Disturbing Diagnosis, Positive Outcome

It’s the medical result everyone dreads. A potentially deadly disease has invaded your body, or maybe it’s your mother, sister or beloved friend who has just received the bad news. When you learn about breast cancer, it can set you back in so many ways; physically, emotionally and psychologically. Even with the best support network, the news that you may need a mastectomy is virtually impossible to describe.

However, in many situations, there can be a positive outcome to the bad news, especially if you have a medical team fighting the disease and there to re-build what was surgically taken away.

By David Lickstein, MD
and Beverly Brooks
The Plastic Surgery Channel

 The surgical techniques used during a one step mastectomy are stellar. The one step mastectomy (having breasts removed and implants inserted at the same time) can produce stunning results.

Talk about getting your confidence back.

“We’re able to put an implant in at the time of the mastectomy,” says Dr. Lickstein. “Our patients open their eyes after surgery and know the reconstruction is completed, with the added bonus of beautiful breasts.”

“In the right cases, these results are better than the woman’s appearance before mastectomy.”

Gummy Bear Implants and More!

There are numerous surgical options available to recreate the breasts, including single-stage breast reconstruction and flap repair. Dr. David Lickstein was one of the first plastic surgeons regionally to use Allergan’s new “gummy bear” implant as part of a single-stage reconstruction and become a key opinion leader on the procedure. Each individual’s unique circumstances and goals will determine which approach can provide the greatest opportunity for success.

One of the most common requests heard by Dr. Lickstein is a woman’s desire to regain a sense of wholeness after a mastectomy or lumpectomy. While breast reconstruction is not a simple procedure,  both aesthetic and functional qualities are designed to achieve beautiful, symmetrical, and enduring results with the potential to not only uplift but empower you.

Saving the Nipple

At Pinsky & Lickstein Plastic Surgery, a number of procedures are offered that can rebuild the breasts using healthy body tissue, fat grafting, breast implants, or a combination of treatments. By utilizing advanced surgical techniques and innovative technologies, we can help restore the breasts with some of the most natural-looking results possible. And yes, in some cases, that can mean saving the nipple. In a nipple-sparing mastectomy or areola-sparing mastectomy, the nipple and/or areola are left in place while the breast tissue under them is removed.

Consultation

The consultation offers the potential patient an opportunity to ask a lot of questions.  Are they board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery? How many years of experience do they have performing a single stage mastectomy? And last, look at pictures of patients who have had the same surgery.