Dignity Health and UCSF Health Reach Definitive Agreement
More than 200,000 adults will be diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Fortunately, with early detection and treatment, more women and men are surviving breast cancer than ever before.
Mastectomy may be recommended for individuals diagnosed with breast cancer or persons who are at high-risk for developing breast cancer. Today, mastectomy is much less invasive and many times breast skin, nipple, and areola can be spared so a more natural look can be achieved when a breast is reconstructed.
Lumpectomy preserves the breast’s exterior and shape, while removing cancerous tissue along with a thin margin of healthy tissue to help ensure cancer eradication.
Lymph node dissection, performed during lumpectomy or mastectomy, primary breast lymph nodes located in the armpit area are dissected and biopsied to see if cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Breast biopsy is performed by removing of a small amount of breast tissue to gain information on a breast abnormality seen on mammography or other breast imaging technique.
Breast reconstruction can be done at different times, depending on what works best for each patient’s situation. Our goal is to achieve the most natural results that look as normal as your original breast.
Immediate Reconstruction - While a patient is in the operating room receiving surgical treatment for breast cancer, the breast plastic surgeon performs reconstructive breast surgery using tissue obtained from another part of the body (flap) (a)bdomen or inner thigh or with an implant. The majority of breast reconstruction surgery is completed in one operation so patients wake up with a rebuilt natural looking breast.
Delayed Reconstruction - May times cancer therapy (radiation or chemotherapy) can cause undesirable changes to a reconstructed breast. When post-surgical (mastectomy) or lumpectomy therapy is required to ensure cancer has been eradicated, reconstruction surgery is usually delayed for the best possible results. Reconstruction can be completed months or even years later.
Staged Reconstruction (delayed-immediate reconstruction) - To preserve the breast area for future reconstructive surgery, a tissue expander or breast implant is inserted under the chest muscle and preserved breast skin after mastectomy temporarily to preserve the breast’s shape and skin during therapy. Once radiation and/or chemotherapy is completed and the tissues have recovered, the expander or implant is removed and the breast is reconstructed.
Discuss your breast reconstruction options with your oncology team, then use our Find A Doctor tool to find the doctor that is right for you.
