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Dr. Harness describes oncoplastic surgery.
Dr. Harness, M.D.:
Oncoplastic surgery is a term that was coined in Europe before here in the United States. Onco means cancer, plastic–plastic surgery. It’s a mindset about really being focused on the cosmetic outcome of patients, which I think there’s been too little of, historically, by general surgeons and even regular, full-time breast surgeons.
The definition includes the reshaping of the breast after a lumpectomy so there’s more of a normal shape and contour of the breast. There is a reduction in volume but hopefully the shape and contour is still maintained. And the term also includes what we do with reconstruction after a mastectomy. That can mean rotating tissue from the abdominal wall up to the breast, from the back to the breast. It could include tissue expanders. It can include permanent implants, but it really is a mindset.
And patients need to know that their surgeon is concerned about their cosmetic outcome. And if the surgeon is not concerned about their cosmetic outcome, find a different surgeon.
About Dr. Harness, M.D.:
Dr. Jay Harness, M.D., is the Director at St. Joseph Hospital Comprehensive Breast Center. Practicing medicine for 35 years, Dr. Harness specializes in general surgery and medical oncology. Graduating medical school from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, he conducting his internship and residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Recognized nationally and internationally for his work in breast and endocrine surgery, Dr. Harness is the immediate past-President of The American Society of Breast Surgeons and is President-elect of Breast Surgery International. Dr. Harness can assist patients in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Visit Dr. Harness at St. Joseph Hospital