Procedures: Overview
Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction & Other Innovative Procedures
What is Microsurgery?
Microsurgery uses highly magnified microscopes and precision medical tools to repair tiny blood vessels and/or nerves. In the field of reconstructive surgery, microsurgical procedures are performed to repair the function and structure of areas of the body affected by injury, deformity, or illness.
Since its inception in the 1960s, microsurgery has been used to perform reconstructive procedures on many different parts of the body, and in the 1990s, these techniques were applied to breast reconstruction. This development allowed tissue from the abdomen to be moved to the chest, providing a natural-looking breast made from living tissue.
Today, innovation continues, and additional procedures are being developed to allow more women the opportunity to have natural breast reconstruction.
Our Procedures:
DIEP Flap
The DIEP flap, the most common type of natural breast reconstruction, uses tissue from the lower abdomen to reconstruct the breasts.
GAP Flap
GAP Flap reconstruction uses tissue from the buttock area. This procedure is an alternative to DIEP for women with minimal abdominal tissue.
PAP Flap
PAP Flap reconstruction uses the tissue of the upper thigh. For women with less abdominal tissue, this surgery may be an ideal option.
Innovative Procedures
Alternative procedures have been developed to reconstruct the breasts using tissue from other areas of the body.
ReSensation™
This innovative technique uses a nerve graft to restore sensation to the chest after mastectomy.
3D Nipple Tattooing
3-D nipple tattoos are uniquely designed by a professional tattoo artist to have the dimensional look of a real nipple.
Post-Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction Restores Your Body and Mind.
Sometimes mastectomies, reconstructive surgeries and implant based reconstruction simply don’t work as well as you hoped, nor as well as they should. Our surgeons are experts at repair work.
Using the various flap techniques, they can create full, natural looking breasts with tissue from your own body. Your own tissue can be used to give you a more natural and permanent result.
Approximately 1/3 of our patients have experienced past failed implant reconstruction and we “start over” without sacrificing any of your important muscles. Bonus: Your buttocks or tummy may look more aesthetically pleasing than you ever expected!
We want you to have all of the information you need to make smart, informed decisions, so we’re here to personally answer your questions.
Hundreds of Breast Reconstruction Q & A post can be found on our blog. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please submit your question below, and we’ll personally answer within 48 hours.