Why Ochsner for Breast Reconstruction?

Ochsner’s team of plastic surgeons coordinate decision-making with dedicated Ochsner breast surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists to tailor care to your specific treatment plan. We work together with our patients to determine the method of breast reconstruction that is best for you.

Our surgeons provide a spectrum of options for breast reconstruction including:

• Oncoplastic breast reconstruction (reshaping the breast during a lumpectomy)
• Implant-based breast reconstruction
• Autologous breast reconstruction (using your own tissue)
• Hybrid varieties of each

Our Services:

Oncoplastic Breast Reconstruction – Oncoplastic breast conservation surgery combines plastic and reconstructive surgery techniques with breast cancer surgery so that the appearance of the breast can be preserved to the greatest extent possible, without compromising local control of disease. It adds an aesthetic approach to lumpectomy by reshaping or rebuilding the breast to maintain a natural look and feel. Along with removing the cancer, it prevents excessive scarring following surgery and radiation.

Autologous Breast Reconstruction – (sometimes called autogenous reconstruction) uses skin, fat, and sometimes muscle from the belly, the back, buttocks, or inner thighs to create the reconstructed breast. The tissue used is called a "flap.” Microsurgical tissue flap options include:

• Deep inferior epigastric perforator flap (DIEP) – The DIEP flap is made from tissue from your tummy.
• Profunda Artery Perforator (PAP) – A PAP flap is made from tissue from your Posterior thigh.
• Superior Gluteal Artery Perforator (SGAP) – Also called a gluteal perforator hip flap, an SGAP flap is made from tissue from your upper buttocks.
• Lateral Thigh Perforator (LTP) – The LTP flap procedure is made from skin and fatty tissue from the patient’s upper, outer thigh and outer buttock.
• Superficial Inferior Epigastric Artery (SIEA) – The SIEA flap, also called a SIEP flap (superficial inferior epigastric perforator) is made from tissue from the lower abdomen.
• Inter-coastal Artery Perforator (ICAP) – The ICAP flap is made from tissue taken from under the arm.
• Multiple Flaps/Stacked Flaps – This procedure combines different flap procedures to form the breast. It is used for patients who do not have enough excess fat tissue in one site.
• Tissue Expansion - The surgeon inserts a tissue expander, a temporary silastic implant, beneath a pocket under the pectoralis major muscle of the chest wall. In a process that can take weeks to months, saline solution is injected to progressively expand the overlaying tissue. Once the expander has reached an acceptable size, it may be removed and replaced with a more permanent implant.

Implant-based Breast Reconstruction

• Two-stage tissue expander-implant reconstruction
• Direct-to-implant reconstruction

Hybrid Options: Latissimus Flap +/- Implant – The latissimus flap is made from tissue from the muscle located below the shoulder and behind the armpit.

When you face a cancer diagnosis, it is important to know all your options – not only for treatment, but also to help you recover and return to your life more quickly. Surgical options such as lumpectomy, Hidden Scar™ approaches, and even onco-plastic resections can be considered to conserve and preserve healthy breast tissue, optimizing the aesthetic result. Ochsner currently has three fellowship-trained surgical oncologists performing the Hidden Scar procedure: Amy Rivere, MD, and George Fuhrman, MD

However, some patients will still need to undergo mastectomy to manage their cancer or as a preventative step in select high risk situations. These women deserve the most comprehensive approach to reconstruction. Our expert plastic surgeons offer the complete array of reconstructive options for our patients, with excellent outcomes - implants all the way to complex microsurgical techniques.

The Lieselotte Tansey Breast Center at Ochsner has been designated as Louisiana’s only Center of Excellence by Hidden Scar™. By offering the full armamentarium of surgical procedures, the Lieselotte Tansey Breast Center, a part of the Ochsner Cancer Institute, is continuing in the health system’s commitment to bringing the most innovative procedures and therapies to cancer patients in the New Orleans area.

Surgical Breast Reconstruction: Ochsner Baptist

Breast reconstruction surgery doesn’t just restore your muscle and tissue. For many, it rebuilds self-confidence and makes you feel like yourself again.

Women and their families who choose Ochsner find comfort in the fact that they are receiving comprehensive care from a world-renown medical and academic system. They find peace of mind knowing that all aspects of their treatment will be uniquely integrated at one location—at the top medical system in the Gulf South—known for superior outcomes.

Breast Reconstruction Pioneers

Ochsner is at the forefront of surgical innovation.

Dr. Christopher Babycos specializes in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He has specific interests in implant based breast reconstruction, direct implant reconstruction and tissue expander reconstructor, craniofacial and cosmetic surgery including aesthetic, breast and reconstructive surgeries. He is Board Certified in Surgery and Plastic Surgery.* Dr. Babycos is also a member of American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Dr. Robert Allen is a pioneer of autologous breast reconstruction, including use of abdominal and thigh-based perforator tissue flaps (DIEP, SIEA, SGAP, ICAP). He is a founder for the Center for Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction and the Group for the Advancement of Breast Reconstruction. Dr. Allen is a Board Certified plastic surgeon.

Our plastic surgeons work together with the breast surgery team, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and physical therapists to individualize your treatment plan and care.

All your Ochsner providers are on a shared electronic medical record offering patients comprehensive care with the same team throughout the course of treatment. Our patients work with Nurse Navigators from Tansey Breast Center who are there to coordinate your care and assist in scheduling appointments. Patients find our system easy to navigate.

Ochsner accepts most major insurance plans for breast reconstruction surgery. For a full listing of accepted insurance plans, click here.

* Board certified in plastic surgery

There are many types of benign breast conditions or diseases. Some require no medical treatment but others require care. Some types can increase the risk of breast cancer. Talk to an Ochsner physician to learn more.

Mammograms

While it’s true that one out of six American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, most women with abnormal mammograms turn out to be cancer free. In most situations, the more appropriate next step isn’t a surgical biopsy but something called a core needle biopsy, which may rule out the need for surgery all together. No one has more experience with core needle biopsies in our region than Ochsner.

At Ochsner, the appropriate core needle biopsy technique is performed (Ultrasound-guided, MRI-guided or Stereotactic) and the results are used to create a customized treatment plan for each patient. The small amount of tissue removed during a core needle biopsy can give your team a great deal of information about the tumor type, grade and characteristics that can affect your prognosis.

Unlike a surgical biopsy, there is less disturbance or distortion of tissue with a needle core biopsy. And there are other benefits well. With a core needle biopsy, tissue is preserved for lymph node mapping. The procedure includes localization and marking for future care management. It’s important to note that this approach does not delay chemotherapy, if needed. More importantly, it can reduce the need for more surgery in many cases.

SCHEDULE A MAMMOGRAM

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women, besides skin cancers. About 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. There are several risk factors associated with breast cancer that may be modifiable. Research shows, screening and early detection of breast cancer leads to effective management and increases overall survival.

Purpose:

The purpose of the High-Risk Breast Clinic is to identify women who are at high-risk for developing a breast cancer in their lifetime, to formulate an individualized plan to help lower their risk and to identify those who may benefit from supplemental screening tests.

What to expect:

The High-Risk Breast Clinic is an APP (Advanced Practice Provider) run clinic that establishes a relationship with patients who are at high risk for developing a breast cancer in their lifetime. The APP will assist you in identifying individualized risk factors (modifiable and non-modifiable) that make you at an increased risk for breast cancer. At these clinic visits, our team will recalculate and discuss your individual risk scores and educate you on interventions to help lower this risk. An individualized plan may include appropriate referral(s) to assist in further identifying risks, appropriate referral(s) to assist with interventions to lower the risk, and potentially, additional imaging to screen for breast cancer more frequently. Some of the referrals that are commonly placed during a high-risk visit include genetics, nutrition, smoking cessation, and weight management.

Setting up an appointment:

If you have been told that you are at high-risk for breast cancer, either due to family history or based on mammogram results, please ask your primary care provider or gynecologist to place a referral to our team (Referral to High-Risk Breast Cancer Clinic) or you can call 504-842-3910 (New Orleans), 225-754-3272 (Baton Rouge) or 985-773-1500 (Covington) for assistance. You can also self-schedule an appointment for an evaluation by clicking here. Your initial appointment can be in-person or virtual.

Want to learn more? Watch these videos:

What is a TC score?

I have high risk for breast cancer...now what?

Surgical Breast Reconstruction Program at Ochsner Baptist
4429 Clara St., Suite 330: McFarland Medical Office Building
New Orleans, LA 70115
504-842-3950

Tansey Breast Center at Ochsner Medical Center
1319 Jefferson Hwy.
New Orleans, LA 70121
504-842-3950

Breast Care at Ochsner Northshore

The Ochsner Medical Center - Northshore Breast Care Program offers women a comprehensive program for their breast care. Our program offers services throughout the continuum of care from mammography and imaging services through surgicial breast reconstruction procedures and other treatment options. The Breast Care Program gives you personalized, easy access to all the services Ochsner Medical Center - Northshore has to offer from diagnosis to surgery to therapy.

Initial consultations take place at:
Ochsner Surgical Specialties – Slidell
1850 Gause Blvd., E., Ste. 202
Slidell, LA 70461

To make an appointment, call 985-639-3777 or contact Patty Duet, LPN, Breast Care Coordinator at 985-898-7023 or pduet@ochsner.org.

Learn more about Ochsner Medical Center - Northshore

Patient Housing Options

Patients may stay at Ochsner’s Brent House Hotel, a full-service hotel with guest rooms and suites adjacent to Ochsner Medical Center. Call toll free 1-800-535-3986 or go to brenthouse.com for more information.

Patients and a caregiver may also stay at the American Cancer Society’s Patrick F. Taylor Hope Lodge. This program helps patients cope with the cancer treatment process and provides a supportive environment for patients. Ochsner can help coordinate housing arrangements if needed and additional information is available by calling 504-219-2200.

Qualified patients and family members can obtain free lodging at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge.

Support Groups

Ochsner offers multiple FREE classes and support groups for patients and their families before, during and after chemotherapy.

For more information on dates and times, click here.

Survivorship

The Ochsner Survivorship Clinic staff strives to address the unique healthcare needs of each cancer survivor, to maximize his/her quality of life, and to help each survivor live well beyond cancer. We are open to all adult patients, regardless of where or when they received treatment.

Our novel Integrative Oncology program strives to comprehensively support our patients needs throughout their cancer journey. Our growing program offers individualized assessments, acupuncture, exercise, mindfulness/meditation, and yoga for all patients.

Click here to learn more.