Why do I Marvel at Breast Reconstruction & Plastic Surgery?

I ask myself this question often: Why do I marvel at breast reconstruction & plastic surgery? October was a busy month for many who work in this field and educate about this topic. I think it was one of the busiest months I had this year. I was in six states and six different airports engaging with or educating about breast reconstruction with plastic surgeons, patients, advocates, and the public. I was exhausted yet exhilarated to know the innovations and developments in the field of breast reconstruction and plastic surgery continue to keep me motivated and captivated. It has been three years since my own breast reconstruction and yet, thinking back to November of 2014 and having no breasts on my body, it is easy to understand my own fascination with this topic. When you use your own tissue to rebuild your breasts after losing them to breast cancer, that Continue Reading →

Measuring the Breast for Breast Reconstruction

The paper, Population Analysis of the Perfect Breast: A Morphometric Analysis, was a study done to determine current trends in what is considered the aesthetically pleasing breast shape in measuring the breast for breast reconstruction using a measurement of form (morphometric). It was a comprehensive survey study with cross-cultural opinions from men, women and plastic surgeons regarding ideal breast proportions. The consensus was a 45:55 ratio meaning; 45 percent of breast fullness lies above the nipple line and 55 percent below the nipple line. Simply stated, this measurement tool was determined by the study to be the guide in achieving the “perfect” breast shape for use by plastic surgeons.  History has shown that this perception of the perfect breast shape dates back to the sculpture of Venus de Milo discovered on the island of Melos in 1820. A Complex & Meticulous Procedure I was far from having the “perfect breast” Continue Reading →