Surgeon Uses Fat Transfer for Mastectomy Reconstruction Patients

WINTER PARK, Fla., Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For most women, the fight against breast cancer is scary, especially as they look at various treatment options. What might be just as frightening to many women are the steps after diagnosis and treatment. What happens after a mastectomy?

According to a University of Michigan study, seven out of 10 women don't know their reconstruction options.

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Dr. Jeffrey Hartog, director of the Bougainvillea Clinique and the Aesthetic Surgery Center of Winter Park in Florida, is using fat to reconstruct women's breasts after mastectomies. The innovative autologous fat transfer procedure, or AFT, used by Hartog has helped many women since he began utilizing the method three years ago.

He first used fat transfer to reconstruct women's breasts when his wife, Michelle, was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2010. The results have been so outstanding that he now works hard to make sure that women diagnosed with breast cancer are aware of their options.

"It is sad that in our technology-driven society only 40 percent of women with breast cancer have reconstruction," said Hartog. "There are so many additional benefits to using fat. It is more natural than artificial implants and very versatile. For many reasons, I believe it is superior to other methods of reconstruction, including implants and tissue flaps, in almost all cases."

In the outpatient 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. This is normally done in stages as a 100-percent outpatient procedure. Extra fat that is removed can even be prepared and cryopreserved in the facility's FDA-registered tissue bank and stored indefinitely for later use.

Women who choose fat transfer as a breast reconstruction method frequently find that skin sensation returns, which is not usually the case with implants and tissue flaps.

"This technique is especially great for those who have tested BRCA-positive," Hartog said. "Women can have a prophylactic mastectomy and begin their reconstruction with fat at the same time in our facility. They can leave our outpatient facility with small breasts immediately after their mastectomies and feel better about themselves."

Celebrities, including Suzanne Somers, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, have used the fat transfer procedure to great success.

Located in central Florida, the Breast Center at the Bougainvillea Clinique is the premier destination for people seeking the best in cosmetic and reconstructive procedures of the breast. Jeffrey M. Hartog, M.D., and his wife, Michelle Hartog, R.N., established these facilities with the goal of improving people's quality of life through state-of-the-art plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures. 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. For more information, visit www.lookandfeelbetter.com and call 866-985-4741.

For additional information, interview and image requests, contact the Axia public relations firm at 888-PR-FIRM-8, ext. 700.

Media Contact:

Marjorie Comer
Axia Public Relations for the Bougainvillea Clinique
888-773-4768, ext. 700

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SOURCE Bougainvillea Clinique