ sale topless in the doctor’s office! But I won’t spoil the story for you (and there’s even a SPECIAL OFFER, just for you, our blog readers, at the end of this blog post!).

Read below for Part I of our exclusive interview with Leslie:

1. You are truly an inspiration to women who have been affected by breast cancer! You started your own company, Grill Charms™, and had mommy responsibilities, all while you were undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Tell us how you managed to stay positive and what inspired you to keep moving forward with your business during this difficult time.

Yes, two months into starting my company I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I can’t say it was much of a surprise. My first introduction to breast cancer was 1989 when at the tender age of 16 my 30-something-year-old parents told us that my mother had breast cancer. By the time they caught it, she was stage IV and the doctors told her she had 6 months to live.

In the months that followed,  my parents along with their best friends stayed up nights and weekends trying to figure out how my father, who was a master chief on nuclear submarines in the Navy, and only home 6 months out of the year was going to raise his 10, 12 and 16 year- old daughters alone. I had been living with the reality that there was a high probably that someday; I too might be facing this disease. The fact that it happened shortly after I started on my quest to conquer the world one cookout at a time, was a bit of a nuance however!

It wasn’t long when the sentinel node biopsy showed that THIS cancer would not kill me. We knew early on that I would not have to make plans for my daughters’ lives without a mother. I think it was during this time that people started thinking I was in denial. Here I was, diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34 with 1 and 3 year old daughters, a brand new company and yet I was truly the happiest women on earth. “You mean to tell me doctor, that I have breast cancer and you didn’t give me an expiration date??!?!”

Non terminal breast cancer . . . what a precious, precious gift I was given! Now that it is all said and done, I’ve got two brand new pieces / parts (and let’s face it . . .  after nursing two babies, they weren’t much to write home about anyway), a bonus tuck (THANK YOU DR. CRAIGIE!) and most importantly . . . I get to live. I always viewed them as a pair of B-sized ticking time bombs anyways, so good riddance. There was certainly no time to dwell on THAT, I had steaks to save and taste buds to rescue! By the way . . . about my mom . . . the doctors underestimated her… my mother is still here, 23 years cancer free!

2. Grill Charms™ are adorable and perfect for individuals who love to host outdoor parties. What are Grill Charms and how do they work?

Why thank you! Grill Charms™ offers an entirely new concept in outdoor entertaining. They are dime-sized solid stainless steel charms that are placed in your food BEFORE grilling. The serrated stems hold them in securely while flipping, moving, and grilling food like you normally do. Grill Charms™ are you use in food prior to cooking to distinguish spices and flavors, steak temperatures, or to avoid health or allergy issues. Grill Charms™ identifies your food before, during, and after grilling so when dinner comes off the grill, simply look for your Grill Charm™, and everyone knows which one is theirs. With four collections for different purposes, they are the perfect gift for Father’s Day, birthdays, groomsmen, Valentine’s Day, other holidays, and housewarming or hostess gifts—you name it!

3. You started a Pink Collection of Grill Charms™, which we absolutely love! Tell us about these charms and where the proceeds go.

For a truly unique grilling and dining experience, The Pink Collection has six different charms so food can be personalized prior to grilling to distinguish spices and flavors, to avoid health, or allergy concerns or for any reason you can dream up! There is a hot new party trend with this collection, and that is the “Season Your Own” cook-out. This is where the host provides the meat, the guests pick their Grill Charm™, then choose from a variety of sauces or rubs that the host has set out. Guests flavor their meat any way they wish and nobody, including the grill master, needs to know or care how it’s seasoned.

 

The Pink Collection

The Pink Collection of Grill Charms™

When the food is served off the grill, folks simply look for their Grill Charm™. With people watching every penny, it’s more important than ever that when they splurge on buying that filet, or carefully choose that chicken breast to spend their hard-earned money on, that it’s cooked and seasoned exactly the way they want it.  And with The Pink Collection, I donate 10% of the proceeds to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, as well as my local Komen Foundation.

This collection also helps with health or allergy issues. With Grill Charms™, if someone has a specific health or dietary need (such as needing a no-sodium, low-sugar, or possibly a gluten-free spice alternative), Grill Charms™ makes it easy for people to identify their food before, during, and after grilling, without any confusion or effort on the part of the grill master.

About Leslie Haywood and Grill Charms™:

Leslie Haywood is founder and President of Charmed Life Products, LLC, and inventor of Grill Charms™. Leslie was a stay-at-home mom when a very spicy light bulb moment thrust her into the entrepreneurial ring. During the start up phase of her company, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but still managed to launch her product on store shelves within 18 months and is now sold in over 400 stores internationally. She has been featured numerous times on CNBC, various local and regional news programs, as well as ABC’s prime time reality TV show Shark Tank seasons I and II. Her story and product have publicized in such magazines as Everyday with Rachael Ray, Parenting magazine, Health magazine, Inventors Digest, and was also featured on The Today Show. All the while she is mindful of “the cause,” whether it’s giving back through “The Pink Collection” of her gift and grilling accessory Grill Charms™, or her work as Honorary Chair for The Race for the Cure .

Leslie’s Special Offer:

***Put “natural” in the coupon code of www.grillcharms.com for 10% off!***

Filed Under: In Her Words Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »