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Breast Cancer

Learn more about Atlanta breast surgery from Board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Franklyn Elliott with Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C.

What Are the Stages of Breast Reconstruction Surgery?

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Needless to say, being diagnosed with breast cancer can be incredibly frightening, stressful, and challenging for women. The prospect of losing a breast (or breasts) to mastectomy surgery, or even losing part of the affected breasts due to a lumpectomy or radiation treatment, can only compound the anxiety. This is why I am proud to perform breast reconstruction surgery for women who wish to restore their breasts after breast cancer surgery or treatment.

Due to the complex nature of this procedure, I receive many questions from prospective patients about breast reconstruction and how it is performed. That’s why I wanted to take some time to outline the stages of breast reconstruction. Depending on the patient’s situation or preference, there are different breast reconstruction options available including using their own tissue (autologous breast reconstruction) or a tissue expander with breast implants. The reconstruction procedure can even sometimes begin immediately after a mastectomy has been completed.

In the following video, I present a visual guide to the different stages of breast reconstruction to help prospective patients gain a better understanding of what they can expect from this procedure:

After many years of performing breast reconstruction procedures, I have seen firsthand that every patient is different. That’s why it’s so important to find a skilled, experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon who will present all of your available options in a clear way to help you understand your best path towards restoring your breasts. For more information on breast reconstruction or to schedule a consultation, please contact me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. You can also follow along with us on Facebook and Twitter to see before and after photos, plastic surgery tips, news, and more.

What Will My Breast Look Like After a Lumpectomy?

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A lumpectomy procedure is designed to help women with breast cancer remove cancerous or other abnormal tissue from the breast. Unlike a mastectomy, a lumpectomy is considered breast-conserving surgery since only a portion of the affected breast is removed. While it may be considerably less invasive than a mastectomy, lumpectomy surgery comes with its own aesthetic factors to consider for prospective patients. Chief among them is what the breast will look like following their surgery.

Every woman is different. The final results of a lumpectomy depend on a series of factors that are unique to every individual patient including the size of their breast, the volume of tissue that is removed, and more. For instance, smaller breasts may be more susceptible to indentations that may affect the look of the breast after a lumpectomy. Additionally, for women who undergo radiation treatments after their lumpectomy, there is a chance that their treatment can lead to denting in the breast. While these effects can occur after a lumpectomy, most patients are extremely satisfied with the final results of their procedure in my experience.

Additionally, breast reconstruction surgery can be performed to fully restore the breast if needed after a lumpectomy. Check out the video below where I discuss in more detail what patients can expect following their lumpectomy procedure:

I hope you found this information helpful and reassuring. In addition to everything else on their plate, women with breast cancer shouldn’t have to worry about how their breasts will look following a lumpectomy. For more information or to speak in-depth about your options, contact me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, to schedule a plastic surgery consultation. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter for additional plastic surgery tips, news, and more.

Textured Breast Implants & Lymphoma: What You Need to Know

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Textured Breast Implants & Lymphoma What You Need to KnowThere has been some recent news about the connection between breast implants, specifically textured breast implants, and developing lymphoma. Any time something as serious as cancer is mentioned, it’s understandable for patients to be concerned. As a board-certified plastic surgeon for over 30 years, I have always felt that making prospective patients feel as informed as possible about cosmetic surgery and the potential risks of their respective procedure is an essential part of my duties. That’s why I wanted to take some time to set the record straight on this particular subject.

In 2011, officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that there was a possible connection between textured breast implants and a rare form of cancer known as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). FDA statistics indicated that of the millions of patients that have undergone breast augmentation surgery since the discovery of BIA-ALCL in 2011, at least 457 people have developed the disease and nine have died.

However, a joint statement released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) indicates that this worry may have been premature. A recent update from the FDA (in association with the World Health Organization) states that since BI-ALCL is a lymphoma, a cancer of immune cells, it is not a breast cancer or a cancer of the breast tissue. The overall takeaway from the FDA was that women with breast implants should not fear their implants impairing their health or causing breast cancer.

It’s important to remember that this news, and having breast implants in general, is not an excuse for women to forego their normal breast cancer precautions including annual screening appointments and regular self-exams. Be aware of any abnormal happenings in the breast area including swelling, irregular growths, fluid collection, or unexpected changes in breast shape and contact your plastic surgeon if you experience anything out of the ordinary.

Knowledge is a powerful tool for any prospective cosmetic surgery patient when it comes to having the best-possible plastic surgery experience. Hopefully reading this helped ease any potential concerns about this issue and reinforced the fact that when performed by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon, breast augmentation is still a very safe procedure. For more information on this topic or to schedule a plastic surgery consultation today, contact me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, at Atlanta Plastic Surgery. And follow me on Facebook and Twitter for even more breast cancer news, tips, and videos.

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