WBAMC’s reconstructive services to be showcased during BRA Day

Photo By Marcy Sanchez | Lt. Col. Owen Johnson III, chief, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Service, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, demonstrates a 3-D reconstructive / plastic surgery simulator application which offers patients increased engagement in their own reconstructive planning, the first of its kind in the Army, to a patient, Oct. 10. The simulator along with staff from WBAMC’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Services will be available to speak to and educate patrons during WBAMC’s second annual Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day, slated to take place all-day Oct. 18 at WBAMC’s first floor, just outside the Alexis St. Martin Dining Facility.  

FORT BLISS, TX, UNITED STATES

10.13.2017

Story by Marcy Sanchez  

William Beaumont Army Medical Center

William Beaumont Army Medical Center will host a Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day informational booth to promote education, awareness and access for women considering post-mastectomy breast reconstruction, Oct. 18, at the hospital’s first floor.

Since 1998, The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act mandated that health plans which offer breast cancer coverage to also cover reconstruction and prostheses for patients. Although the law has been in place for almost 20 years, almost 70 percent of patients were not informed of reconstructive options after treatment until much more recently.

“The goal is to educate the public, our patient population and our fellow physicians (on reconstruction options),” said Lt. Col. Owen Johnson III, chief, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Service, WBAMC. “Patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer or severe benign breast diseases are supposed to be offered the opportunity to speak with a plastic surgeon about what reconstructive options they have.”

WBAMC’s second annual BRA day, hosted nation-wide every 3rd Wednesday of October, will welcome beneficiaries to visit with Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Service nurses and surgeons to discuss the latest technology implemented at WBAMC for patients. Some of the latest initiatives include 3-D reconstructive / plastic surgery simulator application, a first of its kind in the Army, which offers patients increased engagement in their own reconstructive planning.

“(The 3-D simulation) takes concepts from Computer-Assisted Design and applies it to surgery,” said Johnson, a native of Woodbridge, Virginia. “For patients who are nervous and don’t know what to expect, it’s a way for them to digest (reconstruction surgery) a little bit more. It may help them choose an option with more confidence and put them at ease with their decision.”

When patients are diagnosed with breast cancer, physical and emotional stress impact treatment and recovery, said Johnson. Giving patients the option for reconstruction may help them feel better during that process.

A few years ago, Dawn Wright, a retired Army Soldier, didn’t have many options after undergoing a double mastectomy.

According to Wright, she was referred to a specialist who outfitted her with a surgical bra following her mastectomy. Wright was never really given options in her post-surgical recovery. She followed her doctor’s orders during her recovery and reconstruction which led to disappointing results.

“I hear that all the time, someone is bombarded with information and options and don’t really know where to begin,” said Johnson. “They need to be well educated and well informed about the options and potential problems that could come their way.”

“I wish I would have known (options available) a long time ago,” said Wright. “(Women) need to look at options, don’t decide after the first advice you get. Listen, get more opinions and get options.”

It wasn’t until recently that Wright received care tailored to her needs and wants, receiving autologous reconstruction to correct the previous reconstruction procedures.

The reconstructive options, different for each patient, comprise three main modalities: implants, autologous reconstruction (meaning using tissue from other parts of the body to re-build the breast) and autologous tissue with implant. Patients can opt to have immediate, post-lumpectomy/mastectomy reconstruction or delayed reconstruction (performed months to years after completing cancer treatments).

“It’s important to have a discussion (about options with patients) before we start treatment for whatever the problem is because the type of reconstruction we choose might influence how the (cancer/disease) is treated in the first place,” said Johnson. “That’s always been the problem in an underserved community where people may undergo certain types of surgery, chemo, radiation for their breast cancer. A year later patients may want to talk about options but all those options may not be available anymore.”

According to the American Cancer Society, only about five percent of women choose to undergo immediate breast reconstruction at the time of mastectomy.

“I tell people a very viable option may be for them to do nothing,” said Johnson. “That’s okay as long as they choose for themselves.”

The 3-D simulator along with staff from WBAMC’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Services will be available to speak to and educate patrons during BRA Day.

• Date Taken: 10.13.2017
• Date Posted: 10.13.2017 17:42
• Story ID: 251677
• Location: FORT BLISS, TX, US
• Hometown: WOODBRIDGE, VA, US