Breast Reconstruction Procedures
Breast reconstruction surgery is a personal journey, an intimate struggle that can mean regaining your selfhood and your identity. East Coast Advanced Plastic Surgery offers the latest techniques and innovations developed to honor where you have come from and keep the promise of where you are going. When it comes to your breast reconstruction surgery, you can rely on our experience to help you on your journey.
DIEP Flap Procedure
For women who need breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, we may recommend the DIEP flap procedure. Also known as the Deep Inferior Epigastric artery Perforator flap, this complex breast reconstruction procedure allows women to regain naturally shaped breasts. The tissue flap involved is transferred from the region between the belly button and the pelvis. The abdominal muscle wall is not affected during this procedure.
IGAP Flap Procedure
The IGAP (Inferior Gluteal Artery Perforator) flap procedure is another breast reconstruction option for women. It harvests the donor tissues from the lower buttock area.
LD Flap Procedure
The LD (Latissimus Dorsi) flap procedure is a breast reconstruction for women who cannot use their abdomen or buttocks as donor areas. The donor site for this procedure is on the back below the shoulder.
Nipple Areola Tattooing After Breast Reconstruction
Our internationally renowned tattoo artist Vinnie Myers has an unmatched level of experience in 3D nipple and areola tattooing for patients after breast reconstruction.
Nipple Reconstruction
Nipple reconstruction involves using a tissue flap to create a new nipple-areolar complex. It is often performed during breast reconstruction, but in some cases, it is performed after breast reconstruction.
Oncoplastic Reconstruction
For patients who need to undergo a lumpectomy and would like to combine it with either breast reduction or breast lift techniques, we recommend oncoplastic reconstruction. The defect left after a lumpectomy is naturally camouflaged through the use of this breast procedure.
Sensitized Flaps
The nerves may experience damage during a mastectomy. Sensitized breast reconstruction not only recreates a natural breast but also restores sensation in the breast.
SGAP Flap Procedure
The Superior Gluteal Artery Perforator (SGAP) flap is a breast reconstruction option that uses muscle tissues and blood vessels from the upper buttock area. This procedure does not damage the contours of the buttocks.
Tissue Expander Reconstruction
During breast reconstruction, implants, muscle, and/or fat will be used to help recreate the breasts. However, this is sometimes challenging because there is no natural pocket to accommodate these donor tissues or implants. We offer tissue expander reconstruction, which can be performed during mastectomy. An expanding device is gradually filled with saline to expand the chest tissues, helping to create a pocket.
TRAM Flap Procedure
The TRAM (Transverse Rectus Abdominus Myocutaneous) flap procedure uses abdominal muscle tissue for breast reconstruction. This is a popular breast reconstruction option for a lot of women.
TUG Flap Procedure
The TUG flap procedure (Transverse Upper Gracilis) uses the inner thigh muscles to recreate the breasts. This does not make the legs lose strength and is a popular breast reconstruction option.
Vascular Lymph Node Transfer
Some patients develop lymphedema due to breast cancer treatments. We use vascular lymph node transfer to solve this condition.
Your Consultation
During your consultation, we will perform a physical examination and evaluate your medical history. We will recommend several breast reconstruction options and allow you to choose the procedure you feel comfortable with. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the breast reconstruction process.
Schedule Your Consultation
If you are looking for breast reconstruction procedures in New Jersey, visit East Coast Advanced Plastic Surgery. Contact us today to arrange your consultation!
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Tissue Expander Reconstruction
Sometimes performed during the initial mastectomy, tissue expander procedures insert a small device into the muscle tissue of the chest. This device is essentially a balloon with a strategically located valve that allows surgeons to inject a saline solution into the expander. By slowly expanding the size of the device over the following weeks and months, a pocket can be created for the final breast implant with minimal discomfort.
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DIEP Flap Procedure
The possibilities and techniques for breast reconstruction following a mastectomy have expanded tremendously. And the DIEP flap procedure (Deep Inferior Epigastric artery Perforator Flap) is one of the most sophisticated breast reconstruction procedures performed today.
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Breast Reconstruction Before & After
ECAPS Center for Breast Reconstruction
SGAP Flap Procedure
During your SGAP procedure, your plastic surgeon will make an incision on your upper buttock area, just beneath your back, and generally in an area that will be hidden by your underwear. Tissue—including muscle tissue and blood vessels—will be removed from your upper buttock area and implanted into your chest area, usually into the pocket formed by a tissue expander.
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IGAP Flap Procedure
As with many breast reconstruction procedures that use donor material, IGAP flaps are differentiated by the location of the donor tissue. In this case, the donor tissue comes from the lower buttock area. In this regard, IGAP flap procedures are very similar to SGAP flap procedures, which take donor material from the top of the buttock area. In the end, the decision to pursue an IGAP or an SGAP flap procedure may stem from whether the upper or lower buttocks have more viable donor tissue.
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Testimonial
Review from I.G.
“Since the first time I met Dr. Cerio for a consultation, he made me feel completely at ease with regard to my breast cancer diagnosis. My initial consultation with Dr. Cerio was well over an hour. During the entire consultation he made me feel like I was his only patient. His calm voice, direct eye contact and compassion, was reassuring and comforting. I knew immediately that he was the surgeon for me. My post-surgery follow-up visits were amazing. Once again, his compassion toward me reaffirmed why I chose him. I'm very happy with my results and highly recommend [primary_practice]. His entire staff from the receptionist to the surgeons were extremely professional and courteous. God has angels on earth, Thank You Dr. Cerio!”
TUG Flap Procedure
The donor in a TUG Flap comes from the inner thigh—it’s a small muscle, used in normal function to help close the legs inward. It’s important to note that most patients do not experience any loss of strength in the legs, despite the removal of this muscle, which is one reason why TUG flap procedures are appealing for some women. However, because the donor muscle is a relatively small muscle, TUG flaps are only able to provide a modest amount of volume to the reconstructed breast.
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LD Flap Procedure
The muscle used for this procedure, located in the back, is generally responsible for lifting and twisting motions, so some women who have undergone LD Flap procedures do notice a slight decrease in the strength of those motions. However, due to the modest size of the donor area, LD Flap procedures may be best for women who are looking for a small or medium-sized breast.
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TRAM Flap Procedure
The TRAM flap procedure (Transverse Rectus Abdominus Myocutaneous) is a sophisticated type of breast reconstructive surgery. There are two types of TRAM flap procedures, both of which use skin and fatty issue from the abdominal region to create a natural looking breast.
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Nipple Reconstruction
Nipple reconstruction is often intended for women who have lost one or both nipples to a mastectomy or lumpectomy, and may be performed at the time of breast reconstruction, or as a follow-up procedure. Nipple reconstruction has also been used to benefit post-burn victims.
Vascular Lymph Node Transfer
Vascular lymph node transfer is a surgery to help cure lymphedema, a condition that can be caused by different treatments for breast cancer, namely axillary node dissections (removing lymph nodes from the armpit that may be cancerous) and radiation therapy (sometimes used to kill cancer cells in the armpit.)