Author Archives: drhess
Breast reduction surgery is one of the most common procedures we do in plastic surgery. In fact it has one of the highest patient satisfaction rates of any of our procedures. In one study almost 90% of patients were very … Continue reading
all cancers, whether breast, brain or blood, start when a single cell’s DNA gets a mutation or is damaged. This means that a normal gene, that produces a protein that goes on to provide a certain function, becomes abnormal. This abnormal gene produces an abnormal protein. Now our cells are really smart and there are other proteins that detect abnormal genes and remove them or even signal for the entire cell to be destroyed. However, it’s often these removing genes, known as tumor suppressor genes, that are abnormal….. Continue reading
So you’ve met the parents. Now I guess if you twist my arm I’ll talk about myself. Remember this wasn’t my idea! As I’ve said, I’m the youngest of four. The “baby” of the family is the end of reproductive … Continue reading
Like many cancers, the treatment for breast cancer has gone through its evolution. Surgical treatment in the beginning and well into most of the 20th century consisted of the radical mastectomy. This procedure involved removal of the breast, pectoralis major … Continue reading
Today I had a consultation with a lovely couple. The wife and patient is a 31-year-old mother of two young children. During a breast self-exam (which I hope all women do but know they don’t so do it) she noticed … Continue reading
Okay I have my bottle of wine, a Valium and the encouragement from my therapist who says that talking about my mother is therapeutic. Hmmmmm. I’m just kidding, mixing Valium and wine-that’s just crazy. Don’t get me wrong, this is … Continue reading
There’s no doubt about it, I am no “private person.” You ask me pretty much anything and I’ll tell you. I’m strong in my personality and convictions so I’ve got nothing to hide. Many physicians take great care to never … Continue reading
Recently, a fellow surgeon and I had an interesting discussion about consent for surgery, which was relevant because I had just seen several patients who had visited other surgeons and had procedures done without their consent. For instance one patient … Continue reading
Breast implants are not designed to fail. In fact their durability is quite impressive, as the picture depicts. They must be able to withstand years of everyday life and the occasional mammogram. Yet they can fail. A recent study of … Continue reading
I have found through my work with sites like RealSelf that patients are often left out of the decision making process or simply allow their surgeon to determine the correct implants, only to be disappointed with the outcome. The number … Continue reading