Dr. Crawford Now Offers DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) October 09, 2013 -- Atlanta plastic surgeon Marcus Crawford is pleased to announce that his practice offers DIEP flap breast reconstruction to patients who have lost one or both breasts to breast cancer. The surgeons at Crawford Plastic Surgery, Dr. Marcus Crawford and Dr. Aisha McKnight-Baron, are two of the only surgeons who perform this breast reconstruction technique on a regular basis in the Atlanta area.
Since becoming trained in the DIEP flap method of breast reconstruction, Dr. Crawford encouraged his primary surgical hospital to develop a microsurgical breast reconstruction program. Now, the facility has the most state-of-the-art surgical equipment and patient monitoring devices available for breast reconstruction surgery.
Dr. Crawford’s Training
Dr. Crawford obtained his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, and remained there to complete one of the most rigorous plastic surgery training programs in the country at the largest medical center in the world. Much of his training took place at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where Dr. Crawford underwent training in all aspects of breast reconstruction, including techniques for delayed breast reconstruction following radiation therapy and microsurgical techniques. When the DIEP flap method grew in popularity five to 10 years, ago, Dr. Crawford decided to undergo training in this new technique. According to Dr. Crawford,
“My passion for and dedication to breast cancer reconstruction early in my career led me to receive the appropriate training for this new technique.”
The high volume of patients that Dr. Crawford has seen since his days training in the Texas Medical Center has made him comfortable performing many types of breast reconstruction, including the DIEP flap breast reconstruction technique. In fact, Dr. Crawford says,
"We often receive referrals from surrounding states due to our ability to offer this highly specialized method of breast reconstruction and our high rates of patient satisfaction following DIEP free flap breast reconstruction."
The DIEP Flap Method
Because the DIEP flap method is relatively new and training for the technique is regional, few surgeons in the Atlanta area offer this type of surgery. Yet, many breast reconstruction patients would benefit from the procedure.
Compared to other autologous (tissue flap) reconstruction techniques, the DIEP flap technique has a higher patient satisfaction rate and a reduced recovery time. In addition, it is not associated with the morbidities of the TRAM flap technique (hernia, abdominal wall bulge, and abdominal wall weakness). Out of all of the autologous techniques, in which the patient’s own tissue is used to reconstruct the breast, the DIEP flap technique is quickly becoming the gold standard.
The DIEP flap method is ideal for patients who wish to use their own tissue to reconstruct the breasts. However, the patient must have enough fat and tissue in the stomach to be considered a good candidate for surgery. The DIEP flap method is also ideal for patients who have received radiation therapy and wish to avoid the use of a prosthetic device.
According to Dr. Crawford, the DIEP flap breast reconstruction technique offers excellent results.
"Patients who receive the surgery are pleased with their ease of recovery as well as the very natural result achieved with this method of reconstruction."
Patients can contact Dr. Marcus Crawford at:
Crawford Plastic Surgery
670 North Ave., Ste. 300
Marietta, GA 30060
Phone: (770) 794-6643
Aneesha Lane, Crawford Plastic Surgery, http://www.crawfordplasticsurgery.com, +1 (770) 794-6643, [email protected]
Share this article