Oct. 27, 2003 -- After five years of development, a new technique to save the breast after large tumor removal via lumpectomy with minimal scarring rather than suffer a breast deformity or mastectomy was presented today at Plastic Surgery 2003, the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation (PSEF) and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS).

"Losing a breast or living with a deformed breast after cancer can be devastating," stated Neil Fine, MD, ASPS member, Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "We believe that women deserve to keep their breast if at all possible, so we set out to develop a way to limit scarring and limit the need for mastectomies. With this new method, we've accomplished both."

The method, called endoscopic-assisted reconstruction with latissimus dorsi (EARLi), uses muscle from the back to replace the tissue in the breast, allowing women to not only keep their breast but also its original shape and nipple. Limited incisions in the breast and under the arm allow surgeons to reconstruct the breast with minimal scarring.

"Previously, if a woman had a large tumor removed from her breast, living with the deformity from the lost tissue was difficult," said Dr. Fine. "And if the woman decided to have the breast reconstructed with back muscle, she had visible scars on her back as well as a visible patch of back sin on her breast. In fact, if the tumor was large enough, most women were left with no choice but to have a complete mastectomy. Now we can offer women another choice: saving their breasts without excess scars."

Dr. Fine has successfully reconstructed breasts for 29 women with this technique, from 37 to 65 years old, with minimal complications. With more than 74,000 women having breast reconstruction in 2002, according to ASPS, this new surgical method has the potential to make a significant impact on the healing process for breast cancer survivors.

"My patients' reaction to the breast reconstruction has been unanimous and uniform -- they are all extremely pleased with the results. Honestly, they are some of the happiest patients in my practice," stated Dr. Fine. "They see it as too good to be true. Thankfully, this procedure is true, and we can now confidently offer it to women to help them feel whole after breast cancer."