Breast Reconstruction in New Jersey

If, due to mastectomy, injury, or an inherited physiological problem, you have lost a breast, you may be a good candidate for breast reconstruction. New Jersey women come to our practice for natural, artful breast reconstruction surgery to restore their feminine figures. The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction employs several distinct breast reconstruction methods including: tissue expansion, pedicled TRAM flap, latissimus flap, free TRAM flap, and DIEP flap. The breast reconstruction surgeons at our New Jersey practice are able to produce beautiful, natural results for women with a variety of different body types by selecting the surgical method that is best for each woman's own particular needs and aesthetic preferences.

Breast Reconstruction
Pedicled TRAM Flap
Free TRAM Flap
DIEP Flap
Tissue Expansion
Latissimus Flap

Breast Reconstruction

When performing breast reconstruction at our New Jersey surgical facility, our physicians employ a series of involved operations to rebuild the breast mound and recreate the nipple. The breast can be reconstructed using tissue expansion, the pedicled TRAM flap, the latissimus flap, the free TRAM flap, or the DIEP flap method. During your breast reconstruction consultation at our New Jersey practice, our doctors will discuss these options with you to determine which method will be most appropriate based on your needs and goals.

A number of our patients have formed a breast cancer and breast reconstruction support group that meets at our New Jersey office. Contact our plastic reconstructive surgery practice for more information about breast reconstruction and our patients' support group.

Pedicled TRAM Flap

Many women prefer natural reconstruction over breast implants. The pedicled TRAM (Transverse Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous) flap is one of the most common methods of breast reconstruction. Using this method, breast reconstruction surgeons are able to restore the natural appearance of the breast using a woman's own body tissues.

During a pedicled TRAM flap breast reconstruction procedure, donor tissue is taken from the abdominal skin and tunneled or surgically transplanted to the site of reconstruction.

The rectus muscle, still intact, is transported to serve as a circulatory pathway for the newly grafted breast tissue.

After reconstructive surgery of the areola and the nipple is complete the new breast tissue looks and feels like the patient's original breast.

The medical term "pedicle" refers to the part of a skin graft that remains attached to the original donor site. The pedicled TRAM flap method of breast reconstruction transfers the tissues of the lower abdomen along with the rectus muscle ("ab muscle") to the site where the new breast is to be constructed. Because the rectus muscle remains intact, it is able to provide blood flow to the skin and fat that composes the bulk of the flap. Patients receive the added benefit of removing the often unwanted tissues present in the lower abdomen (similar to a "tummy tuck"). The pedicled TRAM flap method of breast reconstruction restores a natural appearing breast without the need for implants.

The reconstruction of the areola and nipple takes place after some recovery time has passed. Although some scars are inevitable, they tend to become less noticeable over time. The completed breasts will look and feel completely natural. At our breast reconstruction practice in New Jersey, patients treated using the pedicled TRAM flap method have enjoyed superb success rates and a high level of satisfaction with the results of their surgery.

Free TRAM Flap Method

The Free TRAM flap breast reconstruction method offered at our New Jersey surgical practice is another method of breast reconstruction that does not require the use of implants.

After the newly crafted breast is in place, our skilled surgeons use microsurgery techniques to connect veins and arteries to the new breast tissue. Using the free TRAM flap breast reconstruction method, patients at our New Jersey practice suffer fewer healing complications. By taking special care to construct fully formed and functioning blood circulation pathways, the surgeons at the Institute of Advanced Reconstruction ensure that the newly transplanted tissue will remain healthy and heal smoothly.

Using the free TRAM flap breast reconstruction method, our surgeons are able to provide more successful breast reconstruction procedures to patients who possess an elevated surgical risk factor due to diabetes, obesity, or smoking. The free TRAM flap breast reconstruction method is an especially good choice for New Jersey patients who have considered undergoing abdominoplasty in the past. Once the section of muscle is removed, the abdominal skin is tightened, providing the patient with a smoother, more defined abdomen. Free TRAM flap procedures can, however; result in a weakening of the abdominal muscles.

