Breast Cancer Awareness Facts From The American Society Of Plastic Surgeons

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Last year, more than 203,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. This year, an estimated 211,000 more will receive the same diagnosis.

Because breast cancer is 90 percent curable when caught early, women need to know how important it is to perform regular self breast-exams.

Losing a breast is both emotionally and psychologically devastating; luckily most women who have mastectomies are candidates for breast reconstruction.

For breast cancer patients who choose reconstruction, the medical team, which includes the plastic surgeon and oncologist, will work together to preserve as much breast skin as possible during mastectomy. Often during this procedure, referred to as a skin-sparing mastectomy, the only incision made is around the areola, leaving no scars on the breast.

More than 73,000 women had breast reconstruction last year, an increase of 147 percent since 1992.

The increase in breast reconstruction procedures is due in part to the passage of the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998. The law, supported by ASPS, mandates insurance coverage for breast reconstruction and the alteration of the opposite breast for symmetry for women who have undergone mastectomy. Unfortunately, the law does not apply to women enrolled in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.

Women should be aware that the goal of reconstruction is improvement not perfection and patients should candidly discuss expectations with their plastic surgeon.

There are several breast reconstructions techniques available that include skin expansion followed by the use of implants or flap reconstruction with tissue from other parts of the body. Plastic surgeons will make reconstructions recommendations based on the patient’s age, health, anatomy and goals.

Many times breast reconstruction represents a psychological new start to life.

Information from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

COVID RESOURCES

WE ARE OPEN!

We have been fully operational since May of 2020. With patience and with care, we all are returning to normalcy. Our office continues to use safety protocols, and we are eager to see you.

ALTHOUGH OPEN, WE ARE HERE FOR YOU VIRTUALLY AS WELL

For patients who desire a virtual consultation, this option is available.
Our virtual web consultations can be done right in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a secure Internet connection and a computer, tablet, or smartphone.
If you would like to have a VIRTUAL CONSULTATION or have any questions, please give us a call at (425) 827-7878 or contact us via our website to set up your virtual consultation today.

PRACTICE POLICY UPDATE FOR CORONAVIRUS (Covid-19):

Updated May 2022
We have been fully operational since May of 2020. This includes skincare and our non-invasive center (ENIC).
We know that so much of this pandemic caused an inconvenience for you, but we are delighted to see a return to normalcy. 
We will continue to be vigilant in our approach to Covid 19. For over two decades, we have considered safety as our most important prerogative — and there has never been a more important time to put that to use.
Here are some things we’re doing to ensure you are protected and that we maintain this facility as a Non-Covid Care (NCC) zone:

Patient Flow and Clinical Office Space

We now have a well-tested protocol of texting patients for control of flow for consultations.
We are assigning everyone to hourly wipe-downs of high-use areas with approved sanitizing wipes.
We are asking that no one wait in the waiting area.
We are coming up with protocols for room wipe-downs after each patient visit.
Every staff member will always wear a mask while in the office.
Every staff member will sanitize or wash hands after every interaction.
Implementation of virtual pre-ops, nursing visits, and questions.


Operating Room Experience

Similar precautions and questionnaires will be provided to establish Covid-19 Clear Status.
All staff will always wear a mask. All staff will always wear gloves.
Hand washing will be done for any patient interaction.
Specific wipe-down of our operating room, recovery, and pre-op areas will be performed.
We will minimize accompanying caretakers to only one. Those caretakers will be treated just like the patients.
Anesthesia Experience
Every anesthesia staff will wear goggles and other protective equipment during intubation.
Our anesthesiologists have been fully trained and are implementing all precautions for prevention of Covid-19 spread.
All circuits will be changed between each patient.
Full wipe-down of surfaces and floors will be performed.
We will implement a time-out protocol to confirm the Covid-19 Clear Status of every patient.


As you can see, we are taking this very seriously. We fully understand that this will cause some inconvenience in the short term, but realize that it is for the best.
Although Covid-19 has been a serious issue, we are seeing a resumption of normalcy. We continue to monitor this situation on a real-time basis, and we will not sit back until we know that we have done everything possible to avoid unnecessary exposure.
When you see us in action, you’ll realize that you have put your trust in the right practice.
Here are some links that might be useful:
State of Washington Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
Please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always here to answer your questions!
Call us at (425) 827-7878
Email us at [email protected]
VIRTUAL CONSULTATION

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