LAS VEGAS, July 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Breast surgery experts from across the nation will gather in Nevada this September to learn oncoplastic surgery, now the most advanced form of breast cancer surgery available. The two-and-a-half-day course to be held by the School of Oncoplastic Surgery (SOS) will instruct surgeons how to optimize cosmetic results without compromising cancer control.

"We've reached a point where breast surgeons need oncoplastic skills, because women are living long healthy lives after breast cancer surgery, and they want to preserve their femininity," said SOS founder/course director Gail Lebovic, M.D.
 
The course will be held Sept. 8-10, 2016 at the Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, Nev. 
 
Oncoplastic surgery (OPS) trains surgeons to save as much of the natural tissue as possible without compromising removal of the cancer. Reconstructive techniques are also addressed during the course, so that surgeons can offer their patients an opportunity to continue looking good without compromising their health or survival after being treated for cancer.
 
"The reason I came to the SOS course is that breast surgery is heading in this direction," said A. J. Beisler, M.D., a surgeon in Bellefontaine, Ohio, who attended the January course. "When I saw the availability of the anatomy lab, I thought that would be really helpful. It's one thing to hear people say 'This is the way I do it.' It's another thing to stand there with them and have them take you through it."
 
Special elements of the oncoplastic surgery program include:
 
* Full-day anatomy lab. Attendees receive hands-on instruction and gain experience in multiple oncoplastic techniques.
* Didactic lectures by experts covering topics in breast surgery & cancer care.
* Sculpture lab that uses clay casts from real-life subjects to teach attendees about aesthetics, size, shape and symmetry.
* Live models for surgical marking. Attendees learn the skin markings crucial to perfecting the art of OPS.
* Networking opportunities with faculty and colleagues. Surgeons work side-by-side with the faculty and network/socialize with each other throughout the course.
*Panel discussions. Current controversial topics of significant importance to breast cancer surgeons are discussed in-depth with leaders in the field.
 
"We're now entering our 10th year of teaching the course, and those of us who have been in the field for many years realize the importance of passing on our skills to younger surgeons," said Dr. Lebovic.
 
She notes from her experience that the most effective way to teach the oncoplastic approach involves unique elements not offered by other educational courses: "That's why the School of Oncoplastic Surgery is especially rich with hands-on experience that gives surgeons the confidence to use these methods in their own practices."
 
Other parts of the course include:
 
* One-to-one instruction from the course's expert faculty. Instructors include several world-renowned pioneers in OPS.
* Introduction to new technologies used in oncoplastic cases. Selected new tools are demonstrated and utilized in the lab.
* Instruction on reimbursement coding when performing oncoplastic procedures
           
"I came to the SOS because even though I've been doing breast work for quite a few years, the expectations of patients are changing in terms of cosmetic appearance," said Denver breast surgeon Jodi Chamber, M.D., FACS. "There are a lot of new techniques out there that quite honestly I have not been using but I've been reading about. I wanted to see them first-hand from folks who have been doing them."
 
Oncoplastic surgery combines breast cancer surgery with plastic and reconstructive techniques to achieve the best possible cosmetic results when a lumpectomy is performed. OPS can also be performed in conjunction with a breast reduction, augmentation, lift, mastectomy or reconstruction taking into account patient preference and clinical circumstances.
 
The School of Oncoplastic Surgery was founded in 2007 by Dr. Lebovic with a grant from the Mary Kay Ash Foundation. Dr. Lebovic is a past president of the American Society of Breast Disease, recipient of several distinguished awards and the inventor of multiple successful medical technologies in women's healthcare. She currently serves as Chief Medical Officer for Focal Therapeutics, Inc.
 
Henderson, Nevada's second largest city and site of the course, is part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
 
Course information is available at www.2016sos.com. For further information, phone Tiffany Young at (479) 236-9570 or email her: tiffany@breasttreatment.com.