DIEP Flap Method

The DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator) flap method is another breast reconstruction technique offered at our New Jersey surgery practice. Like the Free TRAM flap breast reconstruction method, DIEP flap breast reconstruction also uses tissue from the abdominal area to construct the breast without the use of foreign material. Another similarity between the two breast reconstruction methods is the use of microsurgical techniques to restore the flow of blood to transplanted tissue obtained from the abdominal area. The DIEP flap breast reconstruction method employed at our New Jersey practice is somewhat more technically demanding and time consuming than other breast reconstruction surgery methods. The most important benefit of the DIEP flap method is that it does not require the use of any abdominal muscle tissue and thus, does not result in the weakening of the abdominal muscles as a side effect.

Perforator Flap

During a DIEP flap breast reconstruction at our New Jersey practice, the epigastric artery, as well as other perforating vessels, are meticulously extracted from the abdominal muscle. This perforating vessel extraction is necessary for the creation of a functioning perforator flap.

Perforating vessels are veins or arteries that pass through body tissue, most often muscles, without providing nourishment to that tissue. These blood vessels are like the body's equivalent of expressways in that they provide blood and nutrients with quick access to a specific destination, usually in the skin, with no stopovers.

A perforator flap is a section of extracted skin and fatty tissue that is cut off from its original blood supply and transplanted to another area of the body. During the DIEP flap breast reconstruction procedure performed at our New Jersey practice, microsurgical techniques are employed to ensure that a perforator flap retains enough perforator vessel tissue to be reconnected to a new circulatory pathway at the transplant site.

Tissue Expansion

Tissue expansion is used in a variety of reconstructive procedures, but its most common application is as a reconstruction method following surgical breast removal (mastectomy). The tissue expansion method involves increasing the surface area of the skin of the chest to allow space for the insertion of a breast implant.

Tissue expanders are used in a variety of reconstructive procedures.

The tissue expansion procedure is performed by inserting a silicone balloon expander underneath the skin and chest muscle.

Gradually the tissue expands, and the permanent implant is placed in preparation for the nipple and areola reconstruction.

Breast reconstruction using tissue expansion is performed by inserting a silicone balloon expander underneath the skin and chest muscle. It is then gradually, over a period of three to four months, filled with salt water to increase its size, allowing the skin to grow. When the tissue has increased by the desired amount, the expander is removed and the permanent implant is placed.

There are several advantages to tissue expansion, including a near perfect match in skin color and decreased scarring, as the skin does not have to be removed. The primary drawback with this type of breast reconstruction is the few months it takes to expand the skin.

For more information about breast reconstruction using the tissue expander method, contact our New Jersey area practice today.

Latissimus Flap

The latissimus flap (latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap) is another reliable method of breast reconstruction. This procedure uses muscle and skin from the back to reconstruct the breast. The latissimus flap is transferred through a tunnel in the armpit from the back to the front and placed at the site of breast restoration. Sometimes it is necessary to place an implant or tissue expander under the latissimus flap to achieve the most desirable result.

During the latissimus surgery donor tissue is taken from the back and tunneled to the area of the chest where the new breast is being constructed.

The grafted tissue is given time to heal before the areola and nipple reconstruction surgery takes place. The tissue expansion technique may also be employed after the back flap tissue is in place to increase the size of the new breast.

For patients anticipating the need for further radiation therapy following breast reconstruction, the latissimus flap method offered at our New Jersey reconstructive surgery center may be more effective than the use of tissue expansion and implant insertion alone. Implant insertion in a radiation setting can be problematic as skin will not expand once it's radiated and thus, this method can produce less than optimal results. In the latissimus method; however, the extra tissue of the latissimus muscle allows for protection and can prevent potential problems with the radiation. Additionally, for many radiation therapy patients, the latissimus flap method produces the fastest healing time and the lowest rate of complications.

For Information on Breast Reconstruction Contact our New Jersey Center.

Breast reconstruction is a highly individualistic surgery, requiring careful consideration of a patient's medical history, age, and aesthetic preferences. For more information about the pedicled TRAM flap, the latissimus flap, the tissue expansion, the free TRAM flap, or the DIEP flap breast reconstruction methods, contact our New Jersey reconstructive surgery center today to schedule a comprehensive consultation.