New Backus surgeon offers breast reconstruction options
As a new member of the medical staff, Vinod Pathy, MD, is bringing his expertise in breast reconstruction surgery to Backus Hospital.
"Breast reconstruction is underused nationally," Dr. Pathy said. "Everyone is focused on the cancer, and rightly so, but we also need to treat the patient as a whole. After a mastectomy, this type of surgery can help make people feel emotionally well. We shouldn't lose sight of psychological well-being in treatment."
According to Dr. Pathy, who was educated at Yale and trained in New York City, there are many different types of breast operations, but the basic options are:
- Lumpectomy, when a mass within the breast is removed.
- Mastectomy, when an entire breast is removed.
- Modified radical mastectomy, which includes removing the breast and lymph nodes.
Likewise, there are a variety of different types of breast reconstruction procedures that can be offered. One option is to use a tissue expander, which is similar to a temporary balloon, which stretches the skin during a period of a couple of months, after which a permanent implant can be placed.
"A mastectomy usually removes a fair amount of skin as well, so we need to stretch the skin and muscle to be able to recreate and shape the breast with a permanent implant," he said.
Another option is called a TRAM flap procedure, in which skin, fatty tissue and muscle from the abdomen can be used to recreate a breast.
These are the two most popular procedures, but there are other options as well.
Additional services for breast cancer patients include nipple and areola reconstruction, which would be a final procedure after the breast has been created. Patients also can choose to have surgery to match their breasts, so that the opposite breast may be reduced, enlarged or lifted to better match the newly created breast.
Breast reconstruction can be done immediately - at the same time as a mastectomy - or it can be delayed and done in a separate procedure. Depending on the treatment plan and patient factors, the timing of reconstructive surgery can be determined. For example, if a patient is to undergo radiation therapy, then breast reconstruction may be delayed until the therapy is completed.
"Being able to provide this service for the community was one of the primary things that drew me to Chelsea Clinic and Backus Hospital," Dr. Pathy said.
Dr. Pathy also offers cosmetic surgeries including facelifts, eyelid surgeries, tummy tucks, breast augmentation or reduction, rhinoplasty and liposuction.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Westchester, N.Y., Dr. Pathy graduated from Yale University and Temple University School of Medicine. He completed his residency and fellowship at the Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He is board-certified in surgery.