Breast Reconstruction Surgeon Available for October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month) Interviews

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Sep 05, 2013, 08:45 ET

WINTER PARK, Fla., Sept. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- During Breast Cancer Awareness month, Dr. Jeffrey Hartog is using his expertise on a little-known breast reconstruction procedure known commonly as fat grafting. With the autologous fat transfer (AFT) procedure, fat is taken from one area of the body and purified. It's then injected in small droplets into the breast and chest area to reconstruct the breasts. Once the fat is injected, the body quickly builds a vascular network to support it, making it permanently attached to the "new" part of the body. Dr. Hartog is available to speak on the use of AFT for breast cancer patients seeking a natural reconstruction option.

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WHO:	Dr. Hartog witnessed the struggle of a woman fighting breast cancer and healing from the aftermath of a mastectomy: His wife, Michelle, is a breast cancer survivor. She was Dr. Hartog's first patient using the virtually scarless (AFT) breast reconstruction technique.

WHAT:	Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. About one in every eight U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. Of those women, nearly 40,000 will die from breast cancer. Women should know their options when it comes to breast cancer treatment and reconstruction following a mastectomy. Dr. Hartog has significant experience in the fields of plastic and reconstructive surgeries, as well as the emotional toll breast cancer can take on loved ones – namely, his wife.

WHEN:	Dr. Hartog will be available to answer questions regarding Breast Cancer Awareness Month topics starting this week.

WHERE:	Interviews may be done in-person, in-studio, via Skype or by phone.

WHY:	Jeffrey M. Hartog, M.D., director of the Bougainvillea Clinique in Winter Park, Fla., is a pioneer in the field of reconstructive surgery. A surgeon for more than 20 years, he has traveled the world to advance and share his skills in the field. He is passionate about informing women of their reconstruction options especially with the more natural fat transfer technique. The Bougainvillea Clinique is the first plastic surgery clinic in the United States to have immediate access to the Liquid Gold™ Lipobank, an FDA-registered tissue bank that stores fat removed with liposuction for fat transfer procedures. The AFT technique is used to reconstruct women's breasts using their own fat after a mastectomy.

MORE:	Located in Central Florida, the Bougainvillea Clinique is a premier destination nationally for people who want to look and feel their best. Jeffrey M. Hartog, M.D., and Michelle Hartog, R.N., established the Bougainvillea Clinique with the goal of improving people's quality of life through state-of-the-art cosmetic treatments.

	The practice is adjacent to the Aesthetic Surgery Center of Winter Park – a free-standing state- and federally licensed surgical center that caters to all client needs. Dr. Daryl Wier recently join the surgery center's team, which allows Dr. Hartog and the Bougainvillea Clinique the ability to immediately begin breast reconstruction using AFT at the time of a mastectomy procedure. Combining the procedures of mastectomy and initiation of reconstruction with AFT, allows for an outpatient procedure without the need for hospitalization.