Plastic Surgery Channel expert Dr. Mark Elliot from Meridian, Mississippi talks about the role of a plastic surgeon in a treatment of the breast cancer patient.
Dr. Elliot feels that every woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer should at the very least talk to a plastic surgeon before she undergoes surgery. Even though the removal of the tumor would certainly be a multi-team approach, plastic surgeons are part of the team, one that would definitely add to the information that a general surgeon can provide. Many women opt for reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy and it would be helpful to all breast cancer patient to have the opportunity for a consultation with a plastic surgeon to get as much information as possible even if they do not decide to do the breast reconstruction. A general surgeon may not be able to give a patient all the options available for reconstructive surgery. A plastic surgeon can fully examine the patient and talk to them about their requirements and then work alongside to patient to ensure that the reconstructive surgery results are what the patient needs and wants. Many times, there may be new breast reconstruction procedures that may be able to help the patient in a better way and help in achieving optimum results. General surgeons may not know about these procedures or may not be experts in them. Breast reconstruction has been shown to be a great benefit to the quality of life in the breast cancer patient and providing this information enables patients to make an informed choice.
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