BAY AREA, Calif., Feb. 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Steven Siegal of Plastic Surgery Specialists Medical Group, a Bay Area plastic surgery practice, announces groundbreaking advances in breast reconstruction surgery utilizing its Implant Sculpting Breast Reconstruction procedure.

The Implant Sculpting Breast Reconstruction procedure employs AlloDerm® that is made from donated human tissue that has been processed to eliminate the proteins that could trigger a rejection. All of the donor tissue is incorporated into the patient's natural tissue, resulting in a living "area" that stays viable with a zero risk of infection.

Manufactured by LifeCell, AlloDerm® is a patented tissue matrix that was originally developed in 1994 as a graft for burn patients. It has been used for years to replace missing and damaged tissue and to cover wounds. AlloDerm® is an acellular tissue product that is not rejected by the body, its safety has been proven in over 1 million implants and grafts to date. Tissue donors are screened and tested for transmissible diseases, and a medical director completes a comprehensive review of each donor before allowing the tissue to be processed by the manufacturer into its acellular state.

Using AlloDerm® to provide immediate tissue replacement after a mastectomy was developed by Dr. Steven Siegal of Plastic Surgery Specialists Medical Group. A Bay Area plastic surgeon, who specializes in cosmetic surgery, orthopedics, breast surgery and reconstruction, Dr. Siegal has also served as an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA division of plastic Surgery.

When it comes to breast reconstruction, Dr. Siegal uses an improved technique. Traditional breast implant reconstruction was a tedious process requiring multiple surgeries and numerous visits to the plastic surgeon's office. The gradual expansion of the chest muscle and breast skin extremely painful. The AlloDerm® regenerative tissue matrix provides better coverage of the implant edges and improves the overall cosmetic reconstructive result.

With a single-stage expansion process, the doctors at Plastic Surgery Specialists Medical Group use layers of AlloDerm® to create a pocket of sufficient size during the initial reconstructive surgery procedure, to provide a more complete coverage of the exposed implant. Some surgeons use AlloDerm® with expanders. This technique improves stabilization and coverage of the expander, but it still requires the patient to endure the traditional two-stage expansion process.

The AlloDerm® Implant Sculpting Breast Reconstruction technique produces the best cosmetic results and rids the need for expansion, with benefits such as:

• Creating a full-size breast during the initial procedure, so a woman undergoing mastectomy and immediate reconstruction wakes up with a breast in place and her physical profile intact
• Eliminating the discomfort and inconvenience of expansion
• Eliminating the need for a second surgery to replace the expander
• Providing one-stage reconstruction for women who combine this procedure with prophylactic subcutaneous mastectomy or nipple-sparing mastectomy
• Accelerating patient recovery
• Covering implant edges more adequately, eliminating the likelihood of rippling or wrinkling

Practically every woman expecting to undergo a mastectomy with an immediate reconstruction is a candidate for the Implant Sculpting Breast Reconstruction procedure with AlloDerm® technique, regardless of the type of mastectomy performed. The technique has had occasional minor reported complications; major complications are unusual. The specific risks and suitability can be only determined with a thorough consultation at Plastic Surgery Specialists Medical Group' offices, in Sausalito, California.

Dr. Siegal works collaboratively with board certified plastic surgeons at Plastic Surgery Specialists Medical Group, such as Dr. Reza Mozafari, to provide Implant Sculpting Breast Reconstruction procedures with an individualized approach, in order to help women facing the challenges of mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery.

Plastic Surgery Specialists Medical Group has been serving the Bay area since 1979. The consumer guide, "America's Top Doctors," has named Dr. Siegal one of the "Top Doctors for Women from Coast to Coast." Dr. Siegal has also had the honor of being named one of the top doctors in the Bay Area Metro Area every year since 2002.

More than 100,000 mastectomies are performed each year to treat various types of breast cancer. Although current plastic surgery techniques provide many reconstructive options for women, many of these choices are not always understood or even identified. Women need to do their own research to find out what's available and what's best for them.

"There's simply too much misinformation out there," says Dr. Siegal. "Breast cancer and mastectomy are difficult under any circumstances. Throw reconstruction into the mix, and it can be overwhelming. We want women to know what's available, so they can make informed decisions about what's really best for them."

Dr. Siegal has presented many papers on the topic of plastic surgery internationally. His numerous research activities include breast reconstruction, pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, nerve repair, wound healing, skin substitutes and laser applications in skin care.

Contact Plastic Surgery Specialists Medical Group at 415-840-2346.