July 2010

There remains the question of immediate reconstruction (at the same time of the mastectomy, and at the same surgery) versus delayed reconstruction (breast reconstruction performed after the mastectomy, which can be weeks to months following the initial mastecotmy)… This is an important discussion, as there are different viewpoints regarding the approaches… and a personal decision …

Planned radiation following mastectomy for treatment Read More »

Nipple Sparing Mastectomy 7/24/2010 (10:11:04am)Tags: mastectomy reconstruction nippleComments: (0) It seems obvious that one of the more difficult parts of breast reconstruction is creating a new and natural-looking nipple and arerola. Women sometimes wonder about the possibility of a mastectomy that spares the nipple. Here is a brief interview, from MedScape, with Dr. Lisa Newman …

Nipple Sparing Mastectomy Read More »

It can be very hard to identify the best web resources about breast cancer. One very fine organization and website is Living Beyond Breast Cancer: www.lbbc.org They have the best printed materials of any organization that I know. Additionally, they sponsor many educational programs, both “live/in person” and teleconferences. Here is information about a July …

Free Teleconference re Breast Reconstruction Read More »

I saw a patient of mine who had had 9 implant replacement procedures at another hospital who continued to have discomfort from the implant. I usually tell patients that Implant based reconstruction, while it certainly offers potentially a quicker upfront recovery potentially, may involve several implant exchanges or revision procedures in the future related to …

breast reconstruction and implants Read More »

As with a number of patients, chemotherapy can be a necessary part of the treatment process, as well as hormonal therapy. Usually, at the conclusion of chemotherapy, if one is in the process of breast reconstruction, we usually will wait at least one month for any staged procedure as part of breast reconstruction… The one …

Chemotherapy and timing of breast reconstructive surgery Read More »

I was very pleased to be invited by Dr. Lin to occasionally contribute to this blog. I have been an oncology social worker at BIDMC for more than thirty years and work primarily with women who have breast cancer. In addition to my professional interest, I have a strong personal one as I have been …

The Final Stage: Nipples and Tattoos Read More »