RALEIGH, N.C. -- A breast cancer diagnosis is scary enough, but it also means a lot of questions for a woman, especially when it comes to surgery.  

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When Patti Marshall got her diagnosis in early 2007, she didn’t know where to begin.

“I didn’t know anybody who’d ever had breast cancer,” said Marshall. “I didn’t know anybody who’d ever been through what I was going through.”

Dr. Keelee MacPhee is a plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction.   She says some cosmetic plastic surgeons don’t choose to treat cancer patients because they have unique needs.

“Their state of mind is much more fragile and anxious than another person coming in for cosmetic surgery,” said Dr. MacPhee. “That’s why I always plan to spend more time talking about their options.”

But breast cancer patients don’t always have a lot of time for talking. In the span of two months, Marshall was diagnosed, had a double mastectomy, and then began the reconstruction process. Still, she says all the information was overwhelming.  

“You might read all those on the internet, you might see all these different options,” said Marshall. “But your healthcare provider is going to be the one to tell you what really is an option.”

Surgery may be done using tissue from the abdomen to create new breasts. In some cases, tissue is harvested from the TRAM (transverse rectus abdominis muscle) area of the lower abdomen, between the waist and pubic bone.   A newer procedure, called the DIEP Flap procedure, uses fat and skin from the same area, but does not involve removing any muscle.

Dr. MacPhee determined that because Marshall didn’t have enough excess tissue to reconstruct both breasts, her best option was implants. But that meant Marshall had to juggle chemotherapy and radiation while undergoing months of tissue expansion to prepare for the silicone implants.  

Her last procedure was in early 2008. It’s a year she doesn’t care to re-live, but Marshall is enthusiastic about sharing her story with other women.

“If it’s just to help one person, then it’s worth it to tell however many people I have to tell,” she said. 

You can learn more about surgery options for breast reconstruction as well as find out about different kinds of cosmetic procedures at this weekend’s NBC 17 Health and Fitness Fair on Saturday and Sunday at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh.

Related Links:

·  Breast Reconstruction Options

·  Dr. Keelee MacPhee