Denver, CO, Jan. 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Once again setting the precedent in the medical field in the Denver area, Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery recently performed the first bilateral TUG Flap Breast Reconstruction in the local area this past September. The emotional and physical scars that women endure while battling breast cancer affect their fortitude, courage, and body image for the rest of their lives. Jeremy Williams, M.D. and Christopher Williams, M.D. offer up to eight different methods of autologous breast reconstruction in addition to implant-based reconstruction at Park Meadow Cosmetic Surgery and in partnership with Skyridge Medical Center. They attempt to accommodate every woman’s individual needs, so women affected by breast cancer can return to the life they fought so hard to keep and enjoy the hope of a bright future.
The Transverse Upper Gracilis (TUG) Flap surgery is an alternate option for patients who desire an autologous (tissue) breast reconstruction as opposed to implants to reconstruct the breast but do not have adequate or usable tissue at a traditional donor site. Traditional donor sites include the lower abdomen, such as during DIEP Flap Surgery, or the back, as donated during Latissimus Flap surgery. The first TUG Flap patient at Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery was a candidate for this procedure because she had previously had a failed TRAM Flap procedure. The second TUG Flap patient (and the first bilateral TUG Flap in Colorado) was a candidate for the TUG Flap because she previously had abdominal liposuction, making her ineligible for other breast reconstruction techniques.
During TUG Flap Breast Reconstruction in Denver, a sample of donor tissue is taken from the upper inner thighs and transferred to the chest to create the new breast. The donor tissue is comprised of skin, fat, blood vessels to ensure the success of the reconstruction, and an insignificant muscle from the inner thigh (gracilis muscle), all required to create the most natural-looking breast possible. The upper inner thigh is not a preferred donor site for all patients, but patients who have excess skin and fat in their upper thighs and have even perhaps considered having a thigh lift are eligible for this procedure. After surgery, scars from the donor site tuck into the crease of the groin and are often easily concealed by standard women’s underwear or a bathing suit.
TUG Flap Breast Reconstruction in Denver is one of the newest variations of autologous breast reconstruction surgeries, so not many plastic surgeons in the United States and Canada are familiar with this particular technique. Board-certified plastic surgeons, Dr. Jeremy Williams and Dr. Christopher Williams, and the staff at Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery have a history of being on the cutting edge of their field. In addition to becoming the first Plastic Surgery Center in the Denver area to perform a TUG Flap, the surgeons at Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery were the first to begin offering bilateral DIEP Flap breast reconstruction in Colorado three years ago, and just this past fall marked two milestones at Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery as they celebrated their 100th DIEP Flap patient as well as their 200th successful DIEP Flap Surgery in Colorado.
Important decisions must be made before engaging in breast reconstruction surgery, such as whether the patient would like the reconstruction performed the same day or sometime after having the mastectomy, and whether she would prefer to use an implant or autologous tissue to reconstruct her new breast. These decisions can feel overwhelming and the answers uncertain; the doctors and staff at Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery will help to guide patients through the decision making process, so each patient receives the surgery best fit to accommodate her needs and produce the best possible results. To learn more about breast reconstruction surgery and if the TUG Flap Breast Reconstruction procedure in the Denver area is right for you, contact our friendly doctors and staff at Park Meadows Cosmetic Surgery at 303.706.1100. We can discuss any questions or concerns you may have about our breast reconstruction procedures or simply schedule an initial consultation with one of our surgeons.