EXPERT BREAST RECONSTRUCTION

We welcome breast cancer survivors and women in the planning stages of breast cancer treatment to our practice, Southwest Breast & Aesthetics in Phoenix. We also serve the Glendale, Chandler, Paradise Valley, and Scottsdale, AZ areas.

Our compassionate plastic and reconstructive surgeons are here to listen to your concerns and offer patients in Phoenix breast reconstruction advice and guidance following a mastectomy or lumpectomy. Our team is here to help you envision having new breasts with restorative breast surgery right after the removal, or if you have been living with the scars left behind from previous cancer treatments. Of course, we can discuss all the possibilities to restore a natural look to your feminine figure.

For most women, losing their breast is a traumatic event, and with the help of our plastic surgeons, that emotional pain can be lessened with breast reconstructive surgery. Using state-of-the-art technology and surgical techniques, a healthy breast appearance can be recreated with the help of other aesthetic enhancements, such as cosmetic tattooing of the areola, breast implants, or skin tightening procedures. We want you to feel like you again, inside and out.

Candidates For Breast Reconstruction

With compassion and respect for the patient, our practice offers breast reconstruction and restorative surgeries to:

Breast cancer patients who have had a mastectomy or lumpectomy
Women who are undergoing a prophylactic mastectomy, either for high risk genetic mutation or have a high lifetime risk of developing breast cancer
Women who have experienced a traumatic injury or have birth defects in the chest area

Whenever it is possible, our doctors will work together with your breast surgeon to provide immediate cosmetic results once the breast has been removed or reduced. If this is not possible, breast reconstructive surgery can be performed at a later date while the patient recovers and wears prosthetics in the place of the breast. Also, keep in mind that during the reconstruction process, it is common for a patient to have a nipple reconstruction as well. This is performed separate at the final stages of breast reconstruction. We can also discuss additional enhancement surgeries to add symmetry, fullness, or skin tightening for more natural-looking results. Call our office today to schedule your initial appointment.

OUR SURGICAL REQUIREMENTS

There are numerous ways to reconstruct the breasts following cancer or trauma, and our reconstructive surgeons keep up-to-date with the advancements in technology and techniques in breast reconstruction. At Southwest Breast & Aesthetics, at this time, we offer the following:

DIEP FREE FLAP RECONSTRUCTION

A DIEP Flap (tummy tuck flap) is the most common autologous free tissue transfer breast reconstruction. This restorative procedure takes skin, fat and tissues from your own abdomen to recreate breasts that feel more natural than breast implants.

PAP FLAP RECONSTRUCTION

A PAP Flap (medial thigh flap) is the second option in autologous free tissue transfer breast reconstruction if there is not enough donor tissue from the abdomen. Skin, fat, and tissue are harvested from the thigh, much like in an inside-of-the-thigh lift plastic surgery, to recreate the breast.

LTP FLAP RECONSTRUCTIONS

A LTP flap (lateral thigh flap) is offered to our breast reconstruction patients when using the outside of the thigh is a better option for harvesting donor tissue for the breast restorative surgery.

COMPOSITE STACKED FLAP

A composite stacked flap restores the breast with your own abdomen, inner and outer thigh tissues and fat when it is necessary to harvest multiple sources when there is not enough in one specific area.

DIRECT-TO-IMPLANT

A direct-to-implant breast reconstructive surgery involves the placement of a synthetic (saline or silicone) breast implant at the same time as a mastectomy.

CORRECTIVE RECONSTRUCTION

A corrective reconstruction surgery is a revision surgery on a previous breast reconstruction surgery. Sometimes an autologous free tissue transfer breast reconstruction will fail, or the patient will decided that implants are needed. There are many types of revision surgeries that can be performed when it comes to restoring a woman’s feminine features.

POLAND SYNDROME BREAST RECONSTRUCTION

We can provide patients with restorative surgeries to amend a birth defect called Poland Syndrome. A plastic and reconstructive surgeon will rebuild one side of the chest wall and recreated a breast (usually after full breast development has occurred on the other side) as it never formed.

HEREDITARY BREAST CANCER RESTORATION

Women with high risks for hereditary breast cancer, and choose to have an elective mastectomy, will also qualify for breast reconstructive surgery. We can help you reduce your chances of breast cancer, and help you look and feel whole again.

ONCOPLASTIC BREAST RECONSTRUCTION

When a portion of one or both breast is removed, some patients can have an oncoplastic reconstruction that reshapes the existing tissue to restore the breast into an aesthetically pleasing shape. When only one breast has had to be removed or is deformed from a lumpectomy, you may require a plastic surgery on the other breast for symmetry.

BREAST RECONSTRUCTION RECOVERY

Depending on the type of breast restorative surgery you had performed, your recovery will be at least 4–7 weeks. You will need to take it easy, and allow your body time to heal. Our medical staff will guide you on your journey to healing, and you won’t have to go through it alone. There will be multiple follow-up appointments after the surgery so that we can make sure you are well, and healing appropriately.

FOLLOW-UP & CONSIDERATION

If you are a breast cancer patient, and will receive chemotherapy after the mastectomy, but want to have breast implants, you should talk to your plastic surgeon about scheduling the surgeries around the chemo treatments. Please do not lose hope that the cancer will control what can and cannot been accomplished with plastic surgery. In this stage of restorative treatment, it is very important to attend all of your follow-up appointments with your plastic surgeon so that your progress can be monitored and documented.

ADDITIONAL INSURANCE INFORMATION

Will insurance cover my Breast Reconstruction procedure?

If your insurance company or health plan covers mastectomy, The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) requires them to cover all stages of breast reconstruction, including the insertion of prosthesis, corrective surgeries, and post-mastectomy lymphedema.

Do health plans impose a time limit for breast reconstruction procedures?

Generally speaking, coverage applies whether the breast reconstruction procedure takes place at the same time as a mastectomy or lumpectomy or years later. This is known as “delayed reconstruction.”

What insurance does Southwest Breast accept?

To view a current list of in-network and out-of-network providers Southwest Breast accepts, visit our insurance page.

Is there a deductible or co-payment?

The group health plan or insurance carrier may impose deductibles, just as it would for a mastectomy. The patient may also be responsible for a co-payment depending on their plan. Learning about the expected out-of-pocket costs upfront allows patients to prepare for their surgery financially. Contact your insurance carrier to inquire about the deductibles and co-pays associated with your health plan.

Should I contact my insurance carrier before or after my breast reconstruction surgery?

Contacting the insurance company prior to undergoing a reconstructive breast procedure is the best way to avoid surprise bills. Patients should ask if pre-authorization is necessary, how they will be reimbursed, and whether they are limited to in-network providers. Additionally, the plan must cover mastectomy in order to qualify for breast reconstruction coverage. At Southwest Breast, your patient coordinator can assist in handling insurance claims.

RECONSTRUCT & RESTORE

To discuss their restorative breast reconstruction Phoenix patients should contact our friendly patient coordinator and schedule an appointment. These procedures can turn this emotional and painful prognosis around with the careful, skillful talent of our reconstructive breast surgeons. Call and schedule an appointment today.

Breast Reconstruction in Phoenix, AZ