Innovative Technique Helps Conserve Breasts After Cancer
Innovative Technique Helps Conserve Breasts After Cancer
March 29, 2007 -
An innovative procedure known as oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery combines two medical disciplines-breast cancer surgery and breast reconstructive surgery-to help women with breast cancer avoid the ravages of mastectomy.
Although the procedure has been around for years, it is just now beginning to gain popularity in the United States-largely because of recent advances in reconstruction and conserving surgeries as well as in radiation therapy.
Traditional breast conserving procedures tend to focus solely on removing the cancerous tumor and often result in an undesirable cosmetic result, which may later be rectified through reconstructive plastic surgery.
However, oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery has a dual focus: eliminating the cancer and achieving an optimal aesthetic result.
For this type of procedure, plastic and breast cancer surgeons work together to remove the cancerous tissue and immediately reconstruct and reshape the breast using the patient’s own tissue.
Breast cancer surgeons are typically faced with two conflicting issues. Their primary goal is to remove as much tissue as possible for effective cancer control, while at the same time trying to preserve breast tissue to prevent a poor aesthetic outcome, said plastic surgeon Dr. Albert Losken.
By working together as a team, we are able to address these issues simultaneously maximizing both the cancer and cosmetic outcomes, he said.
Considering breast surgery? Please contact us today to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon near you.
