DR. JAMES CHAO, MD, FACS: Reconstructive Surgery After Breast Cancer: Understand Your Options! DIEP, TRAM, Implants, or Flat

Dr. James Chao, MD, FACS is a board-certified plastic surgeon, reconstructive surgeon, and microsurgeon, who has performed thousands of reconstructive breast surgeries.

A staunch proponent for the furtherance of Women’s Sexual Health, Dr. Chao trained at Stanford University, NYU Medical School, and is a Professor Emeritus of Plastic Surgery at UC San Diego. Dr. Chao is the CEO of Prime Plastic Surgery, Prime Med Spa, and FEM MD.

 He makes an appearance alongside @drdubrow + @drpaulnassif on @botchedtv in a complex case this season. As a fellowship-trained hand and microvascular surgeon who specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Chao is something of a polymath, to say the least, with specialties in aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery, women’s sexual health surgery + the development of new technologies in the field of plastic surgery.⁠

Dr. Chao wants women to know that we are not alone and we have options when it comes to breast reconstruction after breast cancer.

Here is what we talk about on this show:

The pros and cons of Autologous vs. Prosthetic surgery: AKA using your own tissue vs. getting breast implants. We discuss the microsurgical techniques that are involved in autologous reconstruction, and how important it is to pick the right surgeon with any option you choose.

We talk about the TRAM flap surgery vs. the newer DIEP flap surgery, how these procedures are done, where the tissue is taken from, and who is a candidate for them. We also talk about going flat which is choosing not to reconstruct a breast at all.

We get into whether to reconstruct both breasts if only one is affected, tissue expanders, a 1 part surgery vs a 2 part surgery.

We discuss the more common prosthetic route, which is using implants to reconstruct the breast, the pros and cons, the types of implants, and cutting-edge digital surgery available to assist in making the choice that is best for you.

We talk about the importance of choosing a team you have confidence in including the surgeon who removes breast cancer, the medical oncologist, and the surgeon who reconstructs the breast(s).

We talk about resources for looking into board certification and how necessary it is to like your surgeon. When facing cancer, women are thinking more about surviving the disease instead of how their breasts going to look after the fact. However, this is important to our sexual health and overall quality of life. 

One out of every 8 American women will get the diagnosis, but there is over 95% chance that you will survive it if it's caught early, so get your mammogram!

For checking board certification:

The American Board of Plastic Surgery https://www.abplasticsurgery.org/ American Society of Plastic Surgeons https://www.plasticsurgery.org/

Support Groups:

American Cancer Society https://donate.cancer.org/ ⁠

For more on Dr. Chao: 

http://primeplasticsurgery.com and http://oasismd.com

 

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