Medical interventions for breast cancer can alter your breasts, we are here restore them and support you.
Your plan for your breast reconstruction is one that will depend on the reconstructive approach determined in consultation with your surgical team. After your intial consultation, you will leave with a plan for reconstruction and will have dedicated care coordinator. Care coordinators coordinate your care, ensuring that you have access to aligned providers and don't need to worry about anything but taking care of yourself.
Financial Information
We are in network with most major insurances and many HMOs. You can check our network status with your insurance company.
We are happy to provide an estimate of benefits to you so you know what to expect in terms of your financial responsibility.
What are the common reason women choose breast reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction is a personal decision. Our patients report that they have selected breast reconstruction for the following reasons:
What are alternatives to breast reconstruction?
Breast reconstruction is elective surgey. Instead of reconstruction, woman may choose to wear breast forms worn inside the bra or attached to the body. Other women simplu choose to just have a flat chest.
Can mastectomy and breast reconstruction be done at the same time?
Yes, immediate breast reconstruction is an option for some patients. This “one step” reconstruction is a popular option. However, it is important to note that the term “one step” is often misleading. Patients should have reasonable expectations about the possible need for balancing procedures and contour corrections down the road to further correct the appearance of the reconstructed breasts.
Some hospital advertise “one stop” shopping approach to breast reconstruction? How are you different?
We specialize in plastic surgery and our focus is on reconstructive breast surgery. One stop shopping is great for some things. We just don’t think it makes a lot of sense in terms of breast cancer reconstruction. It is simply not a field where one size fits all. Some things are not worth traveling far for and other things are totally worth the trip. We’re able to have that conversation and to work with you so the process makes sense. We’ll put together a rockstar team for you and coordinate your care. We like our pool of providers to be large and from multiple institutions because you deserve to have every member of your team to be handpicked specifically for you.
Women who have surgery as part of their breast cancer treatment, including prophylactic removal of breast tissue, may choose breast reconstruction surgery. The goal of breast reconstruction is to rebuild the shape and look of your breast. Breast cancer treatments must be a team approach and our care coordinators are with you for every step of the journey.
At JW Plastic Surgery, we are building a breast cancer reconstruction center. This Center bring plastic surgeons together as a reconstructive team. The fact is that breast reconstruction is an entire field in plastic surgery. You may need multiple surgeries to restore your breasts and many times different structures or techniques are required. Some surgeons are strong at microsurgery flap reconstructions while others may have special interest in fat grafting or nipple reconstruction. Instead of simply getting one surgeon to address all of the reconstructive needs, we put together a team where each plastic surgeon focuses on their area of expertise.
Additionally, through our Breast Reconstruction Center you get access to multiple medical centers and the combined resources of them. We are on staff at 10 hospitals and multiple medical centers so you get access to aligned providers across institutions. While we are on staff at major medical centers, your choice of an independent provider with a large cosmetic surgery practice, you get a different approach to breast reconstruction and patient care. We are focused on the anesthetics of breast reconstruction and our reconstructive surgeons spend a large part of their time focusing on cosmetic breast in additional to breast reconstruction. We hope that you find our environment and approach to care more customer service oriented and laser focused on your specific needs. You, not a hospital administrators, are the only people we are serving in our practice.
Implant reconstructions with tissue expanders uses saline filled expanders to create a soft pocket to contain a permanent breast implant. The tissue expander is temporary device that is placed on the chest wall deep to the pectoralis major muscle. The creation of the pocket happens when after the surgery expansion is done using the device during an in-office procedure every few weeks over the course of a few months. Once a sufficient pocket is created, the implant is placed. After this set of surgeries, nipple reconstruction usually follows if required.
Direct to implant reconstruction is another types of reconstruction where the implant is placed immediately after a mastectomy. This "single-stage" reconstruction skips the tissue expander and subsequent expansion process. This option may be good for patients who have adequate skin coverage after mastectomy. Patients who have been radiated or have tissue quality issues may not be good candidates for this procedure. Additionally, patients without a good option for a skin flap may find this to be a good approach.
This approach to reconstruction uses the patient's own tissue to create a newly reconstructed breast. Tissue is harvested from one area of the body and that tissue is transferred to the chest. The use of the patient's own tissue usually leads to a more natural result. There are a variety of types of skin flaps are harvest locations possible that the best approach is discussed during the initial consulation.
The combination approach using skin flap tissue appraoch inconjunction with a breast implant for reconstruction.
The creation of the nipple and areola is the final stage of breast reconstruction. The nipple mound is created from skin taken as a local flap on the reconstructed breast. There are variety of flaps that can be used for nipple reoconstructions.
Flap revisions are also the final stages of breast reconstruction where your surgeon will focus on correcting contour abnormalities and address any issues with the breast mounds aesthetic appearance. Revisions need to occur after swelling and healing is complete so that the surgeon is working without swelling obscuring the field. Fat transfers to fill defects and other techniques are often used at this point.
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