PRMA Breaks Record by Performing 10,000th Microsurgical Flap Procedure
“Today is a historic day for the practice. Today is DIEP flap #10,000. It’s an amazing day for our practice and the patients we’ve cared for over the years,” shares PRMA Plastic Surgeon Dr. Steven Pisano.
SAN ANTONIO (PRWEB)
November 01, 2021
Reaching a new milestone, PRMA Plastic Surgery completed their 10,000th microsurgical breast reconstruction, further solidifying PRMA as one of the leading breast reconstruction centers in the world.
“Today is a historic day for the practice. Today is DIEP flap #10,000. It’s an amazing day for our practice and the patients we’ve cared for over the years,” shares PRMA Plastic Surgeon Dr. Steven Pisano.
“10,000 is a number that illustrates just how far we’ve come, our reach and global footprint, and we are humbled today because we remember that behind that number are people. Patients who are experiencing the fear and concerns that come with a breast cancer diagnosis, or the potential of getting breast cancer,” continues Dr. Pisano. “We respect how this number puts a point on how prevalent the threat of breast cancer is, and how we have been able to make an impact, however small, in our community and the community at large in this country.”
“I’m blessed to be the 10,000th patient,” shares PRMA’s 10,000th DIEP flap recipient Karan. “It’s an honor to have you all on my team and I feel like I am in excellent hands. Thank you for all that you do, you are saving lives every day.”
PRMA provides patients with the full range of reconstructive options available today, including implants and flat closure solutions; however, PRMA specializes in microsurgical perforator flap techniques, like the DIEP flap, that transplant tissue from another part of the patient’s body to recreate a warm, soft, “natural” breast with feeling. The DIEP procedure uses the patient’s own lower abdominal skin and fat to reconstruct the breast. Unlike other more commonly known abdominal options like the TRAM flap, the DIEP flap preserves all the abdominal muscles. Saving the abdominal muscles means patients have less pain, enjoy a faster recovery, maintain their core strength long-term, and have a lower risk of abdominal complications.
The field of breast surgery has evolved tremendously over the years. However, traditionally surgeons have focused only on how the breast looks, rather than also considering how it feels to the patient, especially since it is extremely common for patients to experience (often total) numbness after a mastectomy. Pioneered at PRMA, TruSense℠ provides total breast restoration: it reconstructs the breast, reconnects sensory nerves cut by the mastectomy, and ultimately restores the patient’s sense of wholeness after breast cancer surgery. While very few centers worldwide offer nerve reconstruction currently, PRMA has been performing sensory nerve reconstruction in conjunction with DIEP flap surgery for over 20 years. TruSense℠ is the result of this extensive experience.
“Another aspect of our achievement is the team you need to produce these results and numbers. As surgeons, we get the accolades, and we are very lucky to make a living following our passions,” shares PRMA President Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo. “However, we couldn’t do it without our team. We are really very blessed and we wouldn’t be standing here today if it weren’t for a myriad of people who no one knows about, from our behind the scenes administrators in the office, our schedulers, to our PA’s and nurses, and countless other individuals that make everything run smoothly. We wouldn’t be here without them.”
Dr. Chrysopoulo continues by saying “although implant reconstruction continues to be the most performed method of reconstruction in the US, and implants can provide very nice results in the right situations, it is important for patients to know that they do also have other, more “natural” options using their own tissue. Women who experience complications after their implant reconstruction can also have their implants removed and replaced with their own tissue. A large proportion of our 10,000 flaps have been performed for exactly this reason actually.”
Ultimately, there is no single “best” breast reconstruction procedure for everyone. It is important to discuss ALL options and the associated risks with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction before making your final decision.
About PRMA
PRMA Plastic Surgery in San Antonio, Texas, specializes in state-of-the-art breast reconstruction. Procedures offered include the DIEP flap, SIEA flap, GAP flap, thigh flaps (PAP, TUG, VUG, LTP), fat grafting, lymphedema surgery and nipple-sparing mastectomy. PRMA is In-Network for most US insurance plans and routinely welcomes patients from across and outside the US.
Our Mission
We are dedicated to promoting an environment of compassion, concern and support for every patient regardless of social or economic status and regardless of the type of insurance. We will strive to not only support the patient and their family but also to support each other as the ever-changing field of medicine becomes more complex. Honesty and integrity, compassion and caring, make up the foundation of PRMA and at no point shall these principles be compromised.
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