Race for the girls: Susan G. Komen race for a cure

Mark your calendars for September 26.  All of us have been touched by breast cancer.  For me, my inspiration is my grandmother Rose, who was diagnosed at age 50.  She died at age 93.  I see women on all sides of breast cancer.  I am proud to race for the cure.
The 20th Anniversary Komen San

Read More…

why do doctors not take insurance plans?

You are not the only one who finds medical insurance difficult.
I have been around medicine my whole life.  My father was a plastic surgeon as well.  Back in his day 30 years ago when a patient had insurance, he billed insurance for x amount, and they paid x amount.
What a concept.
When I started my practice

Read More…

Anatomic “shaped” implants and rotation

First, let me say I, like the majority of my colleagues who do a lot of breast implants, primarily use round smooth implants. 
Anatomic implants have been talked about a lot recently at our meetings.  The style 410 gummy bear implant is not available in the US.  Even when it does become available (which I have

Read More…

Breast cancer reconstruction using acellular dermal matrix- Higher complications?

Breast cancer sucks.  I love to do reconstruction.  I think the true goal of reconstruction is so you can forget.  You get up, get dressed, go through your whole day and you don’t think “I am a breast cancer patient.”
Tissue expander and implant reconstruction is the most common reconstruction done.  A big issue, particularly for

Read More…

Implants and breast cancer detection

Cancer screening is a big deal for women.  Breast cancer rates are high.  It seems all of us are touched directly by breast cancer.  So when you do surgery on the breast, the effect surgery has on your ability to see a cancer is important.
A new study in the May 1, 2010 issue of the

Read More…

Nadia’s Gift, Breast Cancer, and me

Nadia Van Camp is an amazing woman.
I just found out today she lost her battle with breast cancer.   I went to her 50th birthday party last year.  Yes, 50th. I want to cry.  She was one of those women who brightened the room when she came in.  Even in the face of recurrence and brain mets and

Read More…

Vitamins and Healing: Vitamin A, E, & C

Vitamins.
They are good for you.  Is more better? What happens when you take more? Do you pee it out? Or does it help you heal better?
When looking into this, I went to the scientific articles, not the press.  I do take things with a grain of salt: all scientific papers are not equal.  Was it

Read More…