Carilion offers the full spectrum of reconstructive options for those who have undergone a mastectomy. Surgery to rebuild the breast mound can often be performed at the time of mastectomy. Our surgeons are performing the most advanced procedures that combine the best aspects of standard implant techniques including nipple sparring mastectomies as well as the most advanced flap techniques that use your own tissue.

For example, pedicled flaps such as the latissimus flap recreate a natural looking breast utilizing the muscle as a carrier of blood supply to the transferred fat and skin.

In microsurgical perforator flap procedures, the patient’s own skin, blood vessels, and fat, usually from the abdomen (DIEP flap), are used so that no muscle is sacrificed. This microsurgery technique is the cutting edge of breast reconstruction and results in a natural look and feel with no need for breast implant maintenance.

Our Head and Neck Cancer program offers patients customized care for head & neck cancers to include initial diagnosis, surgical & medical cancer treatment and post-cancer care treatment. The diagnosis of cancer and the additional energy to coordinate tests and imaging while managing referral appointments can quickly become burdensome for patients.  We offer a multi-disciplinary team of cancer specialists to help our head and neck cancer patients navigate these difficult times.

The team consists of physicians, nurses, specialty providers, speech and swallow pathologists, and prior cancer patients.  We work as a coordinated team to educate our patients about their disease and treatment options.  We strive to offer a patient treatment plan that is both unique and specific to each patient.  Our goal is for an acceptable and realistic outcome that was reached with a team effort consisting of an educated patient and members of the Head & Neck Cancer program working together.