Friday, November 5, 2010

AlloDerm Regenerative Tissue helps improve breast reconstruction outcomes.

When facing breast reconstruction surgery, it’s natural to have a number of questions. What are the next steps? What kind of reconstruction is right for me? What are my options? This is especially true as new advancements in breast reconstruction emerge that aim to result in reconstructed breasts with a more natural look and feel.


AlloDerm Tissue Matrix, used with a tissue expander and implant, is one option that Dr. Gabriel offers his patients for breast reconstruction. Using AlloDerm with breast reconstruction procedures can help minimize possible surgical complications and as a result of innovative surgical techniques, it may provide a more desirable aesthetic result.

Breast reconstruction using an implant can be completed in one of two ways – direct to implant (one-stage) or tissue expander to implant (two-stage) reconstruction.

Direct to implant reconstruction
(one-stage reconstruction)
• This surgery places an implant in your breast pocket without prior expansion — which means a second surgery is not needed
• AlloDerm® Regenerative Tissue Matrix can provide the extra tissue necessary to create a breast pocket large enough to hold the permanent silicone or saline implant
• No expansion process may mean less discomfort, fewer surgeries and less inconvenience

Tissue expander to implant reconstruction
(two-stage reconstruction)
• This surgery is performed to expand the muscle so that there is enough breast pocket volume available to create a shapely and proportioned breast.
• An expander will be placed in the breast pocket prior to the implant
• AlloDerm Tissue Matrix provides extra tissue for expander and implant coverage
• May require fewer injections of saline to fill the expander
• May lessen the time between expander to implant exchange–and shorten the entire breast reconstruction process

MSNBC covers Dr. Gabriel's Botox study.

The press coverage of Dr. Gabriel's study on the use of Botox to reduce post-mastectomy pain with reconstruction goes national with a story on MSNBC.com. Featuring patient, Chris Durst, the article leads with, "A surgeon in Clark County is making headlines using Botox injections not for cosmetic purposes, but to ease muscle pain for cancer survivors after their breasts are removed